BLACKBIT Virus 🔐 (.BLACKBIT Files) — How to Remove?

The Blackbit virus is classified as a ransomware infection. This type of malware encrypts all of the user’s data on the computer, including images, text files, excel sheets, music, videos, and more. It appends its own extension to each file and creates a text file called Restore-My-Files.txt in every directory containing 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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Blackbit virus: what is known so far?

☝️ A scientifically correct description for the Blackbit would be “a ransomware-type infection”.

The scheme of renaming is the following: [contact_email][victimID]%filename%.BlackBit. In the process of encryption, a file entitled, for example, “report.docx” will be altered to “[spystar@onionmail.org][9ECFA84E]report.docx.BlackBit”.

In every folder containing the encrypted files, you will find a text document named Restore-My-Files.txt. This document serves as a ransom note, providing instructions on how to contact the perpetrators and additional information. The ransom note likely includes details on how to purchase the decryption tool from the criminals. To obtain the decryption tool, you need to contact spystar@onionmail.org via email. That is the process described in the note.

Blackbit overview:

The Restore-My-Files.txt document coming in package with the Blackbit malware states the following:

!!!All of your files are encrypted!!!
To decrypt them send e-mail to this address: spystar@onionmail.org
In case of no answer in 24h, send e-mail to this address: spystar1@onionmail.com
You can also contact us via Telegram: @Spystar_Support
All your files will be lost on Thursday, October 20, 2022 9:51:06 AM.
Your SYSTEM ID : -
!!!Deleting \"Cpriv.BlackBit\" causes permanent data loss.

In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Blackbit looks like. Each filename has the “.BlackBit” extension added to it.

Files encrypted by BlackBit ransomware

How did Blackbit ransomware end up on my PC?

There are many possible ways of ransomware injection.

There are currently three most exploited methods for tamperers to have the Blackbit virus planted in your system. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer file transfer.

If you access your mailbox and see letters that look like familiar notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is unknown to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a harmful item enclosed in them. Thus it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with letters like these.

Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan horse scheme¹. A Trojan is a program that gets into your PC pretending to be something legal. For instance, you download an installer for some program you need or an update for some program. However, what is unpacked reveals itself a harmful program that compromises your data. As the update file can have any name and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the resource of the stuff you’re downloading. The optimal thing is to use the software developers’ official websites.

As for the peer file transfer protocols like torrents or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. 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 items with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is finished.

How to remove the Blackbit virus?

It is crucial to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Blackbit virus will probably install the Azorult Spyware on your computer to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That program can derive your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling data.

Often criminals would decrypt several of your files to prove that they do have the decryption program. As Blackbit virus is a relatively new ransomware, safety measures developers have not yet found a method to reverse its work. Nevertheless, the decryption tools are frequently updated, so the solution may soon be available.

Sure thing, if the criminals succeed in encrypting victim’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 deliver a wrong decryption key to the injured party. There were reports of ransomware developers just disappearing 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 critical files in the cloud disk or at least on an external storage. Surely, that might be insufficient. The most important thing could be that one you were working on when it all happened. But at least it is something. It is also wise to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the OS restoration.

Blackbit is not the only ransomware of its kind, since there are other specimens of ransomware out there that act in the same manner. Examples of those are Mmvb, Eewt, Oflg, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Blackbit are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: files become inaccessible, their extensions altered, ransom notes appear in each folder containing encrypted files.

Some lucky victims were able to decode the blocked files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-ransomware experts. Sometimes the hackers mistakenly send the decoding code to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an epic fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But obviously, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a tamperers’ instrument to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How do I avert ransomware infection?

Blackbit ransomware doesn’t have a superpower, neither does any similar malware.

You can protect your PC from its attack taking three easy steps:

• Never open any letters from unknown senders with unknown addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are expecting (how can you win in a lottery without participating in it?). If the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, check all elements of the suspicious email carefully. A fake email will always have mistakes.
• Never use cracked or untrusted software. Trojans are often shared as an element of cracked software, most likely under the guise of “patch” preventing the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are very hard to tell from reliable ones, as trojans may also have the functionality you seek. Try searching for information on this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the best solution is not to use such software.
• And finally, to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a perfect armor for your system.

Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft²

There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft³.

Download Removal Tool.

You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:

Run the setup file.

When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-fix.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.

Press “Install” button.

Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.

Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your computer for Blackbit infections and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so I suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.

Click on “Clean Now”.

When the scan has finished, 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.

FAQ

🤔 Are the “.BlackBit” files accessible?

Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.BlackBit” files you will not be able to access 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. If not, there is still a function of System Restore but it needs a Restore Point to be previously saved. The rest of the methods require patience.

🤔 If GridinSoft deletes the Blackbit malware, will it also delete my files that were encrypted?

Absolutely not! The encrypted files are not harmful, so they won’t be deleted.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will delete the infections from your PC. The virus that has infiltrated your system is most likely still active and it scans your system periodically to encrypt any new files you might create on your computer after the attack. As it has been mentioned above, the Blackbit malware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide malefactors with easy access to your system after some time.

🤔 What actions should I take if the Blackbit virus has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation code.

In such an unfortunate situation, you need to have a flash memory drive with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the procedure. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or brought into your machine. To suppress this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential programs to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What could help the situation right now?

Some of the encrypted files can be located elsewhere.

• If you exchanged your critical files by email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You might have shared photographs or videos with your friends or family members. Just ask them to send those pictures back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try to do it again.
• Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud storage might have all those files as well.
• It might be that you still have the needed files on your old computer, a notebook, mobile, external storage, etc.

HINT: You can use data recovery utilities⁴ to retrieve your lost information since ransomware blocks the copies of your files, removing the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a recovery, but be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you remove the ransomware itself with an anti-malware program.

Also, you can contact the following official fraud and scam sites to report this attack:

• In the United States: On Guard Online;
• In Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre;
• In the United Kingdom: Action Fraud;
• In Australia: SCAMwatch;
• In New Zealand: Consumer Affairs Scams;
• In France: Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information;
• In Germany: Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik;
• In Ireland: An Garda Síochána;

To report the attack, you can contact local executive boards. For instance, if you live in USA, you can have a talk with FBI Local field office, IC3 or Secret Service.

1. You can read more on Trojans, their use and types in the Trojan-dedicated section of GridinSoft official website.
2. GridinSoft Anti-Malware Review from HowToFix site: https://howtofix.guide/gridinsoft-anti-malware/
3. More information about GridinSoft products: https://gridinsoft.com/comparison
4. Here are Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.