The Wessy virus belongs to the ransomware type of malicious agent. Harmful software of this type encrypts all user’s data on the PC (photos, text files, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, creating the READ_ME.txt files in each directory with the encrypted files.
What is known about the Wessy virus?
Wessy will append its own .wessy extension to the name of every encrypted file. For example, an image entitled “photo.jpg” will be altered to “photo.jpg.wessy”. In the same manner, the Excel sheet named “table.xlsx” will be altered to “table.xlsx.wessy”, and so on.
In every folder that contains the encoded files, a READ_ME.txt text document will be found. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other information. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the Wessy developers. You can obtain this decryptor after contacting Tox chat by email. That is it.
Wessy Summary:
| Name | Wessy Virus |
| Extension | .wessy |
| Ransomware note | READ_ME.txt |
| Ransom | $100 |
| Contact | Tox chat |
| Detection | Trojan:MSIL/AgentTesla.AQF!MTB, Trojan:Win32/Vundo!A, Ransom.BlackHunt |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .wessy extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Wessy virus |
The READ_ME.txt file coming in package with the Wessy malware states the following:
Don\'t worry, you can return all your files! All your files like documents, photos, databases and other important are encrypted What guarantees do we give to you? You can send 3 of your encrypted files and we decrypt it for free. send everything you have in ps99 to the user : pfftww send everything you have in ps99 to the user : pfftww (if you send less than $100 worth of ps99 titanics, huges, or gems please send $100 in litecoin to LaSM19DpJAWr6NCVT2oAnWieozQPsRK7Bj83r4) You must follow these steps To decrypt your files : 1) Write on uTox (hxxps://utox.org/) :E17712C45962279BAE0805044C6626CF11E033229AB539C23D0080A24486861B30A20C898E4E (our uTox contact ID) 2) Obtain Litecoin (You may have to pay some of the ransom with Litecoin You may buy Litecoin from here hxxps://paybis.com/buy-litecoin/ when the ransom is paid in full then the decryptor tool will be placed onto your desktop.) Dont do anything stupid... We are watching uTox contact ID: E17712C45962279BAE0805044C6626CF11E033229AB539C23D0080A24486861B30A20C898E4E Litecoin address: LaSM19DpJAWr6NCVT2oAnWieozQPsRK7Bj83r4
In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Wessy looks like. Each filename has the “.wessy” extension appended to it.
An example of encrypted .wessy files.
How did Wessy ransomware end up on my PC?
There is a huge number of possible ways of ransomware injection.
Nowadays, there are three most popular methods for malefactors to have the Wessy virus acting in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer file transfer.
- If you access your inbox and see letters that look just like notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is unknown to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are most likely to have a ransomware file attached to them. So it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with emails like these.
- Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan file scheme. A Trojan is a program that gets into your computer disguised as something different. Imagine, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some software. But what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful agent that encrypts your data. As the update wizard can have any title and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the stuff you’re downloading. The optimal thing is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
- As for the peer-to-peer networks like torrents or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never guess what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded files with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is finished.
How to remove ransomware?
It is crucial to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Wessy virus will most likely install Vidar Stealer on your PC to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can derive your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling data.
Remove Wessy 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 Wessy 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 “Wessy” 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 Wessy 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.
Sometimes racketeers would decrypt several of your files to prove that they really have the decryption tool. Since Wessy virus is a relatively recent ransomware, anti-malware engineers have not yet found a method to undo its work. However, the decoding instruments are constantly updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon arrive.
Of course, if the malefactors do the job of encrypting victim’s critical files, the desperate person will probably comply with their demands. However, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still risky. After receiving the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports of malefactors just disappearing after getting the ransom without even writing back.
The optimal countermeasure to ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud drive or at least on an external disk. Surely, that might be insufficient. The most important thing could be that file you were working on when it all happened. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also wise to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the OS is rolled back.
There are other ransomware products, besides Wessy, that work similarly. For instance, Avanzi, Ban, 3000usdaa, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Wessy are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is the same: documents become encoded, their extensions changed, ransom notes emerge in each directory containing encrypted files.
Some lucky users were able to decrypt the arrested files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-ransomware developers. Sometimes the criminals accidentally send the decryption code to the victims in the ransom note. Such an epic fail allows the user to restore the files. But of course, one should never rely on such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a criminals’ tool to lay their hands on the money of their victims.
How to avoid ransomware infiltration?
Wessy ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, neither does any similar malware.
You can protect yourself from ransomware infiltration in several easy steps:
- Never open any letters from unknown mailboxes with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (can you win in a money prize draw without participating in it?). If the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, check all elements of the questionable letter carefully. A hoax email will surely contain a mistake.
- Never use cracked or untrusted software. Trojan viruses are often spreaded as a part of cracked products, most likely under the guise of “patch” which prevents the license check. But dubious programs are difficult to distinguish from trustworthy ones, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. Try searching for information about this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal solution is not to use such programs at all.
- And to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a perfect defense for your system.
FAQ
🤔 How can I open “.wessy” files?Are the “.wessy” files accessible?
Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.wessy” files first. Then you will be able to open 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. In case you haven’t, there is still a chance that you do have a Restore Point from some time ago to roll back the whole system to the moment when it had no virus yet, but already had your files. All other solutions require time.
🤔 If GridinSoft deletes the Wessy 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 ransomware that has infiltrated your system is most likely still functional and running scans from time to time to encode any new files you might create on your PC after the infection. As it has already been said, the Wessy ransomware 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 to do if the Wessy virus has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.
If that happened, you need to have a flash memory card with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute the procedure. You see, the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encodes any new files created or brought into your machine. To block this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What could help the situation right now?
Many of the blocked files might still be at your disposal
- If you exchanged your important files by email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
- 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 Internet, you can try downloading them again.
- Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud storage might have all those files too.
- Maybe you still have the needed files on your old PC, a portable device, mobile, external storage, etc.
USEFUL TIP: You can employ file recovery utilities1 to retrieve your lost information 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 kill the ransomware itself with an antivirus program.
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Brendan SmithHow to Remove WESSY Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: WESSY Virus
Description: WESSY Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .wessy extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus
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