The Yguekcbe virus falls under the Snatch ransomware family. Ransomware of this type encrypts all user’s data on the PC (images, documents, excel tables, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its extra extension to every file, leaving the HOW TO RESTORE YOUR FILES.TXT files in each directory containing encrypted files.
What is Yguekcbe virus?
☝️ A strictly correct denomination for the Yguekcbe would be “a Snatch family ransomware infection”.
Yguekcbe will add its specific .yguekcbe extension to the name of every encrypted file. For instance, an image named “photo.jpg” will be changed to “photo.jpg.yguekcbe”. In the same manner, the Excel file with the name “table.xlsx” will end up as “table.xlsx.yguekcbe”, and so forth.
In each folder containing the encrypted files, a HOW TO RESTORE YOUR FILES.TXT text document will appear. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other information. The ransom note usually contains instructions on how to buy the decryption tool from the ransomware developers. That is it.
Yguekcbe outline:
| Name | Yguekcbe Virus |
| Ransomware family1 | Snatch ransomware |
| Extension | .yguekcbe |
| Ransomware note | HOW TO RESTORE YOUR FILES.TXT |
| Detection | Cydoor.Adware.Advertising.DDS, Trojan-Ransom.Win32.Blocker.pef, Win32/GenKryptik.GCGO |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) have a .yguekcbe extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Yguekcbe virus |
In the screenshot below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Yguekcbe looks like. Each filename has the “.yguekcbe” extension added to it.
An example of encrypted .yguekcbe files.
How did my machine catch Yguekcbe ransomware?
There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.
Nowadays, there are three most popular methods for tamperers to have the Yguekcbe virus settled in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer-to-peer file transfer.
If you access your mailbox and see letters that look like familiar notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is strange to you, beware of opening those emails. They are most likely to have a malware file attached to them. Thus it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with emails like these.
Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan horse model2. A Trojan is a program that infiltrates into your computer disguised as something different. Imagine, you download an installer for some program you want or an update for some program. However, what is unpacked turns out to be a harmful agent that compromises your data. As the update file can have any title and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the resource of the stuff you’re downloading. The best thing is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
As for the peer networks like torrents or eMule, the danger 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 directory containing the downloaded items with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is finished.
How do I get rid of the Yguekcbe virus?
It is crucial to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Yguekcbe virus will most likely install the Azorult Spyware on your computer to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware3 can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.
Sometimes tamperers would unblock few of your files to prove that they indeed have the decryption program. As Yguekcbe virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software developers have not yet found a way to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decryption instruments are constantly updated, so the solution may soon be available.
Understandably, if the hackers succeed in encoding victim’s critical data, the hopeless person will probably fulfill their demands. However, paying to racketeers gives no guarantee that you’re getting your files back. It is still risky. After receiving the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports of racketeers simply disappearing after getting the money without even writing back.
The best countermeasure to ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud drive 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 upon when it all started. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also advisable to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the system restoration.
There are other ransomware products, besides Yguekcbe, that work similarly. Examples of those are Nuis, Powd, Bowd, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Yguekcbe are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: documents become inaccessible, their extensions altered, ransom notes are created in every folder containing encrypted files.
Some lucky users were able to decrypt the arrested files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-malware developers. Sometimes the hackers accidentally send the decoding code to the wronged in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the victim to restore the files. But of course, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a criminals’ technology to lay their hands on the money of their victims.
How to avert ransomware infection?
Yguekcbe ransomware has no endless power, so as any similar malware.
You can protect your PC from its injection in several easy steps:
- Never open any emails from unknown senders with strange 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, check all elements of the suspicious letter carefully. A fake email will surely have a mistake.
- Do not use cracked or unknown programs. Trojans are often spreaded as an element of cracked software, most likely under the guise of “patch” which prevents the license check. Understandably, potentially dangerous programs are difficult to tell from trustworthy ones, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. Try searching for information on this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the best way is not to use such programs at all.
- And finally, to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a powerful shield for your PC.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft4
There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft5.
Download Removal Tool.
You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:
Run the setup file.
When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-fix.exe file to install GridinSoft Anti-Malware on your computer.
An User Account Control asking you about to allow GridinSoft Anti-Malware to make changes to your device. So, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
Press “Install” button.
Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.
Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your PC for Yguekcbe infections and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so I suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.
Click on “Clean Now”.
When the scan has finished, you will see the list of infections that GridinSoft Anti-Malware has detected. To remove them click on the “Clean Now” button in right corner.
Frequently Asked Questions
🤔 How can I open “.yguekcbe” files?Can I somehow access “.yguekcbe” files?
Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.yguekcbe” files you will not be able to access them.
🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?
If the “.yguekcbe” files contain some really important information, then you probably have them backed up. 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. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.
🤔 If GridinSoft deletes the Yguekcbe 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 real threats. The malware that has attacked your system is must be still active and it scans your system every so often to encrypt any new files you might create on your PC after the attack. As it has already been said, the Yguekcbe virus does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide malefactors with easy access to your computer in the future.
🤔 What to do if the Yguekcbe malware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.
In such a case, you need to have a flash memory drive with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or imported into your system. To block this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential programs to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What could help the situation right now?
Many of the encrypted files might still be at your disposal
- If you exchanged your critical files via email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
- You might have shared images or videos with your friends or family members. Simply ask them to give those pictures back to you.
- If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Internet, you can try to do it 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, phone, external storage, etc.
HINT: You can use file recovery programs6 to get your lost data back since ransomware encodes the copies of your files, removing 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 kill the virus with an anti-malware program.
Also, you can contact the following governmental 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.
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Brendan SmithHow to Remove YGUEKCBE Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: YGUEKCBE Virus
Description: YGUEKCBE Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .yguekcbe extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus
User Review
( votes)References
- My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
- You can read more on Trojans, their use and types in the Trojan-dedicated section of GridinSoft official website.
- You can read more on spyware variants and nature in the respective section of GridinSoft official website.
- GridinSoft Anti-Malware Review from HowToFix site: https://howtofix.guide/gridinsoft-anti-malware/
- More information about GridinSoft products: https://gridinsoft.com/comparison
- Here’s the list of Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
