S4B Virus 🔐 (.S4B Files) — How to Remove?

The S4b virus falls under the Phobos ransomware family. Malware of such sort encrypts all the data on your PC (images, documents, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its specific extension to every file, leaving the info.txt files in every folder with the encrypted files.

S4b virus: what is known so far?

☝️ S4b is a Phobos family ransomware malicious agent.

The renaming will be done by this scheme: id[xxxxx].[contact-email].s4b. In the process of encryption, a file named, for example, “report.docx” will be altered to “report.docx.id[9ECFA84E-3449].[[email protected]].s4b”.

In each folder containing the encoded files, a info.txt file will be found. It is a ransom money note. It contains information on the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to buy the decryption tool from the S4b developers. You can get this decoding tool after contacting [email protected] via email. That is it.

S4b Overview:

The info.txt file coming in package with the S4b ransomware provides the following discouraging information:

!!!All of your files are encrypted!!!
To decrypt them send e-mail to this address: [email protected].
If we don\'t answer in 24h., send e-mail to this address: [email protected] 

In the screenshot below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the S4b looks like. Each filename has the “.s4b” extension appended to it.

How did my machine catch S4b ransomware?

There are many possible ways of ransomware injection.

There are currently three most popular ways for tamperers to have the S4b virus working in your system. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer file transfer.

• Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan virus model. A Trojan is a program that infiltrates into your PC disguised as something legal. For instance, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some software. However, what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful agent that corrupts your data. Since the update wizard can have any title and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the resource of the things you’re downloading. The optimal thing is to use the software companies’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like BitTorrent 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. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy resources. Also, it is a good idea to scan the folder containing the downloaded objects with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is complete.

How do I get rid of ransomware?

It is important to note that besides encrypting your files, the S4b virus will most likely install Vidar Stealer on your PC to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

How to avert ransomware infiltration?

S4b ransomware has no endless power, neither does any similar malware.

You can armour yourself from its infiltration within three easy steps:

• Ignore any letters from unknown mailers with unknown addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (how can you win in a lottery without participating in it?). If the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, scrutinize all elements of the questionable letter carefully. A hoax letter will surely have a mistake.
• Never use cracked or unknown software. Trojan viruses are often spreaded as an element of cracked products, most likely under the guise of “patch” preventing the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are difficult to tell from reliable software, because trojans may also have the functionality you seek. You can try to find information on this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal solution is not to use such software.

Frequently Asked Questions

🤔 Can I somehow access “.s4b” files?

Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.s4b” files first. Then you will be able to open them.

🤔 What should I do to make my files accessible as fast as possible?

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.

🤔 What should I do if the S4b virus has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.

🤔 What can I do right now?

Many of the encrypted files might still be at your disposal

• If you sent or received your critical files by email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You might have shared images or videos with your friends or family members. Just ask them to give 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 networks pages, and cloud disks might have all those files too.
• It might be that you still have the needed files on your old computer, a laptop, cellphone, external storage, etc.

HINT: You can use file recovery utilities² to get your lost data back since ransomware encodes the copies of your files, deleting the original ones. In the tutorial below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you remove the virus with an antivirus program.

1. My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
2. Here’s the list of Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.