Cov19 – Ransomware
The Cov19 mean a ransomware-type infection. The infection comes from the Scarab ransomware family. Cov19 was elaborated particularly to encrypt all major file types. As soon as the file is encrypted people are not able to use them. Cov19 adds the “.cov19” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, as soon as encrypted by Cov19, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.cov19“. As soon as the encryption is completed, Cov19 places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.The message given by Cov19 text file asking for the ransom is definitely the same as the statements given by other ransomware representatives coming from the Scarab family. It literally points out that the info is encrypted which the only way to bring back it is to use a a distinct decryption key. Sadly, this is absolutely true. The type of cryptography mechanism used by Cov19 is still not appropriately examined. Still, it is definitely specific that each victim might be given the specific decryption key, which is completely unique. It is impossible to bring back the files without the key available.
Another technique of Cov19 is that the victims cannot access to the key. The key is kept on a particular server run by the frauds related to Cov19 ransomware. To get the key and recover the important information people need to pay the ransom.
Cov19 encrypted your documents, but that might not be the only damage done to you. The ransomware might still be hidingon your computer. To identify whether this holds true, we suggest downloading GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
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However, regardless of the requested quantity, people need to keep away from paying the ransom virus. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to totally ignore what their victims feel about the issue, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom typically does not provide any positive outcome and people just waste their money for nothing.
We strongly 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 Cov19 ransomware and to recover the information data totally free. Hence, the just best decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.
Virus Summary
| Name | Cov19 Ransomware |
| File Extension | .cov19 |
| Type | Ransomware |
| Family | Scarab |
| 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 cov19 extension to all the files modified by it. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| Similar Infections | Scarabey, Moncrypt, Inchin |
| Removal Tool | GridinSoft Anti-Malware |
Keep in mind that the web is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to Cov19 ransomware. It is similar Scarabey and many other ransomware-type threats. Malicious programs of such kind are generally elaborated to encrypt important data and to set forth the need prior to the user to pay the ransom. The peculiarity of all such ransomware threats is that all apply a similar algorithm to produce the special decryption key for information decryption.
Hence, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, by hand recovering the information is simply not feasible. The only method to prevent the loss of your crucial information is to frequently create backups of your important information.
Remember that even if you create such backups, they must be put into a special storage utility not connect to your main computer. You may use the USB Flash Drive or external disk drive for this purpose, or refer to the help of the cloud storage. If you store your backup files on your common system they may be encrypted together with other files, so it’s absolutely not a good storage place.
How did ransomware infect my computer?
There are several methods used by online frauds to distribute Cov19 virus. Although it doubts how precisely Cov19 injects your computer, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate the system:
- integration with third-party apps, especially freeware;
- spam e-mails from unknown senders;
- sites rendering free hosting services;
- pirated peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads.
Frequently Cov19 ransomware may exist as some genuine software, for instance, in the pop-ups advising users to carry out some essential software application updates. This is the common technique used by online frauds to persuade people into downloading and installing Cov19 infection manually, by means of their direct participation in the installation process.
Furthermore, the criminals may refer to different e-mail spam methods to inject destructive codes into copmuter. So, they may describe to sending unsolicited spam e-mails with tricky notifications promoting users to download the attachments or click on certain download links, for example, the ones motivating users to open some receipts, files, tax reports or invoices.
Needless to mention, opening such files or clicking on such dangerous links may badly harm the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player update alerts may result in Cov19 virus injection. When it comes to the cracked applications, these illegally downloaded programs may also include destructive codes leading to Cov19 secret installation. Lastly, injection of Cov19 may happen by ways of Trojans that secretly get injected into the system and install destructive tools without the user’s consent.
Is there any way to prevent the injection of Cov19 ransom virus?
Although there is no 100% guarantee to avoid your computer from getting infected, there are some pieces of recommendations we wish to share with with you. Firstly, be extremely careful when you browse the web and particularly while downloading free programs. Stay away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.
Bear in mind that some freeware installers may contain other unwanted utilities in the bundle, so they may be harmful. Make sure that your current anti-virus and your entire OS is always duly updated.
Of course, downloading pirated software is unlawful and may result in vital damage to be made for your PC. Hence, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise highly recommended to reconsider your existing security software and perhaps switch to another security solution that can render far better services of protecting your system.
Below please find the quotation from the Cov19 text file:
Hello. Many vulnerabilities detected on your server. Because of this, all your files have been encrypted with the strongest encryption. All attempts to decrypt files on their own will lead to data corruption. Antivirus operation can permanently damage files. Gather information about identifiers and send it by mail. Remember that your keys are not stored for long and can be automatically deleted. No data recovery company can recover it. Recovery company will be contacted by we on the indicated mail. For information on decoding, please write to the e-mail FushenKingdee@protonmail.com Your files are now encrypted! Your personal identifier: - Now you should send us email with your personal identifier. Contact us using this email address: FushenKingdee@protonmail.com Free decryption as guarantee! Before paying you can send us up to 3 files for free decryption. The total size of files must be less than 5Mb (non archived), and files should not contain valuable information (databases, backups, large excel sheets, etc.). Attention! * Do not rename encrypted files. * Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss. * Decryption of your files with the help of third parties may cause increased price (they add their fee to our) or you can become a victim of a scam.
Screenshot of files with “.cov19” extension added by the ransomware:
Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove Cov19 ransomware from your computer
1.Download GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:
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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