ABYSS Ransomware 🔐 (.ABYSS File) — Removal Guide

The Abyss virus falls under the ransomware type of infection. Malware of such sort encrypts all the data on your PC (images, text files, excel sheets, music, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, creating the WhatHappened.txt files in every folder containing 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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Abyss virus: what is known so far?

Abyss adds its specific .Abyss extension to the title of each encoded file. For example, a file named “photo.jpg” will be changed to “photo.jpg.Abyss”. Just like the Excel sheet with the name “table.xlsx” will end up as “table.xlsx.Abyss”, and so forth.

In every folder containing the encrypted files, a WhatHappened.txt text document will be created. It is a ransom money note. It contains information about the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other information. The ransom note most probably contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the racketeers. You can obtain this tool after contacting Tor website through email. That is how they do it.

Abyss Summary:

The WhatHappened.txt document coming in package with the Abyss malware states the following:

We are the Abyss.

Your company Servers are crypted and your data has been stolen to our servers.


Good news for you:

1) We can restore your entire system.
2) We are not interested in publishing your information.
3) Our motivation is purely financial.
4) We are open to negotiations.
5) We are ready to maintain complete confidentiality of this incident.

Let\'s explain the further steps in the situation:

You can seek help from authorities - unfortunately, this path will not lead to a constructive resolution of the situation.
They will not assist you with decryption, seize your servers for OPsec, and your company\'s operations will be halted.
Subsequently, the date will be disclosed, leading to fines, legal actions, and reputational damage.
OR
You initiate negotiations with us, and we reach a mutually beneficial and constructive solution for both parties.
You pay a specified amount and receive the full decryption, support throughout the decryption process,
proofs that all information on our servers has been deleted, and a guarantee that it will never resurface,
ensuring no one learns about this incident.

To initiate negotiations, please download the Tor Browser using their official website: hxxps://www.torproject.org/
use these credentials to enter the Chat for text negotiation: hxxp://jqlcrn2fsfvxlngdq53rqyrwtwfrulup74xyle54bsvo3l2kgpeeijid.onion/x89yk54gGqjJ8ZAduh5dioahO1TXRA
There will be no bad news for your company after successful negotiations for both sides. But there will be plenty of those bad news if case of failed negotiations, so don’t think about how to avoid it.
Just focus on negotiations, payment and decryption to make all of your problems solved by our specialists within 1 day after payment received: servers and data restored, everything will work good as new.

In the picture below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Abyss looks like. Each filename has the “.Abyss” extension appended to it.

That is how encrypted “.Abyss” files look.

How did my computer get infected with Abyss ransomware?

There are many possible ways of ransomware injection.

There are currently three most exploited ways for evil-doers to have the Abyss virus planted in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer file transfer.

• If you access your mailbox and see emails that look just like 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 most likely to have a malicious item enclosed in them. So it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with letters like these.
• Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan file model. A Trojan is a program that infiltrates into your PC disguised as something legal. For example, you download an installer for some program you want or an update for some software. But what is unpacked turns out to be a harmful program that corrupts your data. As the update wizard can have any name and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the stuff you’re downloading. The optimal way is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like torrent trackers or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. You can never know what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded files with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is complete.

How do I get rid of ransomware?

It is important to note that besides encrypting your files, the Abyss virus will most likely deploy Vidar Stealer on your machine to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can derive your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove Abyss 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 Abyss 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 “Abyss” 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 Abyss 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 tamperers would decrypt some of your files so you know that they really have the decryption program. As Abyss virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software engineers have not yet found a method to undo its work. However, the anti-ransomware instruments are frequently updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.

Of course, if the hackers do the job of encoding someone’s essential data, the desperate person will most likely fulfill their demands. Despite that, paying to criminals does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still dangerous. After getting the money, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports about malefactors simply vanishing after getting the ransom without even writing back.

The best solution against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud storage or at least on an external drive. Of course, that might be insufficient. The most crucial thing could be that one you were working on when it all happened. But at least it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the system is rolled back.

Abyss 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, Cdtt, Cov, Aer, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Abyss are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is almost identical: documents become encrypted, their extensions altered, ransom notes appear in every directory containing encoded files.

Some fortunate victims were able to decode the arrested files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the hackers accidentally send the decryption code to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the user to restore the files. But of course, one should never rely on such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a tamperers’ tool to pull the money out of their victims.

How сan I avert ransomware infection?

Abyss ransomware has no superpower, neither does any similar malware.

You can defend your PC from its attack within three easy steps:

• Ignore any emails from unknown mailboxes with unknown addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are waiting for (how can you win in a money prize draw without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, check all elements of the suspicious email with caution. A hoax letter will always have a mistake.
• Never use cracked or untrusted programs. Trojan viruses are often shared as an element of cracked software, possibly under the guise of “patch” which prevents the license check. Understandably, untrusted programs are difficult to tell from trustworthy ones, as trojans may also have the functionality you seek. You can try to find information on this program on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal way is not to use such software.
• And finally, to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a perfect armor for your PC.

Frequently Asked Questions

🤔 How can I open “.Abyss” files?Can I somehow access “.Abyss” files?

Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.Abyss” files first. Then you will be able to open them.

🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?

It’s good if you have fаr-sightedly saved copies of these important files elsewhere. In case you haven’t, there is still a chance that you do have a Restore Point from some time ago to roll back the whole system to the moment when it had no virus yet, but already had your files. All other solutions require time.

🤔 Will GridinSoft Anti-Malware remove all the encrypted files alongside the Abyss virus?

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

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will delete active viruses from your PC. The malware that has infected your PC is probably still active and it scans your system from time to time to encrypt any new files you might create on your PC after the initial attack. As it has been mentioned above, the Abyss ransomware does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide malefactors with easy access to your computer after some time.

🤔 What to do if the Abyss ransomware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation code.

In such an unfortunate situation, you need to prepare a memory stick with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the cleaning. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or brought into your machine. To stop this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential applications to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What can I do right now?

Some of the encrypted data can be found elsewhere.

• If you sent or received your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You might have shared images or videos with your friends or family members. Simply ask them to send those pictures back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try doing it again.
• Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud storage might have all those files too.
• It might be that you still have the needed files on your old computer, a laptop, mobile, external storage, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can use file recovery programs¹ to get your lost data back since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, deleting the original ones. In the video below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a recovery, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you kill the ransomware itself with an antivirus program.

How to Remove ABYSS Ransomware & Recover PC

Name: ABYSS Virus

Description: ABYSS Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .Abyss extension. So, you can't use them at all.

Operating System: Windows

Application Category: Virus

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