The Eaf virus belongs with the ransomware type of malicious agent. Ransomware of this type encrypts all the data on your PC (images, documents, excel tables, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, creating the #FILES-ENCRYPTED.txt text files in each directory containing encrypted files.
Eaf virus: what is known so far?
☝️ A strictly correct denomination for the Eaf would be “a ransomware infection”.
The renaming will be executed according to the following scheme: [contact_email][victimID].original_file_name.EAF. In the process of encryption, a file entitled, for instance, “report.docx” will be renamed to “[[email protected]][9ECFA84E]report.docx.EAF”.
In every folder with the encrypted files, a #FILES-ENCRYPTED.txt text file will be created. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information about the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can get this tool after contacting [email protected] by email. That is how they do it.
Eaf outline:
| Name | Eaf Virus |
| Extension | .EAF |
| Ransomware note | #FILES-ENCRYPTED.txt |
| Contact | [email protected] |
| Detection | Ransom:Win32/TeslaCryptPacker!MTB, Trojan:Win32/VirLock.RPO!MTB, Ransom:Win32/Gandcrab.RPS!MTB |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) have a .EAF extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Eaf virus |
The #FILES-ENCRYPTED.txt document coming in package with the Eaf ransomware provides the following dispiriting information:
ATTENTION! At the moment, your system is not protected. We can fix it and restore files. To get started, send a file to decrypt trial. Don\'t pay any money, when we didn\'t decrypt trial file. You can trust us after opening the test file. To restore the system write to this address: Email 1: [email protected] Email 2: [email protected]
In the image below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Eaf looks like. Each filename has the “.EAF” extension added to it.
An example of encrypted .EAF files.
How did Eaf ransomware end up on my PC?
There are many possible ways of ransomware infiltration.
There are currently three most exploited ways for hackers to have ransomware working in your system. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer networks.
If you access your mailbox and see emails that look like familiar notifications from utility services companies, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose mailer is strange to you, beware of opening those emails. They are most likely to have a viral item attached to them. So it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with letters like these.
Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan virus model1. A Trojan is a program that infiltrates into your computer disguised as something different. Imagine, you download an installer for some program you need or an update for some program. But what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful program that corrupts your data. Since the installation wizard can have any title and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the files you’re downloading. The best thing is to trust the software companies’ official websites.
As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like torrents 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 reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded objects with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is done.
How do I get rid of the Eaf virus?
It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your files, the Eaf virus will most likely install the Azorult Spyware on your machine to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware2 can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.
Often racketeers would unblock some of your files so you know that they really have the decryption tool. Since Eaf virus is a relatively recent ransomware, anti-malware engineers have not yet found a method to undo its work. However, the decryption instruments are constantly updated, so the solution may soon arrive.
Understandably, if the hackers do the job of encrypting someone’s essential data, the hopeless person will probably fulfill their demands. Nevertheless, paying a ransom gives no guarantee that you’re getting your data back. It is still risky. After getting the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports about racketeers simply disappearing after getting the ransom without even bothering to reply.
The optimal 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 storage. Obviously, that might be insufficient. The most important thing could be that file you were working upon when it all started. But at least it is something. It is also advisable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the system restoration.
There are other ransomware products, besides Eaf, that work similarly. Examples of those are Bbyy, Bbzz, Bnrs, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Eaf are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: documents become encrypted, their extensions changed, ransom notes emerge in each directory containing encoded files.
Some lucky victims were able to decode the blocked files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the criminals mistakenly send the decryption key to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the victim to restore the files. But obviously, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a criminals’ tool to lay their hands on the money of their victims.
How do I avoid ransomware attack?
Eaf ransomware has no endless power, neither does any similar malware.
You can armour your computer from ransomware infiltration within three easy steps:
- Ignore any letters from unknown senders with unknown addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (can you win in a lottery without participating in it?). If the email subject is more or less something you are expecting, check all elements of the suspicious email with caution. A fake letter will always contain mistakes.
- Do not use cracked or unknown software. Trojans are often spreaded as a part of cracked software, most likely as a “patch” preventing the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are difficult to distinguish from reliable software, as trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. You can try searching for information about this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the optimal solution is not to use such software.
- And to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful shield for your system.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft3
There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft4.
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 system.
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 Eaf 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
🤔 Can I somehow access “.EAF” files?
Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.EAF” files you will not be able to access them.
🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.EAF” files ASAP. How can I do that?
If the “.EAF” files contain some really important information, then you probably have them backed up. 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. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.
🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Eaf 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 the malware from your system. The malware that has infected your system is most likely still active and launching checks from time to time to encrypt any new files you might create on your computer after the attack. As it has been mentioned above, the Eaf 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 to do if the Eaf ransomware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation code.
If that happened, you need to prepare a flash memory card with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the cleaning. You see, the ransomware starts automatically as the system launches and encodes any new files created or imported into your system. To block this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital applications to run upon system start. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What could help the situation right now?
Many of the blocked files might still be at your disposal
- If you exchanged your important files by email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
- You may have shared images or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to give those images back to you.
- If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Internet, you can try downloading them again.
- Your messengers, social networks 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 data recovery programs5 to retrieve your lost information since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, removing the original ones. In the video below, you can learn how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but remember: you can do it only after you eradicate the virus with an antivirus 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.
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Brendan SmithHow to Remove EAF Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: EAF Virus
Description: EAF Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .EAF extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus
User Review
( votes)References
- You can read more on Trojans, their use and types in the Trojan-dedicated section of GridinSoft official website.
- You can read more on spyware variants and nature in the respective section of GridinSoft official website.
- GridinSoft Anti-Malware Review from HowToFix site: https://howtofix.guide/gridinsoft-anti-malware/
- More information about GridinSoft products: https://gridinsoft.com/comparison
- Here’s the list of Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
