RansomwareRemoval Guide

Remove !Shadow Virus (+Decrypt .!Shadow files)

!Shadow – General Info

The !Shadow mean a ransomware-type infection. !Shadow was elaborated particularly to encrypt all major file types. When the file is encrypted people are unable to use them. !Shadow adds the “.!Shadow” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, when encrypted by !Shadow, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.!Shadow“. As soon as the encryption is finished, !Shadow places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.

The message given by !Shadow text file requesting for the ransom is absolutely the like the statements given by other ransomware representatives. It literally discusses that the information is encrypted which the only way to bring back it is to use a a distinct decryption key. Regretfully, this is definitely true. The kind of cryptography mechanism used by !Shadow is still not appropriately examined. Still, it is absolutely certain that each victim might be given the specific decryption key, which is completely unique. It is difficult to bring back the files without the key available.

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

Nevertheless, irrespective of the asked for amount, people should keep away from paying the virus. Cyber frauds are unfair, 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 outcome and people just waste their money for absolutely nothing.

We highly encourage 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 !Shadow ransomware and to recover the data data totally free. Hence, the only best decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.

Virus Summary

Name!Shadow Ransomware
File Extension.!Shadow
TypeRansomware
Short DescriptionThe 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.
SymptomsFile 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 !Shadow extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution MethodSpam Emails, Email Attachments
Removal Tool   GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Keep in mind that the web is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to !Shadow ransomware. Malicious programs of such kind are usually elaborated to encrypt essential 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 distinct decryption key for data 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 crucial information is to routinely create backups of your important information.

Keep in mind that even if you create such backups, they must be put into a special storage utility not connect to your main PC. You may use the Memory Stick or external hard 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 definitely not a good storage location.

How did ransomware infect my computer?

There are several ways used by online frauds to distribute !Shadow virus. Although it doubts how precisely !Shadow injects your system, there are some leaks through which it may infiltrate the system:

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

Often !Shadow ransomware might be presented as some genuine software, for instance, in the pop-ups advising users to execute some important software application updates. This is the common technique used by online frauds to persuade people into downloading and installing !Shadow infection manually, by methods of their direct participation in the installation process.

In addition, the criminals might refer to various e-mail spam techniques to inject destructive codes into systems. 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, documents, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such documents or clicking on such dangerous links may significantly harm the PC. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player upgrade informs may result in !Shadow ransom injection. As for the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise consist of destructive codes causing !Shadow secret installation. Finally, injection of !Shadow may occur by ways of Trojans that covertly get injected into the system and install malicious tools without the user’s approval.

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

Despite the fact that there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your computer from getting infected, there are some pieces of guidance we wish to show with you. First of all, be really careful when you surf the web and especially while downloading complimentary apps. 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 software and your entire operating system is always duly updated.

Of course, downloading pirated software is unlawful and may result in vital damage to be made for your PC. For this reason, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are also highly advised to reconsider your existing security software and possibly switch to another security solution that can render far better services of protecting your computer.

Below please find the quotation from the !Shadow text file:

All your files have been encrypted!
All your files have been encrypted due to a security problem with your PC. If you want to restore them, please send an email to RDPrecovery1@protonmail.com
The subject of your email should be: -
if you didn\'t get any response you can send an email to RDPone@cock.li
You have to pay for decryption in Bitcoin. The price depends on how fast you contact us. After payment we will send you the decryption tool.
How can you trust us to decrypt your files?
Before paying you can send us up to 3 files for free decryption. The total size of files must be less than 2Mb (non archived), and files should not contain valuable information. (databases,backups, large excel sheets, etc.)
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.
hxxps://localbitcoins.com/buy_bitcoins
Also you can find other places to buy Bitcoins and beginners guide here:
hxxp://www.coindesk.com/information/how-can-i-buy-bitcoins/
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 “.!Shadow” extension added by the ransomware:
!Shadow Ransomware - encrypt files with .!Shadow extension

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove !Shadow 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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware
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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Setup

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

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Install

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

GridinSoft Anti-Malware  Start

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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan

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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan Result

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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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