Pepe – Ransomware
The Pepe stands for a ransomware-type infection. The virus comes from the VoidCrypt ransomware family. Pepe was elaborated particularly to encrypt all major file types. As soon as the file is encrypted people are not able to use them. Pepe adds the “.pepe” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, as soon as encrypted by Pepe, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.pepe“. As soon as the encryption is completed, Pepe places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.The message given by Pepe text file requesting the ransom is definitely the like the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives coming from the VoidCrypt family. It actually mentions that the info is encrypted and that the only way to restore it is to use a a special decryption key. Sadly, this is absolutely true. The type of cryptography mechanism used by Pepe is still not properly examined. Still, it is definitely specific that each victim may be given the specific decryption key, which is absolutely distinct. It is difficult to restore the files without the key available.
Another technique of Pepe is that the victims cannot get to the key. The key is stored on a specific server run by the frauds connected with Pepe ransomware. To get the key and recover the important information people have to pay the ransom.
Pepe 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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Nonetheless, regardless of the requested amount, people should stay away from paying the virus. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to totally disregard 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 outcome and people simply waste their money for absolutely 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 Pepe ransomware and to recover the data data totally free. Hence, the just best decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.
Virus Summary
| Name | Pepe Ransomware |
| File Extension | .pepe |
| Type | Ransomware |
| Family | VoidCrypt |
| 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 pepe extension to all the files modified by it. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| Similar Infections | Nyan, Spade, Void |
| Removal Tool | GridinSoft Anti-Malware |
Remember that the web is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to Pepe ransomware. It is similar Nyan and many other ransomware-type threats. Malicious programs of such kind are normally elaborated to encrypt crucial 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 create the unique decryption key for files 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 way to avoid the loss of your essential information is to regularly create backups of your important information.
Remember that even if you create such backups, they need to be put into a special storage utility not connect to your main computer. You may use the USB Memory Stick 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 absolutely not a good storage place.
How did ransomware infect my computer?
There are several methods used by online frauds to distribute Pepe virus. Even though it doubts how exactly Pepe injects your PC, there are some leaks through which it may infiltrate the system:
- integration with third-party apps, especially freeware;
- spam e-mails from unknown senders;
- websites rendering free hosting services;
- pirated peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads.
Often Pepe ransomware might exist as some genuine software, for example, in the pop-ups advising users to implement some essential software application updates. This is the common technique used by online scams to persuade people into downloading and installing Pepe infection manually, by ways of their direct participation in the installation process.
Furthermore, the criminals might refer to numerous e-mail spam tactics to inject harmful 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 encouraging users to open some video, documents, tax reports or invoices.
Needless to mention, opening such files or clicking on such dangerous links may significantly harm the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player upgrade alerts may result in Pepe virus injection. As for the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may also include malicious codes resulting in Pepe secret installation. Finally, injection of Pepe may happen by means of Trojans that secretly get injected into the system and install harmful tools without the user’s permission.
Is there any way to prevent the injection of Pepe ransom virus?
Despite the fact that there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your computer from getting infected, there are some pieces of recommendations we wish to share with with you. First of all, be really careful when you browse the web and specifically while downloading totally free programs. Stay away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.
Remember that some freeware installers may include other unwanted utilities in the package, so they may be destructive. Make certain that your current antivirus and your entire OS is always duly updated.
Obviously, downloading pirated software is unlawful and may lead to essential damage to be made for your system. Hence, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise highly recommended to reconsider your existing security software and potentially change to another security solution that can render far better services of defending your PC.
Screenshot of files with “.pepe” extension added by the ransomware:
Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove Pepe 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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