Remove XINOF Virus (.XINOF Files) – Fonix Ransomware

XINOF Virus – Details

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

The message given by XINOF text file requesting for the ransom is definitely the like the statements given by other ransomware virus representatives belonging to the Fonix family. It literally points out that the info is encrypted and that the only way to restore it is to use a an unique decryption key. Regretfully, this is definitely true. The type of cryptography mechanism applied by XINOF is still not correctly examined. Still, it is definitely certain that each victim might be given the specific decryption key, which is absolutely distinct. It is impossible to restore the files without the key available.

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

However, regardless of the requested amount, people need to keep away from paying the ransom. Cyber frauds are unfair, so they tend to totally disregard what their victims feel about the issue, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom generally does not provide any positive result and people just lose their money for nothing.

We strongly recommend that you do not contact these crooks and certainly do not transfer money into their accounts. It is said to admit that there are no utilities able to crack XINOF ransomware and to recover the data data free of charge. Therefore, the only right decision is to recover the lost data from the available backup.

Virus Summary

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

Bear in mind that the world wide web is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to XINOF ransomware. Destructive programs of such kind are normally elaborated to encrypt crucial data and to state the demand before the user to pay the ransom. The peculiarity of all such ransomware threats is that all apply a comparable algorithm to generate the distinct decryption key for data 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 essential data is to regularly create backups of your important information.

Remember that even if you create such backups, they should be put into a special storage utility not connect to your main PC. You may use the USB Flash Drive or external hard disk drive for this purpose, or refer to the help of the cloud storage. If you keep your backup files on your common system they may be encrypted together with other files, so it’s certainly not a good storage place.

How did ransomware infect my system?

There are a number of methods used by online frauds to distribute XINOF ransomware. Despite the fact that it is uncertain how precisely XINOF injects your PC, there are some leaks through which it may penetrate the system:

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

Frequently XINOF ransomware may exist as some genuine software application, for instance, in the pop-ups advising users to carry out some crucial software application updates. This is the common technique used by online scams to persuade people into downloading and installing XINOF infection manually, by methods of their direct participation in the installation process.

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

Needless to mention, opening such files or clicking on such dangerous links may badly damage the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player update informs may result in XINOF ransom injection. As for the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise include harmful codes resulting in XINOF secret installation. Finally, injection of XINOF may occur by ways of Trojans that covertly get injected into the system and install harmful utilities without the user’s authorization.

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

Although there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your computer from getting infected, there are some pieces of suggestions we wish to share with with you. To start with, be really cautious when you surf the web and especially while downloading complimentary 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 bundle, so they may be malicious. Ensure that your current anti-virus and your entire operating system is always duly updated.

Obviously, downloading pirated software is unlawful and may result in vital 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 change to another security solution that can render far better services of defending your Windows.

Below please find the quotation from the XINOF text file:

Are you looking for your important files?
Send message to Maschinengewehr@fonix.email

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

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove XINOF 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.

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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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