The Jopanaxye virus belongs under the Phobos ransomware family. Ransomware of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the PC (images, documents, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and adds its extra extension to every file, leaving the info.txt files in every directory with the encrypted files.
Jopanaxye virus: what is known so far?
βοΈ Jopanaxye is a Phobos family ransomware-type virus.
The scheme of renaming is the following: id[xxxxx].[contact_email].jopanaxye. During the encryption, a file named, for instance, “report.docx” will be renamed to “report.docx.id[9ECFA84E-3511].[jopanaxye@tutanota.com].jopanaxye”.
In every folder that contains the encoded files, a info.txt file will be created. It is a ransom money note. Therein you can find information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other information. The ransom note usually contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the racketeers. You can get this decryptor after contacting jopanaxye@tutanota.com via email. That is it.
Jopanaxye Summary:
Name | Jopanaxye Virus |
Ransomware family1 | Phobos ransomware |
Extension | .jopanaxye |
Ransomware note | info.txt |
Contact | jopanaxye@tutanota.com |
Detection | Floxif.Virus.FileInfector.DDS, Trojan:MSIL/AgentTesla.NMR!MTB, Trojan:Win64/Grandoreiro!pz |
Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) have a .jopanaxye extension and you can’t open them. |
Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Jopanaxye virus |
The info.txt document coming in package with the Jopanaxye malware states the following:
!!! 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: jopanaxye@tutanota.com You can contact our online operator in telegram: @GROUNDINGCONDUCTOR (BE CAREFUL ABOUT FAKE) Download the (Session) messenger https://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!)
In the picture below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Jopanaxye looks like. Each filename has the “.jopanaxye” extension added to it.
How did my computer get infected with Jopanaxye ransomware?
There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware injection.
There are currently three most popular methods for tamperers to have ransomware working in your system. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer networks.
- If you access your inbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is unknown to you, be wary of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a viral item enclosed in them. So it is even riskier to open any attachments that come with letters like these.
- Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan virus model. A Trojan is an object that gets into your PC pretending to be something different. For instance, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some service. However, what is unpacked turns out to be a harmful agent that encodes your data. As the installation file 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 optimal way is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
- As for the peer file transfer protocols like torrents or eMule, the threat 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 websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded files with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is done.
How do I get rid of ransomware?
It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Jopanaxye virus will probably deploy Vidar Stealer on your PC to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling data.
Remove Jopanaxye 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 Jopanaxye 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 “Jopanaxye” 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 Jopanaxye 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.
Sometimes criminals would decrypt several of your files to prove that they really have the decryption program. As Jopanaxye virus is a relatively recent ransomware, anti-malware developers have not yet found a way to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decryption tools are constantly upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.
Sure thing, if the tamperers succeed in encrypting someone’s critical data, the desperate person will probably fulfill their demands. However, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still risky. After obtaining the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption key to the injured party. There were reports of malefactors just disappearing after getting the money without even writing back.
The optimal countermeasure to ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud drive or at least on an external drive. Surely, that might be not enough. The most important thing could be that file you were working upon when it all went down. But at least it is something. It is also wise to scan your drives with the antivirus program after the OS restoration.
There are other ransomware products, besides Jopanaxye, that work similarly. For instance, Cdwe, Cdaz, Live, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Jopanaxye are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is almost identical: files become encoded, their extensions changed, ransom notes are created in every directory containing encrypted files.
Some fortunate people were able to decrypt the arrested files with the help of the free software provided by anti-malware developers. Sometimes the criminals mistakenly send the decoding code to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an epic fail allows the user to restore the files. But naturally, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a tamperers’ instrument to pull the money out of their victims.
How to avert ransomware infiltration?
Jopanaxye ransomware doesnβt have a superpower, so as any similar malware.
You can defend your computer from its infiltration within three easy steps:
- Never open any letters from unknown mailboxes with strange addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are waiting for (how can you win in a money prize draw without even taking part in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, check all elements of the questionable letter carefully. A fake letter will surely have a mistake.
- Avoid using cracked or untrusted programs. Trojan viruses are often shared as an element of cracked products, most likely under the guise of βpatchβ preventing the license check. Understandably, untrusted programs are very hard to distinguish from reliable software, as trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. Try searching for information on this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the optimal solution is not to use such programs at all.
- And finally, to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, check them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a powerful armor for your system.
Frequently Asked Questions
π€ Can I somehow access “.jopanaxye” files?
Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.jopanaxye” files first. Then you will be able to open them.
π€ The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?
It’s good if you have fΠ°r-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.
π€ If GridinSoft deletes the Jopanaxye malware, will it also delete my files that were encrypted?
Absolutely not! Unlike the ransomware program itself, the encrypted files do not jeopardize your system.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware only deals with active threats. The virus that has infected your system is most likely still functional and running scans periodically to encode any new files you might create on your PC after the attack. As it has been said above, the Jopanaxye ransomware does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide hackers with easy access to your computer in the future.
π€ What to do if the Jopanaxye ransomware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.
In such a case, you need to prepare a flash memory drive with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the procedure. You see, the ransomware runs automatically as the system boots and encodes any new files created or brought into your computer. To block this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential programs to run upon system start. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.
π€ What could help the situation right now?
Some of the blocked data can be located elsewhere.
- If you exchanged your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
- You might have shared photographs or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to give those images back to you.
- If you have initially got any of your files from the Web, you can try doing it again.
- Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud drives might have all those files too.
- Maybe you still have the needed files on your old PC, a portable device, cellphone, external storage, etc.
HINT: You can employ file recovery utilities2 to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encodes the copies of your files, removing the authentic ones. In the video below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you eradicate the virus with an antivirus program.
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Brendan SmithHow to Remove JOPANAXYE Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: JOPANAXYE Virus
Description: JOPANAXYE Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .jopanaxye extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus