2QZ3 Ransomware 🔐 (.2QZ3 File) — Removal Guide

The 2qz3 virus belongs to the Phobos ransomware family. Harmful software of this type encrypts all user’s data on the PC (photos, documents, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its extra extension to every file, leaving the info.txt text files in each directory which contains the encrypted files.

It is better to prevent, than repair and repent!

When we talk about the intrusion of unfamiliar programs into your computer’s work, the proverb “Forewarned is forearmed” describes the situation as accurately as possible. Gridinsoft Anti-Malware is exactly the tool that is always useful to have in your armory: fast, efficient, up-to-date. It is appropriate to use it as an emergency help at the slightest suspicion of infection.

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What is known about the 2qz3 virus?

☝️ 2qz3 is a Phobos family ransomware infection.

The pattern of renaming is this: id[xxxxx].[contact-email].2QZ3. In the course of encryption, a file entitled, for example, “report.docx” will be changed to “report.docx.id[9ECFA84E-3449].[qweasd@toke.com].2QZ3”.

In each folder that contains the encrypted files, a info.txt text document will be found. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other information. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the 2qz3 developers. You can obtain this decrypting software after contacting qweasd@toke.com by email. That is pretty much the scheme of the crime.

2qz3 Overview:

The info.txt file accompanying the 2qz3 ransomware states the following:

!!!All of your files are encrypted!!!
To decrypt them send e-mail to this address: qweasd@toke.com.
If we don\'t answer in 24h., send e-mail to this address: qweasdzxc@toke.com 

In the picture below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the 2qz3 looks like. Each filename has the “.2QZ3” extension added to it.

That is how encrypted “.2QZ3” files look.

How did 2qz3 ransomware end up on my PC?

There are many possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

There are currently three most popular ways for malefactors to have the 2qz3 virus settled in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer-to-peer file transfer.

If you open your inbox and see emails that look like familiar notifications from utility services providers, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is unknown to you, beware of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a ransomware item attached to them. Thus it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with letters like these.

Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan virus scheme. A Trojan is an object that gets into your machine pretending to be something legal. Imagine, you download an installer of some program you need or an update for some program. But what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful program that encodes your data. As the update wizard can have any title and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the resource of the things you’re downloading. The best thing is to trust the software developers’ official websites.

As for the peer file transfer protocols like BitTorrent or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never guess what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy websites. Also, it is a good idea to scan the folder containing the downloaded files with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is complete.

How to remove ransomware?

It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your files, the 2qz3 virus will probably install Vidar Stealer on your PC to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove 2qz3 with Gridinsoft Anti-Malware

We have also been using this software on our systems ever since, and it has always been successful in detecting viruses. It has blocked the most common Ransomware as shown from our tests with the software, and we assure you that it can remove 2qz3 as well as other malware hiding on your computer.

To use Gridinsoft for remove malicious threats, follow the steps below:

1. Begin by downloading Gridinsoft Anti-Malware, accessible via the blue button below or directly from the official website gridinsoft.com.

2.Once the Gridinsoft setup file (setup-gridinsoft-fix.exe) is downloaded, execute it by clicking on the file.

3.Follow the installation setup wizard's instructions diligently.

4. Access the "Scan Tab" on the application's start screen and launch a comprehensive "Full Scan" to examine your entire computer. This inclusive scan encompasses the memory, startup items, the registry, services, drivers, and all files, ensuring that it detects malware hidden in all possible locations.

Be patient, as the scan duration depends on the number of files and your computer's hardware capabilities. Use this time to relax or attend to other tasks.

5. Upon completion, Anti-Malware will present a detailed report containing all the detected malicious items and threats on your PC.

6. Select all the identified items from the report and confidently click the "Clean Now" button. This action will safely remove the malicious files from your computer, transferring them to the secure quarantine zone of the anti-malware program to prevent any further harmful actions.

8. If prompted, restart your computer to finalize the full system scan procedure. This step is crucial to ensure thorough removal of any remaining threats. After the restart, Gridinsoft Anti-Malware will open and display a message confirming the completion of the scan.

Remember Gridinsoft offers a 6-day free trial. This means you can take advantage of the trial period at no cost to experience the full benefits of the software and prevent any future malware infections on your system. Embrace this opportunity to fortify your computer's security without any financial commitment.

Trojan Killer for “2qz3” removal on locked PC

In situations where it becomes impossible to download antivirus applications directly onto the infected computer due to malware blocking access to websites, an alternative solution is to utilize the Trojan Killer application.

There is a really little number of security tools that are able to be set up on the USB drives, and antiviruses that can do so in most cases require to obtain quite an expensive license. For this instance, I can recommend you to use another solution of GridinSoft - Trojan Killer Portable. It has a 14-days cost-free trial mode that offers the entire features of the paid version. This term will definitely be 100% enough to wipe malware out.

Trojan Killer is a valuable tool in your cybersecurity arsenal, helping you to effectively remove malware from infected computers. Now, we will walk you through the process of using Trojan Killer from a USB flash drive to scan and remove malware on an infected PC. Remember, always obtain permission to scan and remove malware from a computer that you do not own.

Step 1: Download & Install Trojan Killer on a Clean Computer:

1. Go to the official GridinSoft website (gridinsoft.com) and download Trojan Killer to a computer that is not infected.

2. Insert a USB flash drive into this computer.

3. Install Trojan Killer to the "removable drive" following the on-screen instructions.

4. Once the installation is complete, launch Trojan Killer.

Step 2: Update Signature Databases:

5. After launching Trojan Killer, ensure that your computer is connected to the Internet.

6. Click "Update" icon to download the latest signature databases, which will ensure the tool can detect the most recent threats.

Step 3: Scan the Infected PC:

7. Safely eject the USB flash drive from the clean computer.

8. Boot the infected computer to the Safe Mode.

9. Insert the USB flash drive.

10. Run tk.exe

11. Once the program is open, click on "Full Scan" to begin the malware scanning process.

Step 4: Remove Found Threats:

12. After the scan is complete, Trojan Killer will display a list of detected threats.

13. Click on "Cure PC!" to remove the identified malware from the infected PC.

14. Follow any additional on-screen prompts to complete the removal process.

Step 5: Restart Your Computer:

15. Once the threats are removed, click on "Restart PC" to reboot your computer.

16. Remove the USB flash drive from the infected computer.

Congratulations on effectively removing 2qz3 and the concealed threats from your computer! You can now have peace of mind, knowing that they won't resurface again. Thanks to Gridinsoft's capabilities and commitment to cybersecurity, your system is now protected.

Often racketeers would decode several of your files to prove that they really have the decryption program. As 2qz3 virus is a relatively new ransomware, safety measures engineers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. However, the decoding tools are frequently upgraded, so the solution may soon be available.

Sure thing, if the evildoers do the job of encrypting someone’s critical data, the hopeless person will probably comply with their demands. However, paying a ransom does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your files back. It is still dangerous. After obtaining the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports about malefactors just disappearing after getting the money without even writing back.

The best countermeasure to ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud drive or at least on an external drive. Of course, that might be insufficient. The most important thing could be that one you were working upon when it all went down. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also wise to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the OS restoration.

2qz3 is not the only ransomware of its kind, since there are other specimens of ransomware out there that act in the same manner. For instance, Gaqq, Wayn, Agvv, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the 2qz3 are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: files become blocked, their extensions changed, ransom notes are found in every directory containing encrypted files.

Some fortunate people were able to decode the blocked files with the help of the free software provided by anti-ransomware developers. Sometimes the criminals mistakenly send the decryption code to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the victim to restore the files. But obviously, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a tamperers’ technology to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How сan I avert ransomware attack?

2qz3 ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, neither does any similar malware.

You can protect yourself from its injection taking three easy steps:

• Never open any emails from unknown mailers with unknown addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are waiting for (how can you win in a lottery without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is likely something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the suspicious email with caution. A hoax email will always have mistakes.
• Avoid using cracked or unknown programs. Trojans are often shared as an element of cracked software, most likely as a “patch” which prevents the license check. But untrusted programs are very hard to tell from reliable ones, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. Try searching for information about this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the best way is not to use such software.
• And finally, to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a perfect armor for your PC.

FAQ

🤔 Can I somehow access “.2QZ3” files?

Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.2QZ3” files you will not be able to access them.

🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.2QZ3” files ASAP. How can I do that?

If the “.2QZ3” files contain some really important information, then you probably have them backed up. If not, there is still a function of System Restore but it needs a Restore Point to be previously saved. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.

🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the 2qz3 virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?

Of course not. The encrypted files are not harmful, so they won’t be deleted.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will delete actual viruses from your PC. The malware that has infected your computer is must be still functional and launching checks every so often to encode any new files you might create on your PC after the initial attack. As it has been mentioned above, the 2qz3 ransomware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide malefactors with easy access to your PC in the future.

🤔 What to do if the 2qz3 malware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.

In such an unfortunate situation, you need to prepare a memory stick with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute the procedure. You see, the ransomware runs automatically as the system boots and encodes any new files created or imported into your system. To stop this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What can I do right now?

Many of the encoded files might still be within your reach

• If you exchanged your critical files by email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You may have shared images or videos with your friends or family members. Just ask them to post those pictures back to you.
• If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Web, you can try to do it again.
• Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud disks might have all those files as well.
• It might be that you still have the needed files on your old PC, a portable device, cellphone, external storage, etc.

HINT: You can employ data recovery utilities² to retrieve your lost information since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, removing the authentic ones. In the video below, you can see how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you eradicate the ransomware itself with an antivirus program.

1. My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
2. Here are Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.