The Quax0r virus belongs with 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 appends its specific extension to every file.
What is Quax0r virus?
☝️ A scientifically accurate description for the Quax0r would be “a ransomware-type infection”.
The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the racketeers. You can get this decrypting software after contacting Nominatus#9251 (Discord) through email. That is how they do it.
Quax0r outline:
| Name | Quax0r Virus |
| Contact | Nominatus#9251 (Discord) |
| Detection | Win32:GenMalicious-YG [Trj], Trojan:Win32/Glupteba.OT!MTB, Win32/GenKryptik.FVPH |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) encrypted and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Quax0r virus |
The note accompanying the Quax0r malware provides the following dispiriting information:
All files have been encrypted by NominatusCrypto ( Quax0r ) contact the creator of this virus on discord Nominatus#9251 for more information if you restart then your account will be useless! files cannot be decrypted without paying the ransom to the creator!! live or die? make your choice now!
How did my machine catch Quax0r ransomware?
There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware injection.
Nowadays, there are three most popular methods for hackers to have ransomware working in your system. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer networks.
If you access 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 mailer is strange to you, beware of opening those letters. They are very likely to have a malicious file enclosed in them. Therefore, it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with letters like these.
Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan file scheme1. A Trojan is an object that infiltrates into your machine pretending to be something legal. Imagine, you download an installer for some program you want or an update for some service. However, what is unpacked turns out to be a harmful agent that encrypts your data. Since the update file can have any name and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the things you’re downloading. The best thing is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
As for the peer file transfer protocols like torrents 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. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded files with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.
How do I get rid of the Quax0r virus?
It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Quax0r virus will most likely install the Azorult Spyware on your computer to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.
Often racketeers would decode several of your files so you know that they indeed have the decryption tool. As Quax0r virus is a relatively recent ransomware, safety measures developers have not yet found a way to undo its work. Nevertheless, the anti-ransomware instruments are frequently updated, so the solution may soon arrive.
Sure thing, if the evildoers succeed in encrypting victim’s critical files, the hopeless person will probably comply with their demands. Nevertheless, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your data back. It is still dangerous. After obtaining the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports about malefactors just vanishing after getting the ransom without even writing back.
The optimal solution against ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud storage or at least on an external drive. Of course, that might be insufficient. The most important thing could be that one you were working on when it all started. But at least it is something. It is also wise to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the OS restoration.
There are other ransomware products, besides Quax0r, that work similarly. For instance, Dfwe, Zfdv, Fdcv, and some others. The two main differences between them and the Quax0r are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: documents become blocked, their extensions altered, ransom notes are created in every folder containing encrypted files.
Some fortunate users were able to decode the arrested files with the help of the free software provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the criminals accidentally send the decoding key 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. Remember, ransomware is a criminals’ tool to lay their hands on the money of their victims.
How сan I avoid ransomware infection?
Quax0r ransomware has no endless power, neither does any similar malware.
You can protect your computer from its attack in three 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 lottery without participating in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, scrutinize all elements of the dubious email with caution. A fake letter will surely have mistakes.
- Do not use cracked or unknown programs. Trojan viruses are often distributed as a part of cracked products, possibly under the guise of “patch” preventing the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are difficult to tell from trustworthy software, as trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. You can try searching for information about this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the optimal way is not to use such software.
- And finally, to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a perfect shield for your system.
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 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 system for Quax0r 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 completed, 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
🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?
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. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.
🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Quax0r virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?
Of course not. Your encrypted files are no threat to your PC.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will remove active threats from your computer. The virus that has infected your PC is most likely still active and launching checks periodically to arrest any new files you might create on your computer after the infection. As it has been said above, the Quax0r virus comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide hackers with easy access to your computer in the future.
🤔 What actions should I take if the Quax0r ransomware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.
In such an unfortunate situation, you need to have a flash memory card with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. The point is that the ransomware runs automatically as the system launches and encodes any new files created or brought into your machine. To block this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital applications to run automatically. 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 sent or received your critical 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. Simply ask them to post those images back to you.
- If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Web, you can try doing it again.
- Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud disks might have all those files too.
- Maybe you still have the needed files on your old PC, a laptop, phone, external storage, etc.
USEFUL TIP: You can use file recovery programs4 to retrieve your lost information since ransomware arrests 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 remove the ransomware itself with an anti-malware 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 QUAX0R Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: QUAX0R Virus
Description: QUAX0R Virus is a ransomware-type infection. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). 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.
