XHAMSTER Ransomware 🔒 Virus Removal

XHAMSTER ransomware is a type of Phobos ransomware family that encrypts the files on a victim’s computer and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key. Phobos is a variant of the Dharma ransomware family, which has been active since 2016.

The XHAMSTER encrypts files and keeps them inaccessible until the victim can decrypt them with the correct decryption tool, which only attackers can offer. XHAMSTER is also able to encrypt files. Additionally, it changes the name of files by adding the ID number of the person who is victimized, the username on ICQ, and the ” .XHAMSTER” extension to their filenames.

What is known about the Xhamstervirus?

☝️ A strictly accurate designation for the Xhamster is “a Phobos family ransomware infection”.

The renaming will be done according to the following pattern: XHAMSTER. After the encryption, a file entitled, for instance, “report.docx” will be altered to “report.docx.id[C279F237-2797].[ICQ@xhamster2020].XHAMSTER”.

The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can get this tool after contacting @xhamster2020 on ICQ by email. That is how they do it.

Xhamster overview:

The note accompanying the Xhamster malware states the following:

All your files have been encrypted!
All your files have been encrypted due to a security problem with your PC.
If you want to restore them, install ICQ software on your PC here hxxps://icq.com/windows/
or on mobile phone from Appstore/Google Play Market search for \"ICQ\"
Write to our ICQ @xhamster2020 hxxps://icq.im/xhamster2020
Write this ID in the title of your message -
You have to pay for decryption in Bitcoins. The price depends on how fast you write to us.
Free decryption as guarantee
Before paying you can send us up to 5 files for free decryption. The total size of files must be less than 3Mb (non archived), and files should not contain valuable information. (databases,backups, large excel sheets, etc.)
Attention!
Do not rename encrypted files.
Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss.
Decryption of your files with the help of third parties may cause increased price (they add their fee to our) or you can become a victim of a scam.
Be assured we are the only people who can recover your files and there is no free tool.

In the picture below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Xhamster looks like. Each filename has the “.XHAMSTER” extension appended to it.

How did my computer get infected with Xhamster ransomware?

There are many possible ways of ransomware injection.

There are currently three most exploited methods for tamperers to have ransomware settled in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer file transfer.

If you open your inbox and see letters that look like familiar notifications from utility services companies, postal agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is strange to you, be wary of opening those letters. They are very likely to have a ransomware item enclosed in them. Therefore, it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with letters like these.

As for the peer files transfer protocols like torrent trackers or eMule, the threat 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 a good idea to scan the directory containing the downloaded objects with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is finished.

How do I get rid of the Xhamster virus?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Xhamster virus will probably install the Azorult Spyware on your computer to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That spyware³ can derive your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Often racketeers would unblock several of your files to prove that they do have the decryption tool. Since Xhamster virus is a relatively recent ransomware, anti-malware developers have not yet found a method to undo its work. However, the anti-ransomware tools are frequently updated, so the solution may soon arrive.

Of course, if the tamperers succeed in encrypting someone’s essential data, 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 risky. After receiving the money, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports about hackers simply vanishing after getting the ransom 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 disk or at least on an external storage. Of course, that might be insufficient. Your most important thing could be that file you were working on when it all happened. 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 Xhamster, that work similarly. Examples of those are Jhdd, Hhjk, Xcvf, and some others. The two main differences between them and the Xhamster are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: files become encrypted, their extensions changed, ransom notes are created in each directory containing encrypted files.

Some fortunate people were able to decrypt the blocked files with the aid of the free software provided by anti-malware developers. Sometimes the hackers mistakenly send the decoding code to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an epic fail allows the victim to restore the files. But naturally, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a bandits’ instrument to pull the money out of their victims.

How do I avert ransomware infection?

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

You can defend your system from a ransomware attacks within several easy steps:

• Never open any emails 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 money prize draw without participating in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are expecting, check all elements of the dubious letter carefully. A hoax letter will always have a mistake.
• Avoid using cracked or unknown programs. Trojans are often distributed as an element of cracked products, possibly as a “patch” to prevent the license check. But untrusted programs are difficult to tell from trustworthy ones, because trojans may also have the functionality you need. Try to find information on this program on the anti-malware forums, but the best way is not to use such software.

Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft⁴

Download Removal Tool.

Run the setup file.

Press “Install” button.

Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.

Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.

Click on “Clean Now”.

FAQ

🤔 Is it possible to open “.XHAMSTER” files?

Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.XHAMSTER” files you will not be able to access them.

🤔 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. If not, there is still a function of System Restore but it needs a Restore Point to be previously saved. All other solutions require time.

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

🤔 What can I do right now?

Many of the encrypted files might still be within your reach

• If you exchanged your important files via email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You may have shared photographs or videos with your friends or relatives. Just 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 networks pages, and cloud storage might have all those files as well.
• Maybe you still have the needed files on your old computer, a notebook, mobile, memory stick, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can use data recovery programs⁶ to get your lost data back since ransomware arrests 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 can do it only after you remove the virus with an anti-malware program.

Also, you can contact the following official 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.

1. My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
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