What is shade8 ransomware? And how does it implement its attack?
shade8 ransomware is a new addition to the HiddenTear ransomware group. Once its malicious payload finds its way into a targeted device, Shade8 ransomware will be activated.
Once it penetrates a targeted machine, it will set up a connection to its remote Command and Control server in order to send information about the affected system. It is also where it downloads its malicious components and places them into Windows system folders to help the crypto-malware in executing its attack. One of the main functions of these malicious components is to make sure that no program installed in the system can interfere with the attack while the other ones are used to modify the Windows Registry to ensure that the ransomware can run on every system boot.
After the system modifications, shade8 ransomware will scan the computer looking for files to encrypt. It mostly encrypts user-generated files such as:
.3dm, .3g2, .3gp, .7zip, .aaf, .accdb, .aep, .aepx, .aet, .ai, .aif, .as, .as3, .asf, .asp, .asx, .avi, .bmp, .c, .class, .cpp, .cs, .csv, .dat, .db, .dbf, .doc, .docb, .docm, .docx, .dot, .dotm, .dotx, .dwg, .dxf, .efx, .eps, .fla, .flv, .gif, .h, .idml, .iff, .indb, .indd, .indl, .indt, .inx, .jar, .java, .jpeg, .jpg, .js, .m3u, .m3u8, .m4u, .max, .mdb, .mid, .mkv, .mov, .mp3, .mp4, .mpa, .mpeg, .mpg, .msg, .pdb, .pdf, .php, .plb, .pmd, .png, .pot, .potm, .potx, .ppam, .ppj, .pps, .ppsm, .ppsx, .ppt, .pptm, .pptx, .prel, .prproj, .ps, .psd, .py, .ra, .rar, .raw, .rb, .rtf, .sdf, .sdf, .ses, .sldm, .sldx, .sql, .svg, .swf, .tif, .txt, .vcf, .vob, .wav, .wma, .wmv, .wpd, .wps, .xla, .xlam, .xll, .xlm, .xls, .xlsb, .xlsm, .xlsx, .xlt, .xltm, .xltx, .xlw, .xml, .xqx, .xqx, .zip
During the encryption process, shade8 ransomware applies a strong encryption algorithm and places the .shade8 extension after it finishes encrypting files. Following data encryption, it opens a text file named “READ_THIS.txt” containing the ransom note that states:
“If you want your data [email protected]”
It also changes the desktop wallpaper of the affected computer. The image is of a shadow figure along with a message that says:
“If your data is necessary for you, we are
the only ones who can give it back to you.
[email protected]
SHADOW”
As you can see, there are no further details provided in the ransom note except for the email address you have to contact in order to decrypt your files. However, reaching out to the crooks behind this crypto-virus is definitely not recommended as crooks tend to demand a huge ransom. And besides, even if you pay the ransom, there really is no guarantee that these crooks will give you the encryption key or the decrypter used for file recovery.
How is the payload file of shade8 ransomware distributed online?
The payload file of shade8 ransomware may be disseminated using malicious spam email campaigns. Meaning to say, threat actors behind this crypto-virus attach an obfuscated file in emails and send them to potential victims. Once this obfuscated file is opened, it will automatically launch shade8 ransomware into the system. Thus, you need to take extra precautions in opening emails.
Kill shade8 ransomware from your computer using the removal guide provided below as well as the advanced removal steps that follow.
Step_1: First, tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on your keyboard to open the Task Manager.
Step_2: Under the Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and look for shady processes that take up most of your CPU’s resources and are most likely related to shade8 ransomware.
Step_3: After that, close the Task Manager.
Step_4: Tap Win + R, type in appwiz.cpl and click OK or tap Enter to open Programs and Features under Control Panel.
Step_5: Under the list of installed programs, look for shade8 ransomware or anything similar, and then uninstall it.
Step_6: Next, close the Control Panel and tap Win + E keys to launch File Explorer.
Step_7: Navigate to the following locations below and look for shade8 ransomware’s malicious components such as READ_THIS.txt and [random].exe, as well as other suspicious files, then delete all of them.
- %TEMP%
- %WINDIR%\System32\Tasks
- %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Templates\
- %USERPROFILE%\Downloads
- %USERPROFILE%\Desktop
Step_8: Close the File Explorer.
Before you proceed to the next steps below, make sure that you are tech-savvy enough to the point where you know exactly how to use and navigate your computer’s Registry. Keep in mind that any changes you make will highly impact your computer. To save you trouble and time, you can just use Restoro, this system tool is proven to be safe and excellent enough that hackers won’t be able to hack into it. But if you can manage Windows Registry well, then by all means go on to the next steps.
Step_9: Tap Win + R to open Run and then type in Regedit in the field and tap enter to pull up Windows Registry.
Step_10: Navigate to the following path:
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\
- HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop\
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
Step_11: Delete the registry keys and sub-keys created by shade8 ransomware.
Step_12: Close the Registry Editor and empty the Recycle Bin.
Try to recover your encrypted files using the Shadow Volume copies
Restoring your encrypted files using Windows Previous Versions feature will only be effective if shade8 ransomware hasn’t deleted the shadow copies of your files. But still, this is one of the best and free methods there is, so it’s definitely worth a shot.
To restore the encrypted file, right-click on it and select Properties, a new window will pop up, then proceed to Previous Versions. It will load the file’s previous version before it was modified. After it loads, select any of the previous versions displayed on the list like the one in the illustration below. And then click the Restore button.
Congratulations, you have just removed shade8 Ransomware Crypto-Malware in Windows 10 all by yourself. If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit fixmypcfree.com daily.
Now that’s how you remove shade8 Ransomware Crypto-Malware in Windows 10 on a computer. On the other hand, if your computer is going through some system-related issues that have to get fixed, there is a one-click solution known as Restoro you could check out to resolve them.
This program is a useful tool that could repair corrupted registries and optimize your PC’s overall performance. Aside from that, it also cleans out your computer for any junk or corrupted files that help you eliminate any unwanted files from your system. This is basically a solution that’s within your grasp with just a click. It’s easy to use as it is user-friendly. For a complete set of instructions in downloading and using it, refer to the steps below
Perform a full system scan using Restoro. To do so, follow the instructions below.
