The Elitte87 virus belongs under the Phobos ransomware family. Malware of this type encrypts all the data on your computer (images, text files, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, creating the info.txt files in every directory containing encrypted files.
Elitte87 virus: what is known so far?
☝️ Elitte87 is a Phobos family ransomware malicious agent.
The scheme of renaming is the following: id[xxxxxx].[contact-email].ELITTE87. After the encryption, a file entitled, for instance, “report.docx” will be renamed to “report.docx.id[9ECFA84E-3492].[[email protected]].ELITTE87”.
In every folder containing the encrypted files, a info.txt text document will be created. It is a ransom money memo. Therein you can find information on the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to buy the decryption tool from the racketeers. You can get this tool after contacting [email protected] via email. That is how they do it.
Elitte87 Overview:
| Name | Elitte87 Virus |
| Ransomware family1 | Phobos ransomware |
| Extension | .ELITTE87 |
| Ransomware note | info.txt |
| Contact | [email protected] |
| Detection | Ransom:Win32/Stop Virus Removal, Trojan:Win32/Urelas!pz Virus Removal, Trojan:MSIL/SnakeKeylogger.SPDS!MTB Virus Removal |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .ELITTE87 extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Elitte87 virus |
The info.txt file accompanying the Elitte87 malware states the following:
Your data is encrypted and downloaded! Unlocking your data is possible only with our software. Important! An attempt to decrypt it yourself or decrypt it with third-party software will result in the loss of your data forever. Contacting intermediary companies, recovery companies will create the risk of losing your data forever or being deceived by these companies. Being deceived is your responsibility! Learn the experience on the forums. Downloaded data of your company. Data leakage is a serious violation of the law. Don\'t worry, the incident will remain a secret, the data is protected. After the transaction is completed, all data downloaded from you will be deleted from our resources. Government agencies, competitors, contractors and local media not aware of the incident. Also, we guarantee that your company\'s personal data will not be sold on DArkWeb resources and will not be used to attack your company, employees and counterparties in the future. If you have not contacted within 2 days from the moment of the incident, we will consider the transaction not completed. Your data will be sent to all interested parties. This is your responsibility. Contact us. Write us to the e-mail:[email protected] In case of no answer in 24 hours write us to this e-mail:[email protected] Write this ID in the title of your message: - If you have not contacted within 2 days from the moment of the incident, we will consider the transaction not completed. Your data will be sent to all interested parties. This is your responsibility. 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 third parties may cause increased price (they add their fee to our) or you can become a victim of a scam.
In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Elitte87 looks like. Each filename has the “.ELITTE87” extension appended to it.
That is how encrypted “.ELITTE87” files look.
How did my machine catch Elitte87 ransomware?
There is a huge number of possible ways of ransomware injection.
Nowadays, there are three most exploited methods for criminals to have ransomware acting in your system. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer-to-peer file transfer.
- 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 addresser is unknown to you, beware of opening those emails. They are most likely to have a malware item enclosed in them. So it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with letters like these.
- Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan virus scheme. A Trojan is an object that gets into your machine disguised as something legal. Imagine, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some software. However, what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful agent that encrypts your data. As the update package 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 use the software companies’ official websites.
- As for the peer file transfer protocols like BitTorrent 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. So you’d better be using trustworthy resources. Also, it is a good idea to scan the folder containing the downloaded items with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is finished.
How do I get rid of ransomware?
It is crucial to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Elitte87 virus will most likely deploy Vidar Stealer on your computer to seize your credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That program can derive your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.
Remove Elitte87 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 Elitte87 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 “Elitte87” 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 Elitte87 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 racketeers would decrypt some of your files to prove that they indeed have the decryption program. Since Elitte87 virus is a relatively recent ransomware, safety measures designers have not yet found a method to reverse its work. Nevertheless, the anti-ransomware instruments are constantly upgraded, so the solution may soon be available.
Of course, if the malefactors succeed in encrypting victim’s essential data, the desperate person will most likely comply with their demands. However, paying to criminals gives no guarantee that you’re getting your files back. It is still risky. After getting the ransom, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption code to the victim. There were reports about racketeers simply vanishing after getting the money without even writing back.
The optimal countermeasure to ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud disk or at least on an external drive. Of course, that might be insufficient. Your most important thing could be that one you were working upon when it all started. 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 Elitte87, that work similarly. Examples of those are Hitobito, Cursodfir, Ert, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Elitte87 are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is the same: files become blocked, their extensions altered, ransom notes are found in each directory containing encoded files.
Some lucky victims were able to decrypt the blocked files with the aid of the free software provided by anti-malware developers. Sometimes the criminals mistakenly send the decryption key to the victims in the ransom note. Such an epic fail allows the user to restore the files. But obviously, one should never rely on such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a criminals’ instrument to pull the money out of their victims.
How do I avert ransomware attack?
Elitte87 ransomware has no superpower, so as any similar malware.
You can defend your computer from ransomware infiltration taking several easy steps:
- Ignore any emails from unknown senders with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (how can you win in a lottery without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is more or less something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the dubious letter with caution. A fake email will surely contain mistakes.
- Do not use cracked or untrusted programs. Trojan viruses are often spreaded as a part of cracked products, most likely under the guise of “patch” which prevents the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are difficult to tell from reliable ones, as trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. Try to find information on this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal solution 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 software will be a powerful defense for your PC.
Frequently Asked Questions
🤔 Are the “.ELITTE87” files accessible?
Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.ELITTE87” files you will not be able to access them.
🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.ELITTE87” files ASAP. How can I do that?
If the “.ELITTE87” files contain some really important information, then you probably have them backed up. Otherwise, you might try to employ System Restore. The only question is whether you have saved any Restore Points that would be helpful now. The rest of the methods require patience.
🤔 Will GridinSoft Anti-Malware remove all the encrypted files alongside the Elitte87 virus?
No way! The encrypted files are not harmful, so they won’t be deleted.
With the help of GridinSoft Anti-Malware, you can clean your computer off the actual threats. The malware that has attacked your computer is probably still active and it scans your system from time to time to encode any new files you might create on your computer after the infection. As it has been said above, the Elitte87 ransomware does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide hackers with easy access to your computer in the future.
🤔 What should I do if the Elitte87 malware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.
If that happened, you need to have a flash memory drive with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute the procedure. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system launches and encodes any new files created or brought into your system. To block this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What can I do right now?
Some of the encrypted files can be found elsewhere.
- If you exchanged your important files via email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
- You may have shared photographs or videos with your friends or relatives. Just ask them to send those pictures back to you.
- If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Web, you can try downloading them again.
- Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud drives might have all those files as well.
- It might be that you still have the needed files on your old computer, a portable device, phone, memory stick, etc.
USEFUL TIP: You can employ file recovery utilities2 to get your lost data back since ransomware encrypts the copies of your files, removing the original 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 antivirus program.
