The Zareus virus belongs under the ransomware type of infection. Ransomware of such sort encrypts all the data on your computer (photos, documents, excel sheets, music, videos, etc) and appends its own extension to every file, creating the HELP_DECRYPT_YOUR_FILES.txt text files in each directory which contains the encrypted files.
What is Zareus virus?
☝️ A scientifically correct denomination for the Zareus would be “a ransomware malicious agent”.
Zareus will append its extra .ZareuS extension to every file’s title. For instance, a file entitled “photo.jpg” will be changed to “photo.jpg.ZareuS”. Just like the Excel sheet named “table.xlsx” will be renamed to “table.xlsx.ZareuS”, and so forth.
In every folder that contains the encoded files, a HELP_DECRYPT_YOUR_FILES.txt text file will appear. It is a ransom money note. Therein you can find information about the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other information. The ransom note most probably contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the ransomware developers. That is pretty much the scheme of the crime.
Zareus overview:
| Name | Zareus Virus |
| Extension | .ZareuS |
| Ransomware note | HELP_DECRYPT_YOUR_FILES.txt |
| Detection | Ransom:Win32/Cryptolocker.PAL!MTB, UDS:Trojan-Banker.Win32.Bandra, Trojan:MSIL/AgentTesla.EPQ!MTB |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .ZareuS extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Zareus virus |
In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Zareus looks like. Each filename has the “.ZareuS” extension appended to it.
An example of encrypted .ZareuS files.
How did my computer get infected with Zareus ransomware?
There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.
There are currently three most exploited ways for malefactors to have the Zareus virus acting in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer networks.
If you open your inbox and see letters that look just like notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is strange to you, be wary of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a malware item enclosed in them. Thus it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with letters like these.
Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan virus model1. A Trojan is an object that infiltrates into your PC pretending to be something different. For example, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some service. However, what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful agent that encrypts your data. Since the update file can have any name and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the resource of the things you’re downloading. The optimal way is to trust the software companies’ official websites.
As for the peer file 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 folder containing the downloaded objects with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is complete.
How to remove the Zareus virus?
It is important to note that besides encrypting your data, the Zareus virus will probably deploy the Azorult Spyware on your machine to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That program can derive your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.
Sometimes criminals would unblock few of your files so you know that they really have the decryption tool. Since Zareus virus is a relatively new ransomware, anti-malware developers have not yet found a method to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decoding tools are frequently updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.
Sure thing, if the hackers do the job of encrypting victim’s critical data, the hopeless person will probably fulfill their demands. However, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still dangerous. After getting the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports of ransomware developers simply vanishing after getting the ransom without even bothering to reply.
The optimal countermeasure to 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 disk. Obviously, that might be not enough. The most crucial thing could be that one you were working upon when it all happened. But at least it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the OS is rolled back.
Zareus is not the only ransomware of its kind, since there are other specimens of ransomware out there that act in the same manner. For instance, Bbnm, Sijr, Hhjk, and some others. The two main differences between them and the Zareus are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: documents become inaccessible, their extensions altered, ransom notes are found in every folder containing encrypted files.
Some fortunate users were able to decode the blocked files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-malware developers. Sometimes the hackers mistakenly send the decoding key to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But of course, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a tamperers’ technology to lay their hands on the money of their victims.
How сan I avert ransomware injection?
Zareus ransomware doesn’t have a superpower, so as any similar malware.
You can armour yourself from ransomware attack taking three easy steps:
- Never open any emails from unknown mailboxes with strange 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, scrutinize all elements of the dubious letter with caution. A fake email will always contain mistakes.
- Never use cracked or untrusted programs. Trojans are often distributed as an element of cracked software, most likely under the guise of “patch” to prevent the license check. But potentially dangerous programs are very hard to distinguish from trustworthy software, as trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. You can try to find information about this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the best solution is not to use such software.
- And finally, to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, check them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful defense for your personal computer.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft2
There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft3.
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 PC.
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 computer for Zareus 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.
FAQ
🤔 How can I open “.ZareuS” files?Can I somehow access “.ZareuS” files?
There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.ZareuS” 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.
🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Zareus virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?
No way! Unlike the ransomware program itself, the encrypted files do not jeopardize your system.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will delete active viruses from your computer. The malware that has attacked your device is most likely still functional and running scans periodically to encrypt any new files you might create on your PC after the infection. As it has already been said, the Zareus virus comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide criminals with easy access to your PC after some time.
🤔 What to do if the Zareus ransomware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.
In such an unfortunate situation, you need to prepare a flash memory drive with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the procedure. You see, the ransomware starts automatically as the system launches and encrypts any new files created or imported into your PC. To block this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital applications to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What can I do right now?
Many of the blocked files might still be at your disposal
- If you sent or received your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
- You might have shared photographs or videos with your friends or family members. Simply ask them to give those pictures back to you.
- If you have initially got any of your files from the Web, 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 computer, a laptop, cellphone, external storage, etc.
HINT: You can employ data recovery programs4 to retrieve your lost information since ransomware arrests 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 won’t be able to do it before you remove 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 ZAREUS Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: ZAREUS Virus
Description: ZAREUS Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .ZareuS extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus
User Review
( votes)References
- You can read more on Trojans, their use and types in the Trojan-dedicated 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 are Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
