PHREAKER Ransomware 🔐 (Phreaker malware) — How to Remove?

The Phreaker virus is based on a code of Chaos ransomware family. Ransomware of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the PC (photos, documents, excel tables, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its own extension to every file, leaving the read_it.txt text files in each 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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What is Phreaker virus?

☝️ A scientifically correct description for the Phreaker would be “a Chaos family ransomware infection”.

The renaming will be executed by adding the 4 random characters to the file extension. In the course of encryption, a file entitled, for instance, “report.docx” will be turned into “report.docx.9c8k”, “maintenance.xlsx” will become “maintenance.xlsx.3k8a”.

In every folder with the encrypted files, a read_it.txt text file will be created. It is a ransom money note. It contains information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other information. The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the ransomware developers. That is pretty much the scheme of the crime.

Phreaker outline:

The read_it.txt document accompanying the Phreaker ransomware provides the following dispiriting information:

Phreaker malware has infected your machine.
Lucky for you this is based out of America and we pride ourseleves on helping you get your files back.


Send a small bitcoin payment off 100$ to
19DpJAWr6NCVT2oAnWieozQPsRK7Bj83r4


Email @protonmail of your payment and public key to recieve your private key and decryptor.

In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Phreaker looks like. Each filename has the 4 random characters appended to its extension.

Files encrypted by Phreaker ransomware

How did my computer get infected with Phreaker ransomware?

There is a huge number of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

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

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

Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan virus scheme². A Trojan is an object that infiltrates into your machine pretending to be something legal. For instance, you download an installer for some program you want or an update for some software. However, what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful program that encodes your data. As the installation file can have any name and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the resource of the stuff you’re downloading. The optimal way is to trust the software companies’ official websites.

As for the peer-to-peer networks like BitTorrent 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 a good idea to scan the directory containing the downloaded objects with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is complete.

How to remove the Phreaker virus?

It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your files, the Phreaker virus will most likely deploy the Azorult Spyware on your machine to seize your credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That program can derive your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling data.

Sometimes racketeers would decrypt several of your files to prove that they do have the decryption tool. Since Phreaker virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software engineers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. However, the decryption instruments are constantly updated, so the solution may soon be available.

Understandably, if the hackers succeed in encrypting victim’s critical data, the hopeless person will probably fulfill their demands. Nevertheless, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still dangerous. After getting the money, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports of malefactors simply disappearing after getting the ransom without even bothering to reply.

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. Obviously, that might be not enough. Your most important thing could be that file you were working on when it all happened. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also advisable to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the system is rolled back.

Phreaker 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 Mmvb, Eewt, Oflg, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Phreaker are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: documents become inaccessible, their extensions changed, ransom notes appear in every directory containing encoded files.

Some lucky users were able to decode the arrested files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-malware developers. Sometimes the criminals accidentally send the decryption code to the victims in the ransom note. Such an epic fail allows the victim to restore the files. But naturally, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a bandits’ instrument to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How to avert ransomware infiltration?

Phreaker ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, so as any similar malware.

You can protect your PC from ransomware injection in three easy steps:

• Ignore any letters from unknown senders 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 expecting, scrutinize all elements of the dubious email with caution. A hoax email will always contain mistakes.
• Do not use cracked or untrusted programs. Trojan viruses are often distributed as a part of cracked software, possibly under the guise of “patch” to prevent the license check. Understandably, potentially dangerous programs are difficult to distinguish from reliable ones, 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 way is not to use such programs at all.
• And finally, to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful armor for your personal computer.

Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft³

There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft⁴.

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 system.

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 Phreaker 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.

FAQ

🤔 Can I somehow access “.4 random characters” files?

Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.4 random characters” 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. 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 Phreaker virus?

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

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will remove actual infections from your computer. The malware that has infected your system is most likely still active and launching checks every so often to encode any new files you might create on your computer after the initial attack. As it has already been said, the Phreaker malware does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide malefactors with easy access to your computer after some time.

🤔 What should I do if the Phreaker malware 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 pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. You see, the ransomware runs automatically as the system launches and encrypts any new files created or brought into your PC. To stop this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 And what should I do now?

Many of the blocked files might still be within your reach

• If you exchanged your important files via email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You might have shared images or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to post those pictures back to you.
• If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Web, 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, cellphone, external storage, etc.

HINT: You can employ file recovery programs⁵ to get your lost data back since ransomware encodes the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can see how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but be advised: you can do it only after you remove the ransomware itself 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.

How to Remove PHREAKER Ransomware & Recover PC

Name: PHREAKER Virus

Description: PHREAKER Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .4 random characters extension. So, you can't use them at all.

Operating System: Windows

Application Category: Virus

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