The Newexploit virus falls under the ransomware type of infection. Ransomware of this type encrypts all user’s data on the computer (images, text files, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its specific extension to every file, leaving the RECOVERY INFORMATION.txt files in each folder which contains the encrypted files.
What is known about the Newexploitvirus?
☝️ A strictly correct description for the Newexploit is “a ransomware-type malicious agent”.
Newexploit will append its extra .exploit extension to every file’s name. For example, an image named “photo.jpg” will be changed to “photo.jpg.exploit”. Just like the Excel file named “table.xlsx” will become “table.xlsx.exploit”, and so on.
In every directory containing the encoded files, a RECOVERY INFORMATION.txt file will be created. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other information. The ransom note usually contains instructions on how to buy the decryption tool from the ransomware developers. That is it.
Newexploit overview:
| Name | Newexploit Virus |
| Extension | .exploit |
| Ransomware note | RECOVERY INFORMATION.txt |
| Detection | Trojan-Ransom.MSIL.Purgen, Win64/GenKryptik.FNKZ, Ransom:MSIL/Khonsari.A |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .exploit extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Newexploit virus |
In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Newexploit looks like. Each filename has the “.exploit” extension added to it.
An example of encrypted .exploit files.
How did my computer get infected with Newexploit ransomware?
There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.
Nowadays, there are three most popular ways for tamperers to have ransomware acting in your system. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer-to-peer file transfer.
If you open your inbox and see emails that look like familiar notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is strange to you, be wary of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a malicious item attached to them. So it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with emails like these.
Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan file scheme1. A Trojan is an object that infiltrates into your machine pretending to be something different. For example, you download an installer of some program you need or an update for some program. However, what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful program that encrypts your data. Since the installation wizard can have any title and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the stuff you’re downloading. The best way is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
As for the peer networks like torrent trackers 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 directory containing the downloaded items with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.
How do I get rid of the Newexploit virus?
It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your files, the Newexploit virus will most likely install the Azorult Spyware on your computer to seize your credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling data.
Sometimes racketeers would decode several of your files so you know that they really have the decryption tool. Since Newexploit virus is a relatively recent ransomware, safety measures developers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. Nevertheless, the anti-ransomware instruments are constantly upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.
Sure thing, if the evildoers do the job of encoding victim’s essential data, the hopeless person will probably comply with their demands. Despite that, paying a ransom does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your files back. It is still risky. After receiving the money, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports about malefactors simply disappearing 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 drive or at least on an external disk. Surely, that might be insufficient. Your most crucial thing could be that one you were working on when it all started. But at least it is something. It is also advisable to scan your drives with the antivirus program after the system restoration.
There are other ransomware products, besides Newexploit, that work similarly. Examples of those are Vfgj, Zaqi, Loov, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Newexploit are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is the same: files become encoded, their extensions changed, ransom notes appear in every folder containing encoded files.
Some fortunate users were able to decrypt the blocked files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-malware experts. Sometimes the hackers accidentally send the decoding key to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an epic fail allows the user to restore the files. But obviously, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a criminals’ technology to pull the money out of their victims.
How сan I avert ransomware attack?
Newexploit ransomware has no superpower, neither does any similar malware.
You can defend your computer from ransomware injection in three easy steps:
- Never open any letters from unknown mailers with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (can you win in a lottery without participating in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, scrutinize all elements of the dubious letter carefully. A fake email will surely contain a mistake.
- Never use cracked or untrusted software. Trojans are often shared as a part of cracked products, possibly under the guise of “patch” to prevent the license check. Understandably, potentially dangerous programs are very hard to distinguish from trustworthy software, as trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. Try searching for information on this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the best way is not to use such software.
- And to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful shield for your PC.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft2
There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft3.
Download Removal Tool.
You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:
Run the setup file.
When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-fix.exe file to install GridinSoft Anti-Malware on your computer.
An User Account Control asking you about to allow GridinSoft Anti-Malware to make changes to your device. So, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
Press “Install” button.
Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.
Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your computer for Newexploit infections and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so I suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.
Click on “Clean Now”.
When the scan has finished, you will see the list of infections that GridinSoft Anti-Malware has detected. To remove them click on the “Clean Now” button in right corner.
Frequently Asked Questions
🤔 How can I open “.exploit” files?Is it possible to open“.exploit” files?
There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.exploit” files are decrypted.
🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.exploit” files ASAP. How can I do that?
If the “.exploit” files contain some really important information, then you probably have them backed up. If not, there is still a function of System Restore but it needs a Restore Point to be previously saved. All other solutions require time.
🤔 If GridinSoft deletes the Newexploit malware, will it also delete my files that were encrypted?
No way! Your encrypted files are no threat to your PC.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will delete active infections from your system. The ransomware that has attacked your device is must be still active and launching checks every so often to arrest any new files you might create on your computer after the initial attack. As it has been said above, the Newexploit ransomware does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide criminals with easy access to your computer after some time.
🤔 What to do if the Newexploit ransomware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.
If that happened, you need to prepare a flash memory drive with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute the procedure. You see, the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or brought into your system. To stop 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 could help the situation right now?
Many of the blocked files might still be at your disposal
- If you exchanged your important files by 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 give those pictures back to you.
- If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Internet, you can try doing it again.
- Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud storage might have all those files as well.
- Maybe you still have the needed files on your old computer, a laptop, mobile, external storage, etc.
USEFUL TIP: You can use file recovery programs4 to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encrypts the copies of your files, removing the authentic ones. In the video below, you can see how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you kill the virus with an antivirus program.
Also, you can contact the following governmental 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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Brendan SmithHow to Remove NEWEXPLOIT Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: NEWEXPLOIT Virus
Description: NEWEXPLOIT Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .exploit extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus
User Review
( votes)References
- You can read more on Trojans, their use and types in the Trojan-dedicated section of GridinSoft official website.
- GridinSoft Anti-Malware Review from HowToFix site: https://howtofix.guide/gridinsoft-anti-malware/
- More information about GridinSoft products: https://gridinsoft.com/comparison
- Here’s the list of Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
