Remove PetyaX Virus (.petyax Files Ransomware)

PetyaX – Ransomware

The PetyaX stands for a ransomware-type infection. PetyaX was elaborated specifically to encrypt all major file types. When the file is encrypted people are not able to use them. PetyaX adds the “.petyax” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, once encrypted by PetyaX, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.petyax“. As soon as the encryption is completed, PetyaX places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.

The message given by PetyaX text file asking for the ransom is absolutely the same as the statements given by other ransomware representatives. It actually mentions that the info is encrypted which the only way to bring back it is to use a a special decryption key. Regretfully, this is absolutely true. The sort of cryptography mechanism applied by PetyaX 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 restore the files without the key available.

Another trick of PetyaX is that the victims cannot access to the key. The key is stored on a particular server run by the frauds related to PetyaX ransomware. To get the key and recover the important info people have to pay the ransom.

Nevertheless, irrespective of the asked for amount, people need to stay away from paying the ransom. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to completely disregard what their victims feel about the problem, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom normally does not provide any positive result and people just lose their money for absolutely nothing.

We strongly advise 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 PetyaX ransomware and to recover the data data free of charge. Thus, the just best decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.

Virus Summary

Bear in mind that the world wide web is now overwhelmed with threats that look similar to PetyaX ransomware. Harmful programs of such kind are typically elaborated to encrypt essential information and to state the demand prior to the user to pay the ransom. The peculiarity of all such ransomware threats is that all apply a similar algorithm to generate the unique decryption key for files decryption.

Hence, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, manually recovering the information is simply not feasible. The only method to prevent the loss of your important files is to routinely create backups of your important information.

Bear in mind that even if you create such backups, they should be placed into a special storage utility not connect to your main PC. You may use the USB Memory Stick 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 along with other files, so it’s definitely not a good storage location.

How did ransomware infect my PC?

There are numerous ways used by online frauds to distribute PetyaX virus. Despite the fact that it is uncertain how exactly PetyaX injects your computer, there are some leaks through which it may infiltrate the system:

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

Typically PetyaX virus may exist as some genuine software, for example, in the pop-ups advising users to execute some crucial software updates. This is the typical technique used by online frauds to persuade people into downloading and installing PetyaX infection manually, by methods of their direct participation in the installation process.

In addition, the criminals might refer to different e-mail spam tactics to inject malicious codes into PC. So, they may refer to 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, documents, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such documents or clicking on such dangerous links may significantly damage the PC. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player update alerts may result in PetyaX virus injection. When it comes to the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise include harmful codes causing PetyaX secret installation. Finally, injection of PetyaX may occur by methods of Trojans that privately get injected into the system and install harmful tools without the user’s consent.

Is there any method to avoid the injection of PetyaX ransom virus?

Although there is no 100% guarantee to avoid your system from getting infected, there are some pieces of suggestions we wish to show with you. To start with, be really mindful when you browse the web and particularly 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 consist of other unwanted utilities in the package, so they may be harmful. Make certain that your current antivirus and your entire operating system is always appropriately updated.

Naturally, downloading pirated software is prohibited and may lead to important damage to be produced your PC. Thus, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are also highly recommended to reconsider your existing security software and perhaps change to another security solution that can render far better services of defending your system.

Below please find the quotation from the PetyaX text file:

PetyaX

Files Encrypted

Your files have been encrypted

All of your personal documents, photos, videos, and other important files have been encrypted with AES-256 encryption and are currently inaccessible.

Do not attempt to decrypt your files with third-party software or recovery tools. This could permanently corrupt your data and make recovery impossible.

Decryption Fee: $300 USD (payable in Bitcoin)

After payment is confirmed, we will provide the decryption key that will restore access to all your files. If we don\'t hear from you, your decryption key will be permanently deleted.

If you cannot find the original PetyaX file, it might mean that your antivirus has deleted it. Our decryptor is inside that app to recover your files, so we recommend contacting us to get back the file.

YOUR COMPUTER ID
-

Contact us with your Computer ID to arrange payment:
Email: 7n9045b54789h@firemail.cc
Session: 05d72b4b256fbf6b78b64259a042ba8d336f118dda3a68055e9f02c03dee73b86c

Email services, like Gmail, may prevent our emails from reaching you. To ensure you receive our messages, please consider using an alternative email platform such as Cock.li, Proton Mail, or another provider of your choice. If email isn\'t a viable option, you can also reach us via the Session App.

For your security, do not attempt to modify or remove this ransomware. Doing so may result in permanent loss of your data.

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

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove PetyaX 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.