Remove EXTEN Virus (.EXTEN Files Ransomware) – Conti Ransomware

EXTEN – General Info

The EXTEN mean a ransomware-type infection. The virus comes from the Conti ransomware family. EXTEN was elaborated particularly to encrypt all major file types. Once the file is encrypted people are not able to use them. EXTEN adds the “.EXTEN” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, as soon as encrypted by EXTEN, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.EXTEN“. As quickly as the encryption is finished, EXTEN places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.

The message given by EXTEN text file requesting the ransom is absolutely the same as the statements given by other ransomware representatives belonging to the Conti type. It literally discusses that the info is encrypted and that the only way to restore it is to use a an unique decryption key. Sadly, this is definitely true. The kind of cryptography mechanism used by EXTEN is still not correctly examined. Still, it is definitely certain that each victim might be given the specific decryption key, which is totally unique. It is impossible to bring back the files without the key available.

Another trick of EXTEN is that the victims cannot get to the key. The key is kept on a specific server run by the frauds associated with EXTEN ransomware. To get the key and recover the important information people have to pay the ransom.

However, irrespective of the requested quantity, people should keep away from paying the ransom. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to totally ignore what their victims feel about the problem, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom usually does not give any positive result and people simply lose their money for absolutely nothing.

We highly recommend that you do not contact these crooks and absolutely do not transfer money into their accounts. It is said to admit that there are no utilities able to crack EXTEN ransomware and to recover the data data for free. Therefore, the only best decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.

Virus Summary

Name	EXTEN Ransomware
File Extension	.EXTEN
Type	Ransomware
Family	Conti
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 EXTEN extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments
Removal Tool	GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Bear in mind that the web is now overwhelmed with threats that look similar to EXTEN ransomware. Destructive programs of such kind are normally elaborated to encrypt essential data and to set forth the demand before the user to pay the ransom. The peculiarity of all such ransomware threats is that all apply a similar algorithm to generate the distinct 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 merely not feasible. The only method to prevent the loss of your crucial files is to regularly create backups of your important information.

Keep 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 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 certainly not a good storage location.

How did ransomware infect my system?

There are a number of ways used by online frauds to distribute EXTEN virus. Although it doubts how exactly EXTEN injects your computer, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate the system:

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

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

Furthermore, the criminals might describe various e-mail spam techniques to inject malicious codes into PC. So, they may refer to to sending unsolicited spam emails with tricky notifications 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 significantly damage the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player upgrade notifies may result in EXTEN ransom injection. When it comes to the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may also contain destructive codes causing EXTEN secret installation. Finally, injection of EXTEN may take place by methods of Trojans that secretly get injected into the system and install destructive utilities without the user’s permission.

Is there any way to avoid the injection of EXTEN ransom virus?

Despite the fact that there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your system from getting infected, there are some pieces of advice we wish to show with you. Firstly, be really cautious when you surf the web and especially while downloading complimentary apps. Keep away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.

Keep in mind that some freeware installers may include other unwanted utilities in the package, so they may be destructive. Ensure that your current antivirus software and your entire operating system is always appropriately updated.

Of course, downloading pirated software is unlawful and may result in important damage to be made for your system. Hence, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are also strongly encouraged to reconsider your existing security software and perhaps switch to another security solution that can render far better services of protecting your PC.

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

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove EXTEN 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.