ZOV Ransomware 🔐 (.Z0V File) — Removal Guide

The Zov virus falls under the ransomware type of malicious agent. Harmful software of such sort encrypts all the data on your PC (photos, documents, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and appends its extra extension to every file, creating the ZoV.txt 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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Zov virus: what is known so far?

The renaming will be executed according to the following scheme: id-xxxxx.[contact-email].Z0V. In the course of encryption, a file named, for instance, “report.docx” will be turned into “report.docx.id-9ECFA84E.[datukraine@tuta.io].Z0V”.

In every directory that contains the encoded files, a ZoV.txt text document will be found. It is a ransom money note. Therein you can find information about the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other remarks. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the racketeers. You can obtain this decryptor after contacting datukraine@tuta.io by email. That is it.

Zov Overview:

The ZoV.txt document accompanying the Zov malware provides the following discouraging information:

all your data has been locked us
You want to return?
write email datukraine@tuta.io + datukr@onionmail.org

In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Zov looks like. Each filename has the “.Z0V” extension added to it.

An example of encrypted .Z0V files.

How did my computer get infected with Zov ransomware?

There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

Nowadays, there are three most popular ways for criminals to have the Zov virus planted in your system. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer networks.

If you open your inbox and see emails 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, be wary of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a malicious item enclosed in them. Thus it is even more dangerous 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 infiltrates into your PC pretending to be something different. For instance, you download an installer of some program you need or an update for some software. But what is unpacked turns out to be a harmful program that corrupts your data. Since the installation file can have any name and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the resource of the files you’re downloading. The best way is to use the software companies’ official websites.

As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like BitTorrent or eMule, the danger is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. You can never guess what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded items with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is complete.

How to remove ransomware?

It is crucial to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Zov virus will most likely deploy Vidar Stealer on your computer to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That spyware can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove Zov 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 Zov 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 “Zov” 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 Zov 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 tamperers would decode several of your files so you know that they indeed have the decryption tool. Since Zov virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software designers have not yet found a way to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decoding tools are frequently updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon arrive.

Of course, if the hackers do the job of encoding someone’s critical files, the hopeless person will most likely comply with their demands. However, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your data back. It is still dangerous. After obtaining the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports of malefactors simply vanishing after getting the money without even writing back.

The optimal countermeasure to ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud drive or at least on an external storage. Obviously, that might be insufficient. The most crucial thing could be that file you were working upon when it all happened. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the system is rolled back.

Zov is not the only ransomware of its kind, since there are other specimens of ransomware out there that act in the same manner. Examples of those are Gaqq, Wayn, Kiqu, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Zov are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: files become encoded, their extensions changed, ransom notes emerge in every directory containing encoded files.

Some lucky users were able to decode the arrested files with the help of the free tools provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the criminals accidentally send the decoding code to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an epic fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But of course, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a criminals’ tool to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How to avert ransomware attack?

Zov ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, so as any similar malware.

You can protect yourself from ransomware injection within three easy steps:

• Ignore any letters from unknown mailers with unknown addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are waiting for (how can you win in a lottery without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, check all elements of the suspicious letter carefully. A hoax email will always have mistakes.
• Do not use cracked or unknown software. Trojan viruses are often spreaded as a part of cracked products, possibly as a “patch” to prevent the license check. But untrusted programs are very hard to distinguish from trustworthy ones, because trojans may also have the functionality you need. Try to find information about this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the best solution is not to use such software.
• And to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a powerful defense for your system.

FAQ

🤔 Can I somehow access “.Z0V” files?

Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.Z0V” files first. Then you will be able to open them.

🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?

If the “.Z0V” files contain some really important information, then you probably have them backed up. Otherwise, you might try to employ System Restore. The only question is whether you have saved any Restore Points that would be helpful now. All other solutions require time.

🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Zov virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?

Absolutely not! Your encrypted files are no threat to your PC.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware only deals with active viruses. The virus that has attacked your PC is must be still functional and launching checks every so often to encode any new files you might create on your PC after the attack. As it has been said above, the Zov ransomware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide hackers with easy access to your PC in the future.

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

In such an unfortunate situation, you need to prepare a flash memory drive with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute 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 process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential applications to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 And what should I do now?

Many of the encoded files might still be at your disposal

• If you exchanged your important files by email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You may have shared photographs or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to send 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 notebook, mobile, memory stick, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can employ data recovery utilities¹ to get your lost data back since ransomware encrypts the copies of your files, removing the authentic ones. In the tutorial 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. Here’s the list of Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.