DEDSEC Ransomware (.DEDSEC File) Removal

Malware analyst S!Ri was the person who, for the first time, revealed the Dedsec virus, which falls within the ransomware type of malicious agent. Harmful software of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the computer (photos, documents, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its extra extension to every file, opening the randomly named .exe file that displays a ransom note in the end.

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 Dedsec virus?

Dedsec will append its extra .dedsec extension to every file’s title. For example, a file named “photo.jpg” will be turned into “photo.jpg.dedsec”. Just like the Excel file named “table.xlsx” will be altered to “table.xlsx.dedsec”, and so forth.

Upon finishing the encryption, ransomware will launch a randomly-named executable file which acts as a ransom note. It contains information about the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other information. The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to buy the decryption tool from the Dedsec developers. You can obtain this tool after contacting Telegram contact by email. That is basically the scheme of the malefaction.

Dedsec Summary:

The ransom note that comes in package with the Dedsec ransomware states the following:

DEDSEC RANSOMWARE
WE ARE DEDSEC

OOOPS. YOUR FILES HAVE BEEN ENCRYPTED!

DON\'T WORRY/ YOU CAN RETURN ALL YOUR FILES!
IF YOU WANT TO RESTORE THEM, FOLLOW THIS LINK
USE TELEGRAM TO ACCESS THIS: t.me/dedsesramsom
IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ANSWERED VIA THE LINK WITHIN
12 HOURS, YOUR FILES WILI BE AUTOMATICALLY DELETED.

ATTENTION!

* DO NOT RENAME ENCRYPTED FILES.
* DO NOT TRY TO DECRYPT YOUR DATA USING THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE,
IT MAY CAUSE PERMANENT DATA LOSS
* DECRYPTION OF YOUR FILES WITH THE HELP OF THE THIRD PARTIES MAY
CAUSE INCREASED FRICE, OR YOU CAN BECOME A VICTIM OF A SCAM

AUTHOR: 0XBIT

DECRYPTION KEY:

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

That is how encrypted “.dedsec” files look.

How did Dedsec ransomware end up on my PC?

There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

There are currently three most popular methods for malefactors to have ransomware acting in your system. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer-to-peer networks.

• If you access your inbox and see letters that look like familiar notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose “from” field is strange to you, beware of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a malware file enclosed in them. Therefore, it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with emails like these.
• Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan file model. A Trojan is a program that gets into your machine pretending to be something legal. For example, 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 encodes your data. As the installation wizard can have any name and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the files you’re downloading. The optimal thing is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer networks like torrent trackers or eMule, the danger is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. You can never guess what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded files with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is finished.

How do I get rid of ransomware?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Dedsec virus will probably deploy Vidar Stealer on your PC to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove Dedsec 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 Dedsec 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 “Dedsec” 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 Dedsec 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 decode some of your files so you know that they really have the decryption tool. Since Dedsec virus is a relatively recent ransomware, anti-malware engineers have not yet found a way to undo its work. However, the decryption instruments are constantly updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon arrive.

Understandably, if the criminals succeed in encoding someone’s essential data, the desperate person will most likely fulfill their demands. Despite that, paying to criminals gives no guarantee that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still risky. After receiving the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports of ransomware developers simply disappearing after getting the money without even bothering to reply.

The best solution against ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your critical 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 went down. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the OS is rolled back.

There are other ransomware products, besides Dedsec, that work similarly. For instance, Rdptest, Frivinho, Radiyu, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Dedsec are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: documents become blocked, their extensions altered, ransom notes are found in every directory containing encoded files.

Some fortunate users were able to decrypt the blocked files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the hackers accidentally send the decoding key to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an epic fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But obviously, one should never rely on such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a criminals’ technology to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How сan I avert ransomware injection?

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

You can defend yourself from ransomware infiltration within several easy steps:

• Never open any letters from unknown senders with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (can you win in a lottery without participating in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, check all elements of the dubious letter carefully. A fake letter will surely contain mistakes.
• Do not use cracked or untrusted programs. Trojan viruses are often spreaded as a part of cracked products, possibly under the guise of “patch” to prevent the license check. But dubious programs are very hard to distinguish from reliable software, because trojans may also have the functionality you need. Try to find information about this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal way is not to use such programs at all.
• And to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, check them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a powerful shield for your system.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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

Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. Otherwise, you might try to employ System Restore. The only question is whether you have saved any Restore Points that would be helpful now. All other solutions require time.

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

Absolutely not! Unlike the ransomware program itself, the encrypted files do not jeopardize your system.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will delete the infections from your computer. The ransomware that has infiltrated your device is must be still active and running scans from time to time to encrypt any new files you might create on your computer after the attack. As it has already been said, the Dedsec virus comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide hackers with easy access to your PC in the future.

🤔 What to do if the Dedsec virus 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 pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the procedure. You see, the ransomware starts automatically as the system launches and encrypts any new files created or brought into your computer. To block this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital applications to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 And what should I do now?

Many of the encoded files might still be within your reach

• If you exchanged your important files via 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 images back to you.
• If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Internet, you can try doing it again.
• Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud drives might have all those files as well.
• Maybe you still have the needed files on your old computer, a laptop, mobile, memory stick, etc.

HINT: You can employ file recovery utilities¹ to retrieve your lost information since ransomware blocks the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the video below, you can see how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you remove the ransomware itself with an antivirus program.

1. Here are Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.