Remove Charlie J0hnson Virus (.charlie.j0hnson Files Ransomware) – Maoloa Ransomware

Charlie J0hnson – Ransomware

The Charlie J0hnson stands for a ransomware-type infection. The infection comes from the Maoloa ransomware family. Charlie J0hnson was elaborated specifically to encrypt all major file types. As soon as the file is encrypted people are not able to use them. Charlie J0hnson adds the “.charlie.j0hnson” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, when encrypted by Charlie J0hnson, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.charlie.j0hnson“. As soon as the encryption is finished, Charlie J0hnson places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.

The message given by Charlie J0hnson text file requesting for the ransom is definitely the like the statements given by other ransomware representatives coming from the Maoloa family. It actually points out that the info is encrypted which the only way to restore it is to use a a special decryption key. Unfortunately, this is definitely true. The kind of cryptography mechanism applied by Charlie J0hnson is still not correctly examined. Still, it is absolutely particular that each victim may be given the specific decryption key, which is totally unique. It is impossible to bring back the files without the key available.

Another technique of Charlie J0hnson is that the victims cannot access to the key. The key is kept on a particular server run by the frauds associated with Charlie J0hnson ransomware. To get the key and recover the important information people need to pay the ransom.

However, regardless of the asked for amount, people should stay away from paying the ransom. Cyber frauds are unfair, so they tend to entirely ignore what their victims feel about the issue, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom normally does not give any positive outcome and people just waste their money for absolutely nothing.

We highly recommend that you do not contact these crooks and definitely do not transfer money into their accounts. It is said to admit that there are no utilities able to crack Charlie J0hnson ransomware and to recover the data data totally free. Thus, the just right decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.

Virus Summary

Name Charlie J0hnson Ransomware
File Extension .charlie.j0hnson
Type Ransomware
Family Maoloa
Short Description The ransomware encrypts all the data stored on your system and requires a ransom to be paid on your part supposedly to recover your important files.
Symptoms File encryption by the ransomware is performed by means of the AES and RSA encryption algorithms. Once the encryption is completed, the ransomware adds its special charlie.j0hnson extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution Method Spam Emails, Email Attachments
Removal Tool   GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Bear in mind that the internet is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to Charlie J0hnson ransomware. Malicious programs of such kind are normally elaborated to encrypt crucial information and to set forth the demand prior to the user to pay the ransom. The peculiarity of all such ransomware threats is that all apply a comparable algorithm to produce the distinct decryption key for information decryption.

Therefore, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, manually recovering the information is just not feasible. The only way to avoid the loss of your essential information is to frequently create backups of your important information.

Bear in mind that even if you create such backups, they need to be put into a special storage utility not connect to your main PC. You may use the USB Flash Drive or external hard disk for this purpose, or refer to the help of the cloud storage. If you keep your backup files on your common system they may be encrypted in addition to other files, so it’s certainly not a good storage location.

How did ransomware infect my computer?

There are numerous ways used by online frauds to distribute Charlie J0hnson ransomware. Although it doubts how exactly Charlie J0hnson injects your computer, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate the system:

  • integration with third-party software, especially freeware;
  • spam emails from unknown senders;
  • websites rendering free hosting services;
  • pirated peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads.

Frequently Charlie J0hnson virus might be presented as some genuine software application, for instance, in the pop-ups advising users to implement some essential software updates. This is the typical trick used by online frauds to persuade people into downloading and installing Charlie J0hnson infection manually, by ways of their direct participation in the installation process.

Additionally, the criminals may describe numerous email spam methods to inject malicious codes into copmuter. So, they may describe to sending unsolicited spam e-mails with tricky notices promoting users to download the attachments or click on certain download links, for example, the ones encouraging users to open some receipts, files, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such documents or clicking on such dangerous links may severely harm the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player update alerts may result in Charlie J0hnson virus injection. When it comes to the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise contain destructive codes causing Charlie J0hnson secret installation. Finally, injection of Charlie J0hnson may take place by ways of Trojans that privately get injected into the system and install harmful tools without the user’s consent.

Is there any method to prevent the injection of Charlie J0hnson ransom virus?

Although there is no 100% guarantee to avoid your PC from getting infected, there are some pieces of guidance we want to show with you. First off, be really mindful when you browse the web and specifically while downloading complimentary programs. Keep away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.

Remember that some freeware installers may consist of other unwanted utilities in the bundle, so they may be malicious. Make sure that your current antivirus software and your entire operating system is always appropriately updated.

Obviously, downloading pirated software is unlawful and may result in essential damage to be made for your system. Hence, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise highly encouraged to reconsider your existing security software and potentially switch to another security solution that can render far better services of protecting your Windows.

Below please find the quotation from the Charlie J0hnson text file:

☣ All your files have been encrypted☣

CONTACT US: charlie.j0hnson@tutanota.com⬇ IF YOU WANT TO GET ALL YOUR FILES BACK, PLEASE READ THIS ⬇

------------------

☣ YOUR KEY ☣
-
-----------------

DON\'T WORRY! YOUR FILES ARE SAFE!
☣ TERMS OF RETURN OF YOUR FILES ☣
Send us email with your personal encryption KEY.
This email will be as confirmation your are ready to pay for decryption key.
Payment is accepted only in bitcoins.
The price depends on the amount of data and how quickly you write to us.
After payment, we send you the decryption tool, that decrypt all your files.

Contact Email is listed in order of importance:
\'charlie.j0hnson@tutanota.com\' and \'charlie.j0hnson@yandex.com\' and \'charlie.j0hnson@execs.com\'

click on the link and the message will be filled in automatically.

Or contact for jabber: charlie.j0hnson@xmpp.jp

------------------

Before paying you can send 2 file for free decryption.
The total size of file must be less than 2Mb (non archived).
Files should not contain valuable information (backups, databases, large excel-word sheets, etc.)

------------------

☣☣☣ ATTENTION ☣☣☣
☣ Do not rename encrypted files.
☣ Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, this can result in complete data loss!
☣ Do not contact other services that promise to decrypt your files, this is fraud on their part!
☣ Decoders other users are not compatible with your data, because each user\'s unique encryption key

------------------

HOW TO OBTAIN BITCOINS.
The easiest way to buy bitcoins is LocalBitcoins site. You have to register, click \'Buy bitcoins\',
and select the seller by payment method and price.
\'Buy bitcoins online\' \'How to buy Bitcoins\' Also you can find other places to buy Bitcoins
and beginners guide here: \'How Can I Buy Bitcoin?\'
------------------

Screenshot of files with “.charlie.j0hnson” extension added by the ransomware:

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove Charlie J0hnson ransomware from your computer

1.Download GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:

  GridinSoft Anti-Malware

2. Double-click on the setup file.

When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-ag.exe file to install GridinSoft Anti-Malware on your computer.

An User Account Control asking you about to allow GridinSoft Anti-Malware to make changes to your device. So, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.

3. Press Install button for run GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

3.Once installed, GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically run.

4. Wait for the GridinSoft Anti-Malware scan to complete.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your computer for Win Speedup 2018 and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so we suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.

5. Click on “Clean Now”.

When the scan has completed, you will see the list of infections that GridinSoft Anti-Malware has detected. To remove them click on the “Clean Now” button in right corner.

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Daniel Zimmermann

Daniel Zimmermann has been writing on security and malware subjects for many years and has been working in the security industry for over 10 years. Daniel was educated at the Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany and currently lives in New York.

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