Paas Ransomware - How to remove

Paas is file-encrypting ransomware. It corrupts data on the infected computer, then asks the victim to pay a ransom to repair that data. The Paas extortion malware spreads online in infected installers and other content. It infects Windows PCs belonging to individual users and to small businesses. 

Paas in short:

Type of threat	Ransomware, spyware, trojan.
How to recognize a Paas infection	Many files won’t open, the names of these files end with a new extension, ransom notes can be found in various folders.
How to restore your data	Recover data from backups, use the free decryptor, use file recovery programs, look into file repair.
How to delete Paas	Restore task manager, unblock sites, remove Paas and other malware with antivirus tools (Spyhunter, others), protect your accounts.

How does Paas ransomware work?

Paas ransomware is new, but it’s part of a very familiar and well-known family of ransomware: Djvu. This infection, which has also spawned Ehiz, Nusm, Igvm, and dozens of other variants, tends to attack Windows computers operated by single users. Mostly, Djvu spreads with pirated programs and media, downloaded from pirating and torrenting sites.

Once the infected file is downloaded and run, Paas and other malware are downloaded and installed. These malicious programs quickly change a few things to make the computer easier to take over:

• they try to disable antivirus programs, delete their files,
• they disable registry editing and task manager,
• the malware is set to run on startup,
• some cybersecurity sites are blocked.

Most importantly, Paas ransomware encrypts files and changes their names. Encrypted files have their contents scrambled, which is why if you open an encrypted text file, it’s full of random symbols. As these files have “.paas” appended to their names, you can recognize them as broken.

Picture.jpg.paas

The extortionists behind Paas want to make money off of this file encryption. So, Paas creates a text file called _readme.txt that explains to Paas’s victims that they must pay a ransom from $490 if they want to get their files back.

Can you restore your files?

The best way to protect yourself from file-encrypting ransomware such as Paas is to regularly backup your files. If you had recent backups, then you just need to clean your PC and restore those backups.

As for those who had no backups, do they have any options? They do, but none are perfect. We’ll discuss a few below:

• trying the free decryptor,
• paying the ransom,
• restoring deleted files,
• repairing files.

Check out the Emsisoft decryptor. It was developed by a ransomware expert and it’s free. The problem is, you need the decryption key for it to work. And every Paas’ victim’s key is unique – except in the case of offline encryption, which is rare but possible. So, scan your files with this decryptor to see if you’re one of the lucky few.

You might consider paying the ransom if you can afford it. But remember:

• if you pay, the criminals might just take your money and then ignore you,
• if you reveal any personal details to the extortionists, they might note them and target you in other cyber attacks,
• giving the criminals money rewards their crimes and encourages them to continue attacks.

Consider repairing your files. Though it’s impossible to decrypt data without the correct decryption key, it’s possible that there’s some unencrypted data in some files that can be extracted.

If you use a hard drive, then try a data recovery program (like EaseUS). Scan your drive and see if any valuable files can be restored. Good file recovery programs let you check these files for free.

How to get rid of Paas

Fix your hosts file as described below. Check if your task manager still works and restore it if needed.

Use safe mode to stop unnecessary programs from running, then get antivirus programs (like Spyhunter) to find and remove malware.

Alternatively, format your drive. Remember that resetting your Windows will require you to reinstall your programs and that you’ll lose your files, but hey, depending on how much damage Paas has caused, it might be worth it.

Since spyware has been known to spread with Djvu ransomware, it might have come with Paas, too. So, use 2-factor authentication to protect your accounts.

Important -- edit the hosts file to unblock security websites

TL DR : The hosts file is edited to block security sites Before the virus can be removed, it's necessary to fix the hosts file (the file which controls which addresses connect to which IPs). That is the reason the majority of security websites is inaccessible when infected with this particular parasite. This infection edits this file to stop certain websites, including anti-malware download sites, from being accessed from the infected computer, making browsers return the "This site can't be reached" error. Luckily, it's trivial to fix the file and remove the edits that were made to it.

Find and edit the hosts file

The hosts file can be found on C:/Windows/System32/Drivers/etc/hosts. If you don't see it, change the settings to see hidden files.

1. In the Start Menu, search for Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel, find Appearance and Personalization.
3. Select Folder Options.
4. Open the View tab.
5. Open Advanced settings.
6. Select "Show hidden files...".
7. Select OK.

Open this file with administrator privileges.

1. Open the Start Menu and enter "notepad".
2. When Notepad shows up in the result, right-click on it.
3. In the menu, choose "Run as administrator"
4. File->Open and browse for the hosts file.

The hosts file should look like this: Delete additional lines that they connect various domain names to the wrong IP address. Save the file.

Download and run the antivirus program

After that, download antivirus programs and use them to remove the ransomware, the trojan, and other malware. Spyhunter (https://www.2-viruses.com/reviews/spyhunter/dwnld/).

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to recover Paas Ransomware encrypted files and remove the virus

Step 1. Restore system into last known good state using system restore

1. Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt:

for Windows 7 / Vista/ XP

• Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
• Press F8 key repeatedly until Advanced Boot Options window appears.
• Choose Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

for Windows 8 / 10

• Press Power at Windows login screen. Then press and hold Shift key and click Restart.
• Choose Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Startup Settings and click Restart.
• When it loads, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt from the list of Startup Settings.

 

2.Restore System files and settings.

• When Command Prompt mode loads, enter cd restore and press Enter.
• Then enter rstrui.exe and press Enter again.
• Click “Next” in the windows that appeared.
• Select one of the Restore Points that are available before Paas Ransomware has infiltrated to your system and then click “Next”.
• To start System restore click “Yes”.

 

Step 2. Complete removal of Paas Ransomware

After restoring your system, it is recommended to scan your computer with an anti-malware program, like Spyhunter and remove all malicious files related to Paas Ransomware. You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore Paas Ransomware affected files using Shadow Volume Copies

If you do not use System Restore option on your operating system, there is a chance to use shadow copy snapshots. They store copies of your files that point of time when the system restore snapshot was created. Usually Paas Ransomware tries to delete all possible Shadow Volume Copies, so this methods may not work on all computers. However, it may fail to do so. Shadow Volume Copies are only available with Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. There are two ways to retrieve your files via Shadow Volume Copy. You can do it using native Windows Previous Versions or via Shadow Explorer. a) Native Windows Previous Versions Right-click on an encrypted file and select Properties → Previous versions tab. Now you will see all available copies of that particular file and the time when it was stored in a Shadow Volume Copy. Choose the version of the file you want to retrieve and click Copy if you want to save it to some directory of your own, or Restore if you want to replace existing, encrypted file. If you want to see the content of file first, just click Open.

b) Shadow Explorer It is a program that can be found online for free. You can download either a full or a portable version of Shadow Explorer. Open the program. On the left top corner select the drive where the file you are looking for is a stored. You will see all folders on that drive. To retrieve a whole folder, right-click on it and select “Export”. Then choose where you want it to be stored.

Step 4. Use Data Recovery programs to recover Paas Ransomware encrypted files

There are several data recovery programs that might recover encrypted files as well. This does not work in all cases but you can try this:

• We suggest using another PC and connect the infected hard drive as slave. It is still possible to do this on infected PC though.
• Download a data recovery program.
• Install and scan for recently deleted files.

Note: In many cases it is impossible to restore data files affected by modern ransomware. Thus I recommend using decent cloud backup software as precaution. We recommend checking out Carbonite, BackBlaze, CrashPlan or Mozy Home.