Qewe Ransomware - How to remove

Have your files been locked, with files refusing to opened and having “.qewe’ attached to their names? Qewe is the ransomware that does this. It spreads on filesharing sites, disguised as various free programs. It attacks Windows PCs. And Qewe’s effects can be devastating: it encrypts documents, text files, media files, archives, and any other file types. If you did not have file backups, there’s no guarantee that you can recover your files.

Before fixing the files that Qewe broke, though, Qewe needs to be removed.

Details on Qewe ransomware:

Classification	Ransomware.
Infection sources	Pirating sites, fake software download sites.
Remove Qewe	Unblock security sites and download antivirus updates, use antivirus programs ( or others) to remove Qewe and the other malware.
Restore the files	Restore from a backup, use data recovery software, try the free decryptor.

How Qewe infects computers

Qewe was discovered by a malware hunter only a few hours ago. It’s a new version of Djvu ransomware. This ransomware has dozens of variants (Lezp, Lalo, Mpaj, etc.) which are released and then quickly retired. A week from now, Qewe will barely infect anyone anymore. But by then, a new Djvu ransomware will be found.

Qewe spreads on pirating websites. It infects files that are uploaded online, available for free downloads. Examples of files that are infected with this ransomware:

• cracking software and keygen tools,
• free Windows, Office installers,
• other free installers for expensive software.

One the infected file is downloaded, it should be detected by your antivirus program – unless you disabled it. Here’s a version of Qewe provided by its discoverer: VirusTotal. it’s currently detected by most antivirus programs that scan it.

If Qewe is not stopped, it does a few things:

• delete file backups,
• delete antivirus updates,
• download and install Azorult (a trojan that steals information and installs adware),
• go through your files and encrypt them, securing them with an asymmetric algorithm, which ensures that there is no way to decrypt the files without paying the ransom,
• create a bunch of files called _readme.txt that contain Qewe’s ransom note.

Once Qewe is done, many of your files are likely unopenable, while their names are changed to include “.qewe” at their ends. Some files, like archives, songs, and even pictures, still have some data intact, as Qewe only encrypts small sections of files. Some files can be repaired with most of their data still intact. Sometimes, though, what Qewe did is enough to completely break the file.

How to remove Qewe and restore the files

Remove Qewe and the other malware with an antivirus program. You might need to fix your hosts file first. Qewe edits it to block some sites from loading on the infected computer, and you need to download the antivirus updates that Qewe deleted.

You do not have to delete the encrypted “.qewe” files – they are not harmful. You can leave them on your computer or move them to another storage device while you figure out a solution.

I said that there’s no way to decrypt (fix) the files that Qewe broke without paying the ransom for the decryption keys. This is true, but in certain circumstances (for example, Qewe can’t connect to the internet), your decryption key might be shared with a few other victims. If any of them pay the ransom and get their decryption key, maybe it fits your files, too. Check this decryptor by Emsisoft – it’s maintained and updated with new decryption keys.

Don’t contact Qewe’s makers unless you absolutely have to. These people leave their contact information (email addresses) in the _readme.txt files to encourage you to contact them, but know that they will take note if you appear as a vulnerable victim. Right now, they likely have no idea who each of their victim is, so keep it that way.

Also, consider using a file recovery program. Keep your infected computer shut off – the less you use it, the more successful file recovery will be.

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 Qewe 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 Qewe Ransomware has infiltrated to your system and then click “Next”.
• To start System restore click “Yes”.

 

Step 2. Complete removal of Qewe 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 Qewe Ransomware. You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore Qewe 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 Qewe 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 Qewe 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.