WAGNER2.0 Ransomware 🔐 (.WAGNER2.0 File) — Removal Guide

The Wagner2.0 virus belongs under the Xorist ransomware family. A harmful program of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the PC (images, text files, excel sheets, music, videos, etc) and adds its specific extension to every file, leaving the КАК РАСШИФРОВАТЬ ФАЙЛЫ.txt text files in each directory which contains 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 Wagner2.0 virus?

☝️ Wagner2.0 is a Xorist family ransomware virus.

Wagner2.0 will add its extra .Wagner2.0 extension to the name of each encoded file. For instance, an image named “photo.jpg” will be renamed to “photo.jpg.Wagner2.0”. In the same manner, the Excel sheet with the name “table.xlsx” will be renamed to “table.xlsx.Wagner2.0”, and so forth.

In each folder containing the encrypted files, a КАК РАСШИФРОВАТЬ ФАЙЛЫ.txt text file will be found. It looks like a ransom note, but in fact contains an agitation to join the Wagner PMC group. The latter became known worldwide after the coup attempt in late June 2023. Possibly, the group’s chiefs are trying to recruit more people in such a peculiar way.

Wagner2.0 Overview:

The КАК РАСШИФРОВАТЬ ФАЙЛЫ.txt document accompanying the Wagner2.0 ransomware states the following:

Официальный троян  ЧВК Вагнера по защите РОССИИ®?
ХВАТИТ ТЕРПЕТЬ ШОЙГУ,ГЕРАСЕМОВА,НАЦИСТОВ СПАСИ СВОЮ страну от чиновников из-за них умирают люди на войне зачем это? бери оружие брат и иди против врага! с нами Бог
часть декодора 61LGYoY1m

In the image below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Wagner2.0 looks like. Each filename has the “.Wagner2.0” extension added to it.

An example of encrypted .Wagner2.0 files.

How did my computer get infected with Wagner2.0 ransomware?

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

There are currently three most exploited methods for malefactors to have ransomware settled in your system. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer networks.

• If you access your mailbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose “from” field is unknown to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a ransomware item enclosed in them. So it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with emails like these.
• Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan horse model. A Trojan is a program that infiltrates into your machine pretending to be something legal. For instance, you download an installer of some program you need or an update for some program. But what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful program that encrypts your data. Since the installation file can have any name and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the stuff you’re downloading. The best way is to use the software companies’ official websites.
• As for the peer networks 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 websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded objects with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.

How to remove ransomware?

It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your data, the Wagner2.0 virus will most likely deploy Vidar Stealer on your computer 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 data.

Remove Wagner2.0 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 Wagner2.0 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 “Wagner2.0” 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 Wagner2.0 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 so you know that they really have the decryption tool. As Wagner2.0 virus is a relatively recent ransomware, anti-malware engineers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. However, the anti-ransomware tools are constantly updated, so the solution may soon arrive.

Understandably, if the tamperers succeed in encrypting someone’s essential data, the hopeless person will probably comply with their demands. Nevertheless, paying to racketeers gives no guarantee 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 injured party. There were reports about malefactors just vanishing 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. Of course, that might be not enough. Your most crucial thing could be that file you were working on when it all went down. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also advisable to scan your PC for viruses with the antivirus program after the system restoration.

There are other ransomware products, besides Wagner2.0, that work similarly. For instance, Gaqq, Kiqu, Yyza, and some others. The two main differences between them and the Wagner2.0 are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is almost identical: documents become encoded, their extensions altered, ransom notes emerge in every folder containing encoded files.

Some lucky people were able to decode the blocked files with the help of the free tools provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the racketeers mistakenly send the decryption key to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the user to restore the files. But obviously, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a criminals’ technology to pull the money out of their victims.

How do I avoid ransomware infection?

Wagner2.0 ransomware has no endless power, so as any similar malware.

You can protect your system from ransomware infiltration 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 expecting (how can you win in a lottery without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is likely something you are expecting, check all elements of the dubious email with caution. A fake email will always have a mistake.
• Never use cracked or untrusted software. Trojans are often shared as an element of cracked products, possibly under the guise of “patch” to prevent the license check. Understandably, potentially dangerous programs are difficult to tell from reliable ones, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. You can try searching for information about this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the best way is not to use such software.
• And to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful armor for your system.

FAQ

🤔 How can I open “.Wagner2.0” files?Are the “.Wagner2.0” files accessible?

There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.Wagner2.0” files are decrypted.

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

It’s good if you have fаr-sightedly saved copies of these important files elsewhere. If not, there is still a function of System Restore but it needs a Restore Point to be previously saved. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.

🤔 If GridinSoft deletes the Wagner2.0 malware, will it also delete my files that were encrypted?

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

GridinSoft Anti-Malware only deals with active threats. The malware that has infiltrated your computer is most likely still active and launching checks periodically to encode any new files you might create on your PC after the infection. As it has been mentioned above, the Wagner2.0 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 after some time.

🤔 What actions should I take if the Wagner2.0 ransomware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.

In such a case, you need to prepare a memory stick with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the procedure. The point is that the ransomware runs automatically as the system launches and encrypts any new files created or brought into your PC. To suppress this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital applications to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What could help the situation right now?

Many of the encoded files might still be within your reach

• If you sent or received your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You might have shared images or videos with your friends or relatives. Just ask them to give those pictures back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Web, you can try doing it again.
• Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud storage might have all those files too.
• Maybe you still have the needed files on your old PC, a laptop, phone, memory stick, etc.

HINT: You can use file recovery programs² to get your lost data back since ransomware blocks the copies of your files, deleting the authentic 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 kill the ransomware itself with an antivirus program.

1. My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
2. Here’s the list of Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.