How to Remove Vatican Ransomware and Restore .POPE Files?

What Is Vatican Ransomware? Understanding the Threat

• Definition & Scope
  A modern ransomware strain that spreads across Windows servers, NAS systems like QNAP, and even VMware ESXi infrastructure—encrypting files with the .POPE extension and demanding payment.
  
• Historical Evolution & Variants
  Originating from the Crysis/Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) family, Vatican ransomware has evolved with dedicated versions for different environments (e.g. ESXi vs. Windows servers), each using advanced encryption and extortion tactics.

Related article: How to Remove ISTANBUL Ransomware and Restore .istanbul Files?

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How Vatican Ransomware Works: Attack Lifecycle Breakdown

1. Infiltration Methods
   
   • Phishing emails with malicious attachments or links
     
   • Brute-forced or exposed RDP connections
     
   • Exploiting unpatched remote code vulnerabilities
     
2. Privilege Escalation & Lateral Spread
   
   • Moves laterally through SMB, admin shares, script tools (like PSExec)
     
   • Seeks out high-value files and directories
     
3. File Encryption Techniques
   
   • Uses AES-256 for symmetrical encryption of actual files
     
   • Wraps AES keys with RSA-2048/4096 components
     
   • Flags every encrypted file with .POPE or a similar custom extension

4. Ransom Leveraging
   
   • Displays ransom notes via text files, HTML pages, pop-up GIFs

English variant of the text presented in the pop-up messages:

Your VaticanRansomwere

Your files have been encrypted by VaticanRansomwere!

The only way to redeem your data is by acquiring the Holy Decryption Key from the Vatican.
To obtain this sacred key, you must offer exactly 30 silver coins (denarii) as tribute.

Send your offering to:
Piazza San Pietro
00120 Vatican City

After the penance is received, click ‘Check Payment’ to receive Holy Decryption Key.
Remember that this payment is optional. You are not forced to this, but if you refuse, you will be excluded from Christianity and your files lost in the deepest pits of Hell.

Do not delay in purchasing the key, for on a certain day you won’t be able to check your payment and receive Holy Decryption Key even if you pay.
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Fater.” (Matthew 24:36)

• Usually demands payment in Bitcoin or Monero
  
• Threatens deletion or public leak of private data
  

5. Secondary Extortion
   
   • Attackers exfiltrate data first—threatening leaks even if you pay
     
   • Pressures organizations to pay before public disclosure
     

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Vatican Ransomware on VMware ESXi: A Virtual Host Nightmare

• Entry Vector – Targets hypervisor vulnerabilities or unsecured SSH entry
  
• Impact – Encrypts entire VM disk images (VMDKs), snapshots, templates
  
• Business Damage – Results in full VM loss, production halts, costly recovery
  

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How Vatican Ransomware Hits Windows Servers?

• Entry Point – Email phishing, trojan installers, vulnerable services
  
• Chain of Attack – Gathers domain admin credentials, spreads via shared drives
  
• Damage Scope – Encrypts database files, ERP systems, backups, critical documents
  

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Vatican Decryptor (.POPE) – The Complete Recovery Arsenal

Tool Capabilities

• Decrypts .POPE files without paying ransom
  
• Compatible with ESXi exports, Windows file shares, and NAS shares
  
• Offloads computation to secure cloud servers for fast & safe recovery
  

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Purchase/Verify Access – Via secure channels (email, WhatsApp)
   
2. Install & Authorize – Run as administrator with input victim ID from ransom note
   
3. Online Decryption – Connects to our servers to fetch keys or reverse-engineer encryption
   
4. Review & Validate – Check recovered files for integrity and completeness

Also read: How to Decrypt Files Encrypted by Kraken Ransomware?

Guarantee & Support

• Clear interface, easy operation for all skill levels
  
• No data loss—original files remain untouched
  
• Money-back guarantee if decryption fails—no penalty risk
  

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Free & Alternative Vatican Decryption Methods

• NoMoreRansom.org Decryptors – Might support Crysis-based variants
  
• Restore from Backups – Offline or air-gapped copies unaffected by encryption
  
• Windows Shadow Copies – vssadmin list shadows—sometimes recover previous versions
  
• System Restore – Rollback Windows servers to a safe point
  
• Data Rotary Tools – Recuva, PhotoRec, and Disk Drill for recovering deleted original files
  
• Security Agencies – FBI IC3/CISA may provide support for known strains
  

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Signs of a Vatican Ransomware Incident

• File Renaming – .POPE, .POPE1, or randomized appended suffixes
  
• Dominant Ransom Screens – Desktop wallpaper changes, pop-up ransom GIFs
  
• Performance Drag – CPU spikes, disk thrashing due to encryption processes
  
• Suspicious Traffic – Encrypted connection to tor-like, C&C servers
  
• Missing Backups – Sign your offsite backups were targeted by intruders
  

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Defense in Depth: Protecting ESXi, Windows & NAS from Vatican

Strategy	Recommended Actions
Patch Management	Automate updates for ESXi, Windows, networking equipment
Access Controls	Harden RDP, enable MFA, use RBAC for admins
Network Segmentation	Isolate critical servers with VLANs and firewall rules
Protected Backups	Use immutable backups and air-gap storage with 3‑2‑1 rule
Endpoint Detection	Deploy EDR/EDR (Windows/APT), anti-malware on NAS appliances
Traffic Monitoring	IDS/IPS tools to block C&C communication attempts
Phishing Awareness	Mandatory staff training, simulated phishing programs
Playbook Culture	Maintain and drill incident response, including communications and backups

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Encryption Techniques & Tech Talk

• Symmetric Encryption (AES-256): Fast encryption of actual files
  
• Asymmetric Encryption (RSA-2048/4096): Protects AES keys, locked via public key
  
• Metadata Tampering: Alters file properties to hinder recovery
  
• Double Extortion Tactics: Holds both encrypted files and stolen data
  

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Attack-to-Extortion Pipeline

1. Initial Compromise – Gain access (phishing/vulnerable services)
   
2. Privilege Escalation – Increase admin access, drop tools
   
3. Lateral Movement – Aggressively spread to servers & storage
   
4. Encryption Rollout – Drop .POPE files everywhere
   
5. Extortion Execution – Demand payment, threaten data leak
   
6. Aftermath & Data Leak Risk – Often shared on public dark web data dumps
   

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Ramifications for Victims

• Operational Freeze – Key servers and services offline
  
• Financial Fallout – Damages far exceed ransom — recovery costs, revenue loss
  
• Legal & Compliance Exposure – GDPR, HIPAA, PCI fines
  
• Reputational Harm – Clients/partners lose trust post-attack
  

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Proactive Cyber Resilience Checklist

• Immutable Storage – Use WORM drives, cloud object locks
  
• Back Up Frequently – Daily incremental + weekly full backups, stored offline
  
• Threat Hunting – Periodic audits of logs, VBScript, PowerShell usage
  
• Red Team Testing – Simulate ransomware to test detection and response
  
• Update Incident Playbooks – Include legal, communications, forensic readiness
  

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Reporting & Support Resources

• File with IC3 (FBI) – If you’re in the US
  
• CISA & Europol Alerts – Check if your variant is known
  
• Cyber Insurance Partners – They often coordinate IR efforts & support
  
• Malware Research Forums – VirusTotal, BleepingComputer frequently document decryption methods
  

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 Final Word

Vatican ransomware—most recognizable by its infamous .POPE extension—is adaptable, stealthy, and dangerous across multiple environments. But it’s not unbeatable. Through layered security, frequent backups, staff training, and recovery tools like our Vatican Decryptor, you can dramatically reduce both downtime and data loss risk. Stay alert, stay updated, and stay prepared.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Contact Us To Purchase The Vatican Decryptor Tool