What is Aperfectday2018 ransomware? And how does it execute its attack?
Aperfectday2018 ransomware is a data-encrypting virus that was found on the web at the beginning of November 2018. It uses the “[email protected]” email address which is where it got its name. This crypto-malware is programmed to encrypt targeted data using the AES cipher and then use a public key to encrypt files making them inaccessible to users. It mostly targets users from Denmark although that does not necessarily mean that it can’t infect other users all over the globe.
Once it infects a computer, it drops its payload file and connects the system to a remote server controlled by the attackers. From this remote server, several malicious components will be downloaded and placed on system folders which help the crypto-malware in executing its attack. It then employs an information-gathering module used to obtain data about the infected user and the system. Following that, it also uses a stealth protection module used to bypass any security programs in the system by analyzing what software is installed and then searching and disabling antivirus engines. Once these two aforementioned modules are completed, Aperfectday2018 ransomware will scan the computer in search of its targeted files and after it finds them it encrypts them and appends the (enc) string to the affected files. It also drops a file named “aboutYourFiles.txt” which contains the following message:
“Hi. Thank you for using my program. If you’re reading this, a lot of your files have been encrypted. To decrypt them, you need my decryption program. For this, I want 25 000 sek, I want them in bitcoin. Email me when you’ve paid with details about the transaction. I’ll give you two days.
If you have not paid in two days(from the day you received the email), It will cost 1000 sek more per day.
If I have not heard from you after five days (from the day you received the email), I assume your files are not that
important to you. So I’ll delete your decryption key, and you will never see your files again.
After the payment, email me the following information:
* the bitcoin address you sent from (important, write it down when you do the transaction)
* the ID at the bottom of this document (this is important!! Otherwise I don’t know which key belongs
to you).
Then I will send you the decryption program and provide you with instructions on how to remove
the virus if you have not already figured it out.
Email:
[email protected]
Bitcoin adress:
1LX3tBkW161hoF5DbGzbrm3sdXaF6XHv2D
Make sure to get the bitcoin address right, copy and paste and double-check. If you send the bitcoin
to the wrong address, it will be lost forever. You can stop or regret a bitcoin transaction.
IMPORTANT:
Do not lose this document. You also have a copy of it on your desktop.
Do NOT change any filenames!!! !!!
Thank you for the money, it means a lot to me.
ID: 3456789012345”
How does Aperfectday2018 ransomware proliferate?
Aperfectday2018 ransomware proliferates using malicious spam email campaigns. Cybercrooks usually disguise such emails to make them look like their legitimate ones. They may be disguised as invoices, receipts, bank statements, and crooks will make it look like it’s an urgent email to rush you into opening the email and downloading the malicious attachment. This is why before opening any kind of email, no matter who the sender is, you need to double-check it first.
Make sure to follow the removal guide prepared below to terminate Aperfectday2018 ransomware from your computer.
Step_1: Open the Task Manager by simply tapping Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on your keyboard.
Step_2: Under the Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and look for any suspicious-looking process which takes up most of your CPU’s resources and is most likely related to Aperfectday2018 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 Control Panel’s list of installed programs.
Step_5: Under the list of installed programs, look for Aperfectday2018 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 Aperfectday2018 ransomware’s malicious components such as “[random name].exe” and “aboutYourFiles.txt” and 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 Aperfectday2018 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 Aperfectday2018 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 Aperfectday2018 Ransomware 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 Aperfectday2018 Ransomware 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.
