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

The Deadnet virus falls under the MedusaLocker ransomware family. Ransomware of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the PC (photos, documents, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and adds its specific extension to every file, creating the HOW_TO_BACK_FILES.html files in every 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 Deadnet virus?

☝️ Deadnet is a MedusaLocker family ransomware-type virus.

Deadnet will append its own .deadnet extension to the title of every encrypted file. Depending on the sample, malware also appends a number at the end of the extension. In my case, the extension looked as “deadnet24”. Correspondingly, a file named “photo.jpg” was altered to “photo.jpg.deadnet24”. The Excel sheet named “table.xlsx” will be changed to “table.xlsx.deadnet24”, and so forth.

In every directory that contains the encrypted files, a HOW_TO_BACK_FILES.html text document will be found. It is a ransom money note. It contains information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the tamperers. That is pretty much the scheme of the crime.

Deadnet Summary:

In the screenshot below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Deadnet looks like. Each filename has the “.deadnet24” extension appended to it.

That is how encrypted “.deadnet24” files look.

How did my machine catch Deadnet ransomware?

There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware injection.

There are currently three most popular methods for hackers to have the Deadnet virus acting in your system. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer file transfer.

• If you open your inbox and see letters that look just like notifications from utility services providers, postal agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is strange to you, beware of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a malicious file enclosed in them. Thus it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with letters like these.
• Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan horse model. A Trojan is an object 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 software. But what is unpacked reveals itself a harmful agent that corrupts your data. Since 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 optimal way is to use the software companies’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer networks like BitTorrent or eMule, the danger 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 resources. Also, it is a good idea to scan the directory containing the downloaded files with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is complete.

How to remove ransomware?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Deadnet virus will most likely deploy Vidar Stealer on your PC to seize your credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That program can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove Deadnet 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 Deadnet 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 “Deadnet” 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 Deadnet 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.

Sometimes tamperers would decode few of your files to prove that they indeed have the decryption program. As Deadnet virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software engineers have not yet found a method to reverse its work. However, the decoding instruments are constantly upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon arrive.

Sure thing, if the hackers do the job of encoding victim’s critical data, the desperate person will probably comply with their demands. Nevertheless, paying to criminals does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your files back. It is still dangerous. After obtaining the ransom, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports about hackers just disappearing after getting the ransom without even writing back.

The best safety measure against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud disk or at least on an external drive. Obviously, that might be insufficient. Your most crucial thing could be that one you were working upon when it all started. But at least it is something. It is also advisable to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the OS is rolled back.

Deadnet 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, Steloj, Teza, Errorwindows, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Deadnet are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: files become encoded, their extensions altered, ransom notes are found in each directory containing encrypted files.

Some lucky users were able to decode the arrested files with the help of the free software provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the racketeers accidentally send the decoding key to the wronged 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. Remember, ransomware is a criminals’ tool to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How сan I avert ransomware infiltration?

Deadnet ransomware has no endless power, neither does any similar malware.

You can protect your system from its infiltration taking three easy steps:

• Ignore any emails from unknown senders 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 participating in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, scrutinize all elements of the suspicious email carefully. A hoax letter will surely contain mistakes.
• Avoid using cracked or unknown programs. Trojans are often spreaded as an element of cracked products, most likely as a “patch” which prevents the license check. But dubious programs are very hard to distinguish from reliable ones, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. You can try to find information about this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the best way is not to use such programs at all.
• And finally, to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a powerful shield for your personal computer.

FAQ

🤔 How can I open “.deadnet” files?Is it possible to open“.deadnet” files?

There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.deadnet” files are decrypted.

🤔 What should I do to make my files accessible as fast as possible?

If the “.deadnet” 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 Deadnet virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?

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

GridinSoft Anti-Malware only deals with actual threats. The ransomware that has attacked your PC is must be still functional and running scans every so often to encrypt any new files you might create on your PC after the attack. As it has already been said, the Deadnet ransomware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide criminals with easy access to your PC in the future.

🤔 What should I do if the Deadnet virus has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation key.

In such a case, you need to prepare a flash memory drive with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system launches and encrypts any new files created or brought into your system. To stop this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What could help the situation right now?

Some of the blocked data can be found elsewhere.

• If you sent or received your critical files by email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You might have shared images or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to send 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 networks 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, mobile, memory stick, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can employ file recovery programs² to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encrypts 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 remember: you won’t be able to do it before you kill 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.