KRIZE Ransomware 🔐 (.KRIZE File) — Removal Guide

The Krize virus falls within the ransomware type of malicious agent. Ransomware of this type encrypts all user’s data on the computer (photos, documents, excel tables, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its specific extension to every file, leaving the leia_me.txt files in every folder containing 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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What is Krize virus?

Krize will add its specific .krize extension to the title of each encrypted file. For example, an image entitled “photo.jpg” will be altered to “photo.jpg.krize”. In the same manner, the Excel file named “table.xlsx” will become “table.xlsx.krize”, and so on.

In each folder that contains the encrypted files, a leia_me.txt text document will be created. It is a ransom money memo. Therein you can find information about 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 tamperers. You can get this decoding tool after contacting globalkrize@proton.me by email. That is pretty much the scheme of the crime.

Krize Overview:

The leia_me.txt document coming in package with the Krize ransomware states the following:

Todos os arquivos e dados do seu dispositivo foram roubados e criptografados por KRIZE!

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>> Aviso: é impossível descriptografar e recuperar seus dados após terem sido sequestrados por nosso Ransomware.

A única forma de recuperar seus dados, é através da nossa chave de descriptografia.
Para adquiri-la, entre em contato através de um dos canais abaixo:

Contato via e-mail: globalkrize@proton.me
ou
Fale conosco em TEMPO REAL pelo Richochet CHAT:
Baixe o Richocet: hxxps://www.ricochetrefresh.net
Nosso ID: ricochet:2xsddstwqapvn6vyyoeo3pbfcubrphu3udasvmsralazvbsssvvlhryd

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Entre em contato conosco em até 72 horas para evitar a destruição completa de seus dados e o fim da sua privacidade.
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>> Coopere conosco e evite que seus dados sejam destruídos de forma irreversível.
>> Aviso: Tentar recuperar de forma autônoma ou deletar qualquer arquivo, acabará prejudicando o processo de descriptografia.
>> Aviso: Não cooperar conosco irá resultar em mais ataques direcionados a você, além da exposição de todos os seus arquivos particulares.
>> Aviso: O envolvimento de qualquer autoridade judicial resultará na exposição de todos os seus arquivos na internet.
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>> Informe seu ID de atendimento em nosso chat: -
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Assunto gerais: krize@onionmail.com
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 - - KRIZE E. GROUP - -

Você faz parte da trama, e não da tragédia do viver.

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

That is how encrypted “.krize” files look.

How did Krize ransomware end up on my PC?

There are many possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

There are currently three most exploited ways for tamperers to have the Krize virus working in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer networks.

If you open your mailbox and see letters that look just like notifications from utility services companies, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is unknown to you, be wary of opening those letters. They are very likely to have a malware file enclosed in them. So it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with emails like these.

Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan virus scheme. A Trojan is a program that gets into your computer disguised as something else. For example, you download an installer for some program you need or an update for some software. But what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful program that encodes your data. Since the update package can have any name and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the stuff you’re downloading. The optimal thing is to use the software developers’ 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 Internet. You can never know 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 files with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is complete.

How do I get rid of ransomware?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Krize virus will most likely install Vidar Stealer on your machine to seize your credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That spyware can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove Krize 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 Krize 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 “Krize” 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 Krize 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 few of your files so you know that they really have the decryption program. Since Krize virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software developers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. Nevertheless, the anti-ransomware tools are constantly upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon arrive.

Of course, if the tamperers do the job of encrypting victim’s critical data, the desperate person will most likely fulfill their demands. Nevertheless, paying a ransom gives no guarantee that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still dangerous. After obtaining the money, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption key to the injured party. There were reports about ransomware developers just vanishing after getting the ransom without even writing back.

The optimal safety measure against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud storage or at least on an external drive. Surely, that might be insufficient. The most important thing could be that one you were working on when it all started. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the antivirus program after the OS is rolled back.

Krize is not the only ransomware of its kind, since there are other specimens of ransomware out there that act in the same manner. Examples of those are Gaqq, Wayn, Kiqu, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Krize are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is the same: documents become encrypted, their extensions altered, ransom notes emerge in each directory containing encoded files.

Some lucky users were able to decode the arrested files with the help of the free software provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the racketeers accidentally send the decoding key to the wronged in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the victim to restore the files. But naturally, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a tamperers’ instrument to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How to avoid ransomware infiltration?

Krize ransomware doesn’t have a superpower, so as any similar malware.

You can defend yourself from ransomware infiltration in several easy steps:

• Ignore any letters from unknown mailboxes with unknown 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 more or less something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the suspicious email with caution. A hoax email will always have mistakes.
• Do not use cracked or unknown programs. Trojans are often distributed as an element of cracked software, most likely as a “patch” preventing the license check. Understandably, potentially dangerous programs are very hard to tell from trustworthy software, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. Try to find information about this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the best solution is not to use such software.
• And to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a perfect armor for your PC.

FAQ

🤔 How can I open “.krize” files?Are the “.krize” files accessible?

There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.krize” files are decrypted.

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

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. All other solutions require time.

🤔 Will GridinSoft Anti-Malware remove all the encrypted files alongside the Krize virus?

Absolutely not! The encrypted files are not harmful, so they won’t be deleted.

With the help of GridinSoft Anti-Malware, you can clean your PC off the actual threats. The ransomware that has attacked your system is must be still functional and launching checks from time to time to encode any new files you might create on your PC after the infection. As it has been mentioned above, the Krize ransomware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide hackers with easy access to your PC in the future.

🤔 What actions should I take if the Krize virus has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.

In such a case, you need to prepare a memory stick with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the cleaning. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encodes any new files created or imported into your system. To stop this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential applications to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What could help the situation right now?

Many of the encrypted files might still be within your reach

• If you exchanged your important files via email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• 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 got any of your files from the Web, you can try doing 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 computer, a notebook, mobile, external storage, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can employ file recovery programs¹ to get your lost data back since ransomware encrypts the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can learn how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you eradicate the virus with an antivirus program.

1. Here are Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.