GRAFGRAFEL Ransomware 🔐 (.GRAFGRAFEL File) — Removal Guide

The Grafgrafel virus falls within the Phobos ransomware family. Ransomware of this type encrypts all user’s data on the computer (images, text files, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its own extension to every file, leaving the info.txt files in every directory with 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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Grafgrafel virus: what is known so far?

☝️ Grafgrafel is a Phobos family ransomware malicious agent.

The renaming will be executed according to the following pattern: .GrafGrafel. During the encryption, a file entitled, for example, “report.docx” will be changed to “report.docx.id[9ECFA84E-3511].[GrafGrafel@tutanota.com].GrafGrafel”.

In every folder that contains the encrypted files, a info.txt text file will be found. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other remarks. The ransom note usually contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the ransomware developers. You can obtain this decrypting software after contacting GrafGrafel@tutanota.com through email. That is basically the scheme of the felony.

Grafgrafel Summary:

The info.txt file coming in package with the Grafgrafel ransomware provides the following discouraging information:

!!! ATTENTION !!!


Your network is hacked and files are encrypted.
Including the encrypted data we also downloaded other confidential information: data of your employees, customers, partners, as well as accounting and other internal documentation of your company.


About Data
All data is stored until you will pay.
After payment we will provide you the programs for decryption and we will delete your data
We dont want did something bad to your company, it is just bussines (Our reputation is our money!)
If you refuse to negotiate with us (for any reason) all your data will be put up for sale.


What you will face if your data gets on the black market:
The personal information of your employees and customers may be used to obtain a loan or purchases in online stores.
You may be sued by clients of your company for leaking information that was confidential.
After other hackers obtain personal data about your employees, social engineering will be applied to your company and subsequent attacks will only intensify.
Bank details and passports can be used to create bank accounts and online wallets through which criminal money will be laundered.
You will forever lose the reputation.
You will be subject to huge fines from the government.
You can learn more about liability for data loss here: hxxps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulationor here hxxps://gdpr-info.eu
Courts, fines and the inability to use important files will lead you to huge losses. The consequences of this will be irreversible for you.
Contacting the police will not save you from these consequences, and lost data, will only make your situation worse.

 

How to contact us
Write us to the mails: GrafGrafel@tutanota.com
You can contact our online operator in telegram: @GROUNDINGCONDUCTOR (BE CAREFUL ABOUT FAKE)
Download the (Session) messenger hxxps://getsession.org in messenger :ID\"05bc5e20c9c6fbfd9a58bfa222cecd4bbf9b5cf4e1ecde84a0b8b3de23ce8e144e\"
Write this ID in the title of your message -
IF YOU WILL CONTACT US IN FIRST 6 hours , and we close our deal in 24 hours , PRICE WILL BE ONLY 30%.
(time is money for both of us , if you will take care about our time , we will do same , we will care of price and decryption process will be done VERY FAST)
ALL DOWNLOADED DATA WILL BE DELETED after payment.


What no to do and recomendation
You can get out of this situation with minimal losses (Our reputation is our money!) !!! To do this you must strictly observe the following rules:
DO NOT Modify, DO NOT rename, DO NOT copy, DO NOT move any files. Such actions may DAMAGE them and decryption will be impossible.
DO NOT use any third party or public decryption software, it may also DAMAGE files.
DO NOT Shutdown or Reboot the system this may DAMAGE files.
DO NOT hire any third party negotiators (recovery/police, etc.) You need to contact us as soon as possible and start negotiations.
You can send us 1-2 small data not value files for test , we will decrypt it and send it to you back.
After payment we need no more that 2 hours to decrypt all of your data. We will be support you untill fully decryption going to be done! ! ! (Our reputation is our money!)
 
 
Instructions for contacting our team:
Download the (Session) messenger (hxxps://getsession.org) in messenger :ID\"05bc5e20c9c6fbfd9a58bfa222cecd4bbf9b5cf4e1ecde84a0b8b3de23ce8e144e\"
Telrgram : @GROUNDINGCONDUCTOR (BE CAREFUL ABOUT FAKE)
MAIL:GrafGrafel@tutanota.com

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

An example of encrypted .GrafGrafel files.

How did my computer get infected with Grafgrafel ransomware?

There are many possible ways of ransomware injection.

Nowadays, there are three most popular methods for criminals to have the Grafgrafel virus acting in your system. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer file transfer.

• If you open your inbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is strange to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a harmful file enclosed in them. Thus it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with emails like these.
• Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan horse model. A Trojan is an object that gets into your computer pretending to be something different. Imagine, you download an installer of some program you need or an update for some service. However, what is unpacked reveals itself a harmful program that compromises your data. Since the update file can have any name and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the things you’re downloading. The optimal thing is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
• As for the 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 know what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy websites. Also, it is a good idea to scan the folder containing the downloaded objects with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is done.

How do I get rid of ransomware?

It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your data, the Grafgrafel virus will probably install Vidar Stealer on your machine to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling data.

Remove Grafgrafel 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 Grafgrafel 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 “Grafgrafel” 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 Grafgrafel 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 criminals would decode some of your files to prove that they indeed have the decryption tool. Since Grafgrafel virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software designers have not yet found a method to reverse its work. Nevertheless, the decryption instruments are constantly upgraded, so the solution may soon be available.

Understandably, if the evildoers succeed in encoding someone’s critical data, the desperate person will most likely comply with their demands. Nevertheless, paying a ransom does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still dangerous. After receiving the ransom, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports about malefactors simply vanishing after getting the ransom without even writing back.

The optimal safety measure against ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud disk or at least on an external drive. Surely, that might be insufficient. The most important thing could be that one you were working upon when it all happened. But at least it is something. It is also advisable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the OS restoration.

There are other ransomware products, besides Grafgrafel, that work similarly. Examples of those are Nbwr, Nbzi, Xro, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Grafgrafel are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: documents become encoded, their extensions altered, ransom notes appear in every directory containing encoded files.

Some fortunate users were able to decode the arrested files with the help of the free software provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the criminals mistakenly send the decoding code to the wronged in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the user to restore the files. But obviously, one should never rely on such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a tamperers’ instrument to pull the money out of their victims.

How to avoid ransomware infiltration?

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

You can armour yourself from ransomware infiltration taking several easy steps:

• Ignore any emails from unknown mailers with unknown addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (can you win in a money prize draw without even taking part in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the questionable email with caution. A hoax letter will surely contain mistakes.
• Avoid using cracked or unknown programs. Trojans are often spreaded as an element of cracked software, most likely under the guise of “patch” which prevents the license check. But untrusted programs are very hard to tell from trustworthy software, as trojans may also have the functionality you seek. Try searching for information on this program on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal solution is not to use such programs at all.
• And to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful defense for your system.

FAQ

🤔 Are the “.GrafGrafel” files accessible?

Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.GrafGrafel” files you will not be able to access them.

🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.GrafGrafel” files ASAP. How can I do that?

Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. 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 Grafgrafel virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?

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 infiltrated your computer is probably still active and launching checks periodically to encode any new files you might create on your computer after the infection. As it has been mentioned above, the Grafgrafel malware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide criminals with easy access to your system after some time.

🤔 What actions should I take if the Grafgrafel malware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.

If that happened, you need to prepare a flash memory drive with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. You see, the ransomware runs automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or imported into your system. To block this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential programs to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What can I do right now?

Some of the blocked data can be found elsewhere.

• If you exchanged your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You may have shared images or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to post those images back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try downloading them again.
• Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud disks might have all those files as well.
• Maybe you still have the needed files on your old PC, a laptop, mobile, memory stick, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can use file recovery programs² to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encodes the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can learn how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you kill the ransomware itself with an anti-malware program.

1. My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
2. Here’s the list of Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.