TRASH PANDA Virus 🔐 (.MONOCHROME Files) — How to Remove?

The Trash panda virus belongs with the ransomware type of malicious agent. Ransomware of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the PC (photos, documents, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, creating the [random_string]-readme.html text 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.

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Trash panda virus: what is known so far?

Trash panda appends its extra .monochrome extension to the name of every encoded file. For example, an image named “photo.jpg” will be changed to “photo.jpg.monochrome”. In the same manner, the Excel sheet named “table.xlsx” will end up as “table.xlsx.monochrome”, and so forth.

In each directory with the encrypted files, a readme.html text file will appear. It is a ransom money note. It contains information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can get this decoding tool after contacting Tox chat through Tor browser. That is how they do it.

It is also worth noting that this note has a random string in its name. This string looks like a hash of some sort, probably the one malware has created to distinguish your system from others. For example, in our case the readme file had a name of 138k349c9732m09it504vn19q74330h8-readme.html

Trash panda Summary:

In the screenshot below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Trash panda looks like. Each filename has the “.monochrome” extension added to it.

An example of encrypted .monochrome files.

How did my computer get infected with Trash panda ransomware?

There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware injection.

There are currently three most popular ways for hackers to have ransomware planted in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer-to-peer networks.

• If you open your mailbox and see letters that look like familiar 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 letters. They are very likely to have a harmful item attached to them. Therefore, it is even riskier to open any attachments that come with letters like these.
• Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan virus scheme. A Trojan is a program that gets into your computer pretending to be something else. For example, you download an installer of some program you need or an update for some service. However, what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful program that corrupts your data. Since the installation wizard can have any name and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the resource of the files you’re downloading. The optimal way is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like torrents or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. You can never know 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 items with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is finished.

How to remove ransomware?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Trash panda virus will probably install Vidar Stealer on your machine to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That spyware can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove Trash panda 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 Trash panda 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 “Trash panda” 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 Trash panda 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.

Often criminals would decrypt several of your files to prove that they do have the decryption tool. As Trash panda virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software developers have not yet found a method to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decoding tools are constantly upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon arrive.

Understandably, if the malefactors succeed in encrypting someone’s essential data, the hopeless person will probably comply with their demands. However, paying to racketeers gives no guarantee that you’re getting your data back. It is still risky. After receiving the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports of racketeers simply vanishing after getting the money without even writing back.

The optimal safety measure against ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud drive or at least on an external drive. Of course, that might be not enough. Your most important thing could be that one you were working on when it all went down. But at least it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the system restoration.

Trash panda 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 Gaqq, Kiqu, Miqe, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Trash panda are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: documents become encrypted, their extensions altered, ransom notes appear in every folder containing encrypted files.

Some lucky people were able to decrypt the blocked files with the help of the free tools provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the criminals 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 rely on such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a tamperers’ tool to pull the money out of their victims.

How do I avert ransomware attack?

Trash panda ransomware doesn’t have a superpower, neither does any similar malware.

You can protect yourself from ransomware injection in several easy steps:

• Ignore any letters from unknown mailers with unknown addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are waiting for (can you win in a lottery without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, check all elements of the suspicious letter with caution. A fake email will always contain a mistake.
• Do not use cracked or unknown software. Trojans are often shared as an element of cracked software, most likely as a “patch” preventing the license check. But potentially dangerous programs are difficult to distinguish from trustworthy ones, as trojans may also have the functionality you need. You can try to find information about this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal solution is not to use such software.
• And finally, to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a powerful defense for your system.

Frequently Asked Questions

🤔 How can I open “.monochrome” files?Is it possible to open“.monochrome” files?

There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.monochrome” files are decrypted.

🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.monochrome” files ASAP. How can I do that?

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.

🤔 If GridinSoft deletes the Trash panda malware, will it also delete my files that were encrypted?

No way! Your encrypted files are no threat to your PC.

With the help of GridinSoft Anti-Malware, you can clean your computer off the actual threats. The virus that has infected your system is probably still functional and launching checks every so often to arrest any new files you might create on your PC after the infection. As it has been said above, the Trash panda ransomware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide hackers with easy access to your PC in the future.

🤔 What to do if the Trash panda ransomware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation code.

In such a case, you need to have a flash memory drive with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. You see, the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or brought into your machine. To stop this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential applications to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 And what should I do now?

Some of the encrypted files can be located elsewhere.

• If you sent or received your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• You may have shared images 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 Internet, you can try doing it again.
• Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud storage might have all those files too.
• It might be that you still have the needed files on your old PC, a laptop, mobile, external storage, etc.

HINT: You can use data recovery utilities¹ to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encrypts the copies of your files, removing the original ones. In the video below, you can learn how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you eradicate the ransomware itself with an antivirus program.

1. Here are Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.