'.exx File Extension' Ransomware
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| Threat Level: | 80 % (High) |
| Infected Computers: | 1 |
| First Seen: | January 21, 2016 |
| Last Seen: | March 26, 2020 |
| OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
Malware researchers have observed a marked rise on variants of the infamous TeslaCrypt ransomware Trojan. This threatening ransomware infection was first released in early 2015. PC security researchers have recently observed the release of TeslaCrypt 3.0, with dozens of variants that change file extensions into different strings. The '.exx File Extension' Ransomware is one of these variants. The '.exx File Extension' Ransomware and other new variants of TeslaCrypt fix a vulnerability in this threat that had previously allowed PC security researchers to obtain the decryption key to help computer users to decrypt their files. It is likely that the '.exx File Extension' Ransomware and other variants are a result of the release of TeslaCrypt 3.0 as RaaS (Ransomware as a Service).
How the '.exx File Extension' Ransomware Infection Works
Encryption ransomware infections such as the '.exx File Extension' Ransomware all use similar approaches:
- The '.exx File Extension' Ransomware infects the victim's computer and scans the hard drives for files matching its list of targeted file extensions. The '.exx File Extension' Ransomware and other TeslaCrypt variants are known for encrypting video game files as well as documents, media, and other typical encryption ransomware targets. The following are the file extensions that are targeted by the '.exx File Extension' Ransomware and its variants:
- The '.exx File Extension' Ransomware uses AES encryption to encrypt the found files, changing their extension to EXX. Files that have been encrypted by the '.exx File Extension' Ransomware cannot be decrypted without access to the decryption key, which the '.exx File Extension' Ransomware sends to an external Command and Control server. Since the decryption key is not contained in the '.exx File Extension' Ransomware itself, there is no way for PC security researchers to recover the encrypted files.
- The '.exx File Extension' Ransomware changes the victim's Desktop image and leaves text files on the hard drive containing instructions for payment. Payment for the '.exx File Extension' Ransomware may be done via BitCoin, although some variants may offer other anonymous payment options. The following is a common ransom note used by the '.exx File Extension' Ransomware:
.7z; .rar; .m4a; .wma; .avi; .wmv; .csv; .d3dbsp; .sc2save; .sie; .sum; .ibank; .t13; .t12; .qdf; .gdb; .tax; .pkpass; .bc6; .bc7; .bkp; .qic; .bkf; .sidn; .sidd; .mddata; .itl; .itdb; .icxs; .hvpl; .hplg; .hkdb; .mdbackup; .syncdb; .gho; .cas; .svg; .map; .wmo; .itm; .sb; .fos; .mcgame; .vdf; .ztmp; .sis; .sid; .ncf; .menu; .layout; .dmp; .blob; .esm; .001; .vtf; .dazip; .fpk; .mlx; .kf; .iwd; .vpk; .tor; .psk; .rim; .w3x; .fsh; .ntl; .arch00; .lvl; .snx; .cfr; .ff; .vpp_pc; .lrf; .m2; .mcmeta; .vfs0; .mpqge; .kdb; .db0; .DayZProfile; .rofl; .hkx; .bar; .upk; .das; .iwi; .litemod; .asset; .forge; .ltx; .bsa; .apk; .re4; .sav; .lbf; .slm; .bik; .epk; .rgss3a; .pak; .big; .unity3d; .wotreplay; .xxx; .desc; .py; .m3u; .flv; .js; .css; .rb; .png; .jpeg; .txt; .p7c; .p7b; .p12; .pfx; .pem; .crt; .cer; .der; .x3f; .srw; .pef; .ptx; .r3d; .rw2; .rwl; .raw; .raf; .orf; .nrw; .mrwref; .mef; .erf; .kdc; .dcr; .cr2; .crw; .bay; .sr2; .srf; .arw; .3fr; .dng; .jpeg; .jpg; .cdr; .indd; .ai; .eps; .pdf; .pdd; .psd; .dbfv; .mdf; .wb2; .rtf; .wpd; .dxg; .xf; .dwg; .pst; .accdb; .mdb; .pptm; .pptx; .ppt; .xlk; .xlsb; .xlsm; .xlsx; .xls; .wps; .docm; .docx; .doc; .odb; .odc; .odm; .odp; .ods; .odt.
Your personal files are encrypted!
Your files have been safely encrypted on this PC: photos, videos, documents, etc. Click "Show Encrypted Files" button to view a complete list on encrypted files, and you can personally verify this.
Encryption was produced using a unique public key RSA-2048 generated for this computer. To decrypt files you need to obtain the private key.
Dealing with the '.exx File Extension' Ransomware
The best way to deal with the '.exx File Extension' Ransomware and other TeslaCrypt variants is prevention. PC security researchers strongly advise computer users to backup all of their files. A strong security program and better browsing habits can be used to prevent the '.exx File Extension' Ransomware from entering a computer in the first place, since this threat may be distributed using typical threat delivery methods.
