FIRSTKILL Ransomware 🔐 (.FIRSTKILL File) — Removal Guide

The Firstkill virus belongs under the ransomware type of infection. A harmful program of this type encrypts all user’s data on the PC (photos, documents, excel tables, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its own extension to every file, creating the CO_SIĘ_STAŁO.html files in each folder which contains the encrypted files.

What is Firstkill virus?

☝️ A strictly accurate designation for the Firstkill is “a ransomware-type infection”.

Firstkill appends its own .FirstKill extension to every file’s name. For instance, an image entitled “photo.jpg” will be turned into “photo.jpg.FirstKill”. In the same manner, the Excel sheet with the name “table.xlsx” will be renamed to “table.xlsx.FirstKill”, and so on.

In each directory with the encoded files, a CO_SIĘ_STAŁO.html file will appear. It is a ransom money note. It contains information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note usually contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. That is it.

Firstkill summary:

In the image below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Firstkill looks like. Each filename has the “.FirstKill” extension added to it.

How did my computer get infected with Firstkill ransomware?

There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

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

If you access your mailbox and see letters that look just like notifications from utility services providers, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is strange to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are most likely to have a harmful item attached to them. Therefore, it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with emails like these.

As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like torrent trackers or eMule, the danger is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never guess what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy websites. Also, it is a good idea to scan the directory containing the downloaded items with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.

How to remove the Firstkill virus?

It is crucial to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Firstkill virus will probably deploy the Azorult Spyware on your machine to seize your credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can derive your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling data.

Often tamperers would decrypt some of your files so you know that they really have the decryption tool. Since Firstkill virus is a relatively recent ransomware, safety measures engineers have not yet found a way to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decryption tools are frequently updated, so the solution may soon be available.

Sure thing, if the hackers do the job of encrypting someone’s essential files, the hopeless person will most likely comply with their demands. However, paying to criminals does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still risky. After getting the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the victim. There were reports about hackers just disappearing after getting the money without even writing back.

The best solution against ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud drive or at least on an external disk. Of course, that might be not enough. Your most crucial thing could be that one you were working upon when it all happened. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the system restoration.

Firstkill 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, Qqkk, Ccew, Qqmt, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Firstkill are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: files become encrypted, their extensions altered, ransom notes appear in each folder containing encrypted files.

Some lucky people were able to decrypt the arrested files with the help of the free software provided by anti-ransomware developers. Sometimes the criminals mistakenly send the decoding code to the victims in the ransom note. Such an epic fail allows the user to restore the files. But naturally, one should never rely on such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a bandits’ technology to pull the money out of their victims.

How to avert ransomware infection?

Firstkill ransomware has no endless power, so as any similar malware.

You can armour your computer from ransomware infiltration within several easy steps:

• Never open any emails from unknown mailers with strange addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are expecting (how can you win in a money prize draw without participating in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, check all elements of the questionable email carefully. A hoax letter will surely have mistakes.
• Avoid using cracked or unknown software. Trojans are often shared as a part of cracked products, most likely under the guise of “patch” preventing the license check. But untrusted programs are very hard to tell from trustworthy software, as trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. Try searching for information on this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the optimal way is not to use such software.

Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft²

Download Removal Tool.

Run the setup file.

Press “Install” button.

Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.

Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.

Click on “Clean Now”.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.FirstKill” files first. Then you will be able to open 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. Otherwise, you might try to employ System Restore. The only question is whether you have saved any Restore Points that would be helpful now. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.

🤔 What to do if the Firstkill malware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.

🤔 And what should I do now?

Many of the blocked files might still be within your reach

• If you exchanged your critical files via email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• You may have shared images or videos with your friends or family members. Just ask them to give 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 use file recovery utilities⁴ to retrieve your lost information since ransomware blocks the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can learn how to use PhotoRec for such a recovery, but remember: you can do it only after you remove the ransomware itself 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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