Qweuirtksd ransomware - How to remove

Qweuirtksd ransomware is a kind of malware that will appear suddenly, make your files inaccessible and add a strange .qweuirtksd extension at the end of their names, later displaying a Notepad file showing who’s the boss of your Windows now. This cryptovirus was first mentioned on Bleepingcomputer.com forum at the beginning of October 2018, later being analyzed by the ransomware expert https://twitter.com/demonslay335/status/1049316344183836672. Although the virus does not seem to be as sophisticated as WannaCry, GandCrab, Locky and etc., yet threat actors did put their time in it and even a few separate ransom notes with different emails and crypto wallet addresses were noticed around as well.

In this article, we will try our best to cover the working principles of the Qweuirtksd ransomware, its preferred methods of distribution and the best ways to remove it, with a possibility to recover your encrypted files. Cryptoviruses, for example, Dharma – Btc,   [email protected]Suri and etc., are probably the toughest computer infections to fix because even after deleting them, locked personal data stays unavailable. But don’t rush into contacting the crooks, since 2-viruses.com team may offer you a rather sensible and effective solution to fix Qweuirtksd virus.

What is Qweuirtksd ransomware

Qweuirtksd virus is called ransomware because of its behavior. Once the threat gets into the system (it only infects Windows users), it will run silent processes in the background, modifying registry keys, altering some system files for persistence and invisibility, at the same time looking for any files that are personal, such as pictures, videos, documents, music, which could be locked and used to get the ransom. After the encryption, cryptovirus drops a text note asking for a payment from the victim in Cryptocurrency (for anonymity) for a file-decrypting key.

Qweuirtksd ransomware virus ransom note

Qweuirtksd ransomware uses AES-128 cipher in CBC mode to encrypt selected files. Even though the AES algorithm is known for its speed but not strength, CBC (Cipher block chaining) mode adds more difficulty. Encryption is really fast and Takes only several seconds to complete. After that, all affected files are marked with .qweuirtksd extension, which allows victims to know that the file is inaccessible because of the virus.

Another information that Qweuirtksd virus provides to compromised users is the text file called !!!ReadMeToDecrypt.txt. Here crooks explain that the virus has taken over the computer, took all precious files hostage and needs $500 (0,081BTC) in Bitcoin to unlock them. In the same note, there are virtual wallet addresses and crooks’ contact emails. !!!ReadMeToDecrypt.txt:

Attention, all your files are encrypted with the AES cbc-128 algorithm!

It’s not a virus like WannaCry and others, I hacked your computer,
The encryption key and bitcoin wallet are unique to your computer,
so you are guaranteed to be able to return your files.
But before you pay, you can make sure that I can really decrypt any of your files.
To do this, send me several encrypted files to [email protected], a maximum of 5 megabytes each, I will decrypt them and I will send you back. No more than 5 files. Do not forget to send in the letter bitcoin address 1BhHZxek7iUTm1mdrgax6yVrPzViqLhr9u from this file.
After that, pay the decryption in the amount of 500$ to the bitcoin address: 1BhHZxek7iUTm1mdrgax6yVrPzViqLhr9u
After payment, send me a letter to [email protected] with payment notification.
Once payment is confirmed, I will send you a decryption program.
You can pay bitcoins online in many ways:
https://buy.blockexplorer.com/ – payment by bank card
https://www.buybitcoinworldwide.com/
https://localbitcoins.net
About Bitcoins:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin
If you have any questions, write to me at [email protected]
As a bonus, I will tell you how hacked your computer is and how to protect it in the future.

As we mentioned in the introduction, there has been a few different versions of Qweuirtksd cryptovirus found using same ransom note and encryption, but just with different email addresses, now adding four more ([email protected][email protected],   [email protected],   [email protected] ), and Bitcoin wallets (1Ne5yGtfycobLgXZn5WSN5jmGbVRyTUf48, 17extZWTopkmpkhAv1bhbmFxgGFcvbient). 

Despite the confidence and worrisome consequences, there’s no point for you to obey and Pay the ransom. Don’t forget that you are dealing with hackers which are unpredictable, therefore there is no guarantee that they will give you the decrypting code. There have been lots of cases, where victims paid but crooks took the money and never replied to them, such as Kansas Heart Hospital. That being said, we suggest you trying some other effective methods to restore your files.

What are the possible spreading ways of Qweuirtksd virus

You probably can recall the time when you got infected with the Qweuirtksd virus. Most likely you were checking some Word or PDF file that you received in your mailbox. This could have been an invoice, a complaint, a receipt, invitation, bills, government letter, hospital records or etc. That email seemed really important, yet the attachment was rather strange and didn’t fully load. It’s because it was a bogus Socially engineered message, with a ransom-demanding virus inside.

Crooks, like Qweuirtksd ransomware developers, have been using such fake emails to spread their malware for years now, and yet it works every time. The virus is placed in MS Word Macros, which is still a number one vector for spreading malware and then launched when the user enables it. Unfortunately, this infection technique is hard to detect with antivirus programs and should be avoided at all costs. For that, we offer to read the Ultimate Guide Against Ransomware.

How to delete Qweuirtksd ransomware and recover locked files

The initial step before restoring your files should be a system cleanse from Qweuirtksd ransomware. The best method to remove Qweuirtksd virus is to use Spyhunter anti-malware programs. They are designed to hunt and get rid of threats without you having to restore the whole computer and lose your precious files. They are trusted by many cybersecurity professionals and terminate all other viruses which could have sneaked in at the same time.

Only when you are fully sure that your computer is free from Qweuirtksd crypto infection, then you can start restoring encrypted files, or else they will get re-encrypted and later will not be able to unlock. At the moment of writing, there is no official decrypting tool for Qweuirtksd virus, yet you can try recovering some data from Shadow Volume Copies or with the help of special file restore programs, as mentioned below. If none of that works, keep the files stored in your PC, until malware experts will come up with solution.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Download Spyhunter for Malware detection
(Win)

Note: Spyhunter trial provides detection of parasites and assists in their removal for free. limited trial available, Terms of use, Privacy Policy, Uninstall Instructions,

Download Combo Cleaner for Malware detection
(Mac)

Note: Combo Cleaner trial provides detection of parasites and assists in their removal for free. limited trial available, Terms of use, Privacy Policy, Uninstall Instructions, Refund Policy ,

How to remove Qweuirtksd cryptovirus manually

There is also a possibility to recover your files manually and get rid of the Qweuirtksd virus without any program, but it only works for those who religiously make backups and have a restore point sometime before the infection. If not, we recommend the automatic removal with a security tool since performing this method without proper backups might lose your data. If you do not care about files, don’t want to use a program and want to start fresh, System Restore will work as well.


How to recover Qweuirtksd 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 RestartOK.
  • Press F8 key repeatedly until Advanced Boot Options window appears.
  • Choose Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Windows 7 enter safe mode

for Windows 8 / 10
  • Press Power at Windows login screen. Then press and hold Shift key and click Restart. Windows 8-10 restart to safe mode
  • Choose TroubleshootAdvanced OptionsStartup Settings and click Restart.
  • When it loads, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt from the list of Startup Settings. Windows 8-10 enter safe mode
 

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.CMD commands
  • Click “Next” in the windows that appeared. Restore point img1
  • Select one of the Restore Points that are available before .qweuirtksd has infiltrated to your system and then click “Next”. Restore point img2
  • To start System restore click “Yes”. Restore point img3
 

Step 2. Complete removal of Qweuirtksd 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 .qweuirtksd. You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore Qweuirtksd 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 .qweuirtksd 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 PropertiesPrevious 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.
Previous version
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.
Shadow explorer

Step 4. Use Data Recovery programs to recover Qweuirtksd 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. Data Recovery Pro
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.
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