The .5ss5c virus is a ransomware that is currently set against target end users on a global scale. There is no information available about the hacking group behind it. It is believed to be a new iteration of the famous ransomware family. This is one of the reasons why we believe that the hackers are experienced.
Once the .5ss5c virus has started it will execute its built-in sequence of dangerous commands. Depending on local conditions or the specific hacker instructions various actions will take place. The file encryption will begin after them — the encrypting component will use a built-in list of target file type extensions. In the end the victim files will be renamed with the .5ss5c extension.
Threat Summary
| Name | .5ss5c Virus |
| Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
| Short Description | The ransomware encrypts files on your computer machine and demands a ransom to be paid to allegedly restore them. |
| Symptoms | The ransomware will blackmail the victims to pay them a decryption fee. Sensitive user data may be encrypted by the ransomware code. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| Detection Tool |
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss .5ss5c Virus. |
| Data Recovery Tool | Windows Data Recovery by Stellar Phoenix Notice! This product scans your drive sectors to recover lost files and it may not recover 100% of the encrypted files, but only few of them, depending on the situation and whether or not you have reformatted your drive. |
As of January 16 there is additional information available about the .5ss5c virus. According to a separate security report the virus has been in development since at least November last year. An analysis of the virus shows that it includes several important components which are triggered by the built-in sequence — a downloader, separate infection module and a file checker. One of the first actions which are done by the virus upon infection will be confirm that all associated data is delivered. The unpacking sequence will then commence with then unpacking. The analysis shows that alongside the ransomware itself two other elements will be delivered — a Spreader (credentials bypass tool) module and a separate password theft utility.
The file scanning data will run with a loaded exceptions list in order not to remove important system data. It will also interact with a process lookup function to stop any software associated with databases. One of the hijacked samples were found to expose the list of files that will be affected by the ransomware:
7z, bak, cer, csv, db, dbf, dmp, docx, eps, ldf, mdb, mdf, myd, myi, ora, pdf, pem, pfx, ppt, pptx, psd, rar, rtf, sql, tar, txt, vdi, vmdk, vmx, xls, xlsx, zip
An unknown .5ss5c virus has been detected and categorized as ransomware — a file-encrypting algorithm will be run on selected data and make it inaccessible. At the moment there is not much information available about the hackers or the ransomware. A very amount of sample are released in the wild giving us reasons to believe that it be still under development. There are a wide variety of techniques that are used to spread prospective virus samples. They include the following:
- Phishing Campaigns — The criminals can plan elaborate social engineering campaigns that will manipulate the victims into thinking that they have accessed a legitimate site or email message. The campaigns include the sending out of email messages and the hosting of fake download pages. They can include stolen or forged contents that looks like authentic images and text. To coerce the victims into interacting with the shown data the criminals will host the sites onto similar sounding domain names, in some cases the hackers will also include self-signed security certificates.
- Macro-Infected Documents — This is a popular strategy which relies on the preparation of documents across all popular formats: text files, spreadsheets, presentations and databases. When opened by the victims a prompt will be spawned asking them to enable the built-in macros. If this is done the virus code will be launched.
- Infected Application Installers — A very popular method relies on the creation of numerous setup bundles of popular software that are embedded inside of them. The hackers typically rely on them as they are frequently downloaded and by posting them onto various outlets such as hacker-controlled download portals and file-sharing networks the infections can be done very easy.
- Browser Hijackers — These are dangerous plugins made for web browsers which are often uploaded with fake or stolen credentials. The places where the users can expect to find them include official plugin repositories (where stolen developer credentials are used), as well as the numerous copycat download sites.
The security analysis shows that the current version of the .5ss5c virus is also being sent using the EternalBlue exploit and is set against Chinese users. This gives us reasons to believe that the criminals are probably using an automated hacking toolkit and have focused on a given territory.
A sample analysis gives detailed information about the possible consequences of an .5ss5c virus infection. There are several different variations which exhibit slightly different behavior. The more advanced version has the ability to interact with the installed web browsers by hijacking the user prompt and retrieving all stored data: history, bookmarks, account data, preferences and etc.
Advanced process control also shows that the virus is able to create multiple processes with different privileges that are designed to carry out extensive malware activity. Some of the common actions done by such threats include the following:
- Additional Virus Installation — The ransomware infection is capable of deploying other threats to the already compromised hosts. Popular options include miners, Trojans and hijackers.
- Trojan Operations — Some of the samples have been shown to include the ability to connect to a remote server and allow the hackers to have access to the machines. This is used to hijack data, take over control and cause other malware actions.
- System Changes — The virus engine can also modify key settings and configuration files. This can result in the inability to run certain settings and features of the operating system or certain user-installed applications.
- Files Removal — Some of the virus samples of this category can be programmed to delete sensitive files such as user photos or system backups.
We suspect that the ransomware engine will also be programmed to execute hacker-controlled commands — they will be relayed via the established network connection.
The ransomware engine will then be started. Like other popular threats the .5ss5c virus will encrypt target user data according to a built-in list of target file type extensions. Usually such operations will act against multimedia files, documents, archives, backups and etc. To mark the affected files the .5ss5c extension will be assigned to them. Some of the testing versions will encrypt only compressed files.
Remove .5ss5c Virus
If your computer system got infected with the .5ss5c Files ransomware virus, you should have a bit of experience in removing malware. You should get rid of this ransomware as quickly as possible before it can have the chance to spread further and infect other computers. You should remove the ransomware and follow the step-by-step instructions guide provided below.
Martin Beltov
Martin graduated with a degree in Publishing from Sofia University. As a cyber security enthusiast he enjoys writing about the latest threats and mechanisms of intrusion.
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Step 1: Scan for .5ss5c Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Ransomware Automatic Removal - Video Guide
Step 2: Uninstall .5ss5c Virus and related malware from Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully delete most unwanted and malicious programs.
Step 3: Clean any registries, created by .5ss5c Virus on your computer.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by .5ss5c Virus there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.
Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
Step 4: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove .5ss5c Virus
Step 5: Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .5ss5c Virus.
Method 1: Use STOP Decrypter by Emsisoft.
Not all variants of this ransomware can be decrypted for free, but we have added the decryptor used by researchers that is often updated with the variants which become eventually decrypted. You can try and decrypt your files using the instructions below, but if they do not work, then unfortunately your variant of the ransomware virus is not decryptable.
Follow the instructions below to use the Emsisoft decrypter and decrypt your files for free. You can download the Emsisoft decryption tool linked here and then follow the steps provided below:
1 Right-click on the decrypter and click on Run as Administrator as shown below:
2. Agree with the license terms:
3. Click on "Add Folder" and then add the folders where you want files decrypted as shown underneath:
4. Click on "Decrypt" and wait for your files to be decoded.
Note: Credit for the decryptor goes to Emsisoft researchers who have made the breakthrough with this virus.
Method 2: Use data recovery software
Ransomware infections and .5ss5c Virus aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to decrypt. This is why we have suggested a data recovery method that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that this method may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Simply click on the link and on the website menus on the top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
.5ss5c Virus-FAQ
What is .5ss5c Virus Ransomware?
.5ss5c Virus is a ransomware infection - the malicious software that enters your computer silently and blocks either access to the computer itself or encrypt your files.
Many ransomware viruses use sophisticated encryption algorithms to make your files inaccessible. The goal of ransomware infections is to demand that you pay a ransom payment to get access to your files back.
What Does .5ss5c Virus Ransomware Do?
Ransomware in general is a malicious software that is designed to block access to your computer or files until a ransom is paid.
Ransomware viruses can also damage your system, corrupt data and delete files, resulting in the permanent loss of important files.
How Does .5ss5c Virus Infect?
Via several ways..5ss5c Virus Ransomware infects computers by being sent via phishing emails, containing virus attachment. This attachment is usually masked as an important document, like an invoice, bank document or even a plane ticket and it looks very convincing to users.
Another way you may become a victim of .5ss5c Virus is if you download a fake installer, crack or patch from a low reputation website or if you click on a virus link. Many users report getting a ransomware infection by downloading torrents.
How to Open ..5ss5c Virus files?
You can't without a decryptor. At this point, the ..5ss5c Virus files are encrypted. You can only open them once they are decrypted using a specific decryption key for the particular algorithm.
What to Do If a Decryptor Does Not Work?
Do not panic, and backup the files. If a decryptor did not decrypt your ..5ss5c Virus files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
Can I Restore "..5ss5c Virus" Files?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore ..5ss5c Virus files.
These methods are in no way 100% guaranteed that you will be able to get your files back. But if you have a backup, your chances of success are much greater.
How To Get Rid of .5ss5c Virus Virus?
The safest way and the most efficient one for the removal of this ransomware infection is the use a professional anti-malware program.
It will scan for and locate .5ss5c Virus ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important ..5ss5c Virus files.
Can I Report Ransomware to Authorities?
In case your computer got infected with a ransomware infection, you can report it to the local Police departments. It can help authorities worldwide track and determine the perpetrators behind the virus that has infected your computer.
Below, we have prepared a list with government websites, where you can file a report in case you are a victim of a cybercrime:
Cyber-security authorities, responsible for handling ransomware attack reports in different regions all over the world:
Germany - Offizielles Portal der deutschen Polizei
United States - IC3 Internet Crime Complaint Centre
United Kingdom - Action Fraud Police
France - Ministère de l'Intérieur
Italy - Polizia Di Stato
Spain - Policía Nacional
Netherlands - Politie
Poland - Policja
Portugal - Polícia Judiciária
Greece - Cyber Crime Unit (Hellenic Police)
India - Mumbai Police - CyberCrime Investigation Cell
Australia - Australian High Tech Crime Center
Reports may be responded to in different timeframes, depending on your local authorities.
Can You Stop Ransomware from Encrypting Your Files?
Yes, you can prevent ransomware. The best way to do this is to ensure your computer system is updated with the latest security patches, use a reputable anti-malware program and firewall, backup your important files frequently, and avoid clicking on malicious links or downloading unknown files.
Can .5ss5c Virus Ransomware Steal Your Data?
Yes, in most cases ransomware will steal your information. It is a form of malware that steals data from a user's computer, encrypts it, and then demands a ransom in order to decrypt it.
In many cases, the malware authors or attackers will threaten to delete the data or publish it online unless the ransom is paid.
Can Ransomware Infect WiFi?
Yes, ransomware can infect WiFi networks, as malicious actors can use it to gain control of the network, steal confidential data, and lock out users. If a ransomware attack is successful, it could lead to a loss of service and/or data, and in some cases, financial losses.
Should I Pay Ransomware?
No, you should not pay ransomware extortionists. Paying them only encourages criminals and does not guarantee that the files or data will be restored. The better approach is to have a secure backup of important data and be vigilant about security in the first place.
What Happens If I Don't Pay Ransom?
If you don't pay the ransom, the hackers may still have access to your computer, data, or files and may continue to threaten to expose or delete them, or even use them to commit cybercrimes. In some cases, they may even continue to demand additional ransom payments.
Can a Ransomware Attack Be Detected?
Yes, ransomware can be detected. Anti-malware software and other advanced security tools can detect ransomware and alert the user when it is present on a machine.
It is important to stay up-to-date on the latest security measures and to keep security software updated to ensure ransomware can be detected and prevented.
Do Ransomware Criminals Get Caught?
Yes, ransomware criminals do get caught. Law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, Interpol and others have been successful in tracking down and prosecuting ransomware criminals in the US and other countries. As ransomware threats continue to increase, so does the enforcement activity.
About the .5ss5c Virus Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this .5ss5c Virus how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific malware and restore your encrypted files.
How did we conduct the research on this ransomware?
Our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, and as such, we receive daily updates on the latest malware and ransomware definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the .5ss5c Virus ransomware threat is backed with VirusTotal and the NoMoreRansom project.
To better understand the ransomware threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.
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