PETYAX Ransomware (.petyax Files) How to Remove?

The Petyax virus falls under the ransomware type of infection. Harmful software of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the computer (images, text files, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and adds its own extension to every file, leaving the note.html files in every directory 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.

DOWNLOAD NOW

Gridinsoft Anti-Malware 6-day trial available.
EULA | Privacy Policy | 10% Off Coupon

Subscribe to our Telegram channel to be the first to know about news and our exclusive materials on information security.

What is known about the Petyax virus?

Petyax will add its extra .petyax extension to every file’s name. For example, a file entitled “photo.jpg” will be turned into “photo.jpg.petyax”. In the same manner, the Excel sheet with the name “table.xlsx” will be renamed to “table.xlsx.petyax”, and so on.

In each directory that contains the encrypted files, a note.html text document will be created. It is a ransom money note. Therein you can find information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other information. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can obtain this decrypting software after contacting [email protected] by email. That is basically the scheme of the malefaction.

Petyax Overview:

The note.html document accompanying the Petyax malware states the following:

PetyaX

Files Encrypted

Your files have been encrypted

All of your personal documents, photos, videos, and other important files have been encrypted with AES-256 encryption and are currently inaccessible.

Do not attempt to decrypt your files with third-party software or recovery tools. This could permanently corrupt your data and make recovery impossible.

Decryption Fee: $300 USD (payable in Bitcoin)

After payment is confirmed, we will provide the decryption key that will restore access to all your files. If we don\'t hear from you, your decryption key will be permanently deleted.

If you cannot find the original PetyaX file, it might mean that your antivirus has deleted it. Our decryptor is inside that app to recover your files, so we recommend contacting us to get back the file.

YOUR COMPUTER ID
-

Contact us with your Computer ID to arrange payment:
Email: [email protected]
Session: 05d72b4b256fbf6b78b64259a042ba8d336f118dda3a68055e9f02c03dee73b86c

Email services, like Gmail, may prevent our emails from reaching you. To ensure you receive our messages, please consider using an alternative email platform such as Cock.li, Proton Mail, or another provider of your choice. If email isn\'t a viable option, you can also reach us via the Session App.

For your security, do not attempt to modify or remove this ransomware. Doing so may result in permanent loss of your data.

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

An example of encrypted .petyax files.

How did my machine catch Petyax ransomware?

There are many possible ways of ransomware injection.

There are currently three most popular methods for criminals to have ransomware settled in your system. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer-to-peer file transfer.

• If you access your inbox and see emails that look like familiar notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose “from” field is unknown to you, beware of opening those letters. They are very likely to have a malware file 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 virus model. A Trojan is a program that infiltrates into your machine pretending to be something different. Imagine, you download an installer of some program you need or an update for some software. But what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful agent that encodes your data. As the installation wizard can have any title and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the resource of the files you’re downloading. The optimal thing is to trust the software companies’ 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 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 files with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is finished.

How do I get rid of ransomware?

It is important to note that besides encrypting your data, the Petyax virus will most likely deploy Vidar Stealer on your PC to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove Petyax 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 Petyax 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 “Petyax” 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 Petyax 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 decode some of your files so you know that they really have the decryption program. As Petyax virus is a relatively new ransomware, anti-malware designers have not yet found a method to reverse its work. However, the anti-ransomware instruments are frequently upgraded, so the solution may soon arrive.

Understandably, if the malefactors do the job of encrypting someone’s critical files, the desperate person will probably comply with their demands. However, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still dangerous. After receiving the money, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports about hackers just disappearing after getting the money without even bothering to reply.

The best countermeasure to ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud storage or at least on an external storage. Surely, that might be not enough. The most crucial thing could be that one you were working on when it all happened. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also advisable to scan your drives with the antivirus program after the OS restoration.

There are other ransomware products, besides Petyax, that work similarly. For instance, Fxlocker, Sage, Held, and some others. The two main differences between them and the Petyax are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is the same: files become blocked, their extensions altered, ransom notes emerge in every directory containing encrypted files.

Some fortunate victims were able to decode the blocked files with the aid of the free software provided by anti-malware experts. Sometimes the racketeers accidentally send the decryption code to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an epic fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But naturally, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a tamperers’ tool to pull the money out of their victims.

How do I avert ransomware infection?

Petyax ransomware has no superpower, neither does any similar malware.

You can defend your computer from its attack taking several easy steps:

• Ignore any emails 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 even taking part in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, scrutinize all elements of the dubious email with caution. A hoax letter will always have mistakes.
• Avoid using cracked or unknown software. Trojan viruses are often distributed as a part of cracked products, most likely under the guise of “patch” to prevent the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are difficult to tell from trustworthy software, because trojans may also have the functionality you need. Try searching for information about this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the best 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 program will be a perfect armor for your personal computer.

FAQ

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

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

🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?

Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. If not, there is still a function of System Restore but it needs a Restore Point to be previously saved. The rest of the methods require patience.

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

Absolutely not! Unlike the ransomware program itself, the encrypted files do not jeopardize your system.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware only deals with actual viruses. The virus that has attacked your computer is probably still active and it scans your system periodically to encrypt any new files you might create on your PC after the attack. As it has been mentioned above, the Petyax ransomware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide criminals with easy access to your computer in the future.

🤔 What should I do if the Petyax ransomware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation code.

In such a case, you need to have a memory stick with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. The point is that the ransomware runs automatically as the system launches and encrypts any new files created or imported into your system. To suppress this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital applications to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What can I do right now?

Some of the blocked files can be found elsewhere.

• If you exchanged your important files via email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• You might have shared photographs or videos with your friends or family members. Just ask them to give those pictures back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try downloading them 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 laptop, mobile, memory stick, etc.

HINT: You can use data recovery utilities¹ to retrieve your lost information since ransomware blocks the copies of your files, removing the authentic ones. In the video below, you can see how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but be advised: you can do it only after you eradicate the virus with an anti-malware program.

1. Here’s the list of Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2024.