The Booknish Jigsaw Virus is the newest strain of the Jigsaw ransomware family. It uses a complex infection algorithm that can cause devastating damage to the infected hosts. Advanced versions of it can induce a Trojan-like behavior that can spy on the users in real time, overtake control of the machines and load additional malware. Read our full removal guide in order to get rid of active infections.
Threat Summary
| Name | Booknish Jigsaw |
| Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
| Short Description | The ransomware encrypts sensitive information on your computer system with the .booknish extensions and demands a ransom to be paid to allegedly recover them. |
| Symptoms | The ransomware will encrypt your files with a strong encryption algorithm. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| Detection Tool |
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Malware Removal Tool
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Booknish Jigsaw. |
| 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. |
Booknish Jigsaw Virus – Distribution Ways
This new strain associated with the Jigsaw virus family uses the traditional delivery tactics. Once again one of the most popular means is the use of email messages that utilize social engineering tactics that attempt to manipulate the targets into interacting with the malware elements. The hackers behind the threat can either directly attach the strains to the messages or hyperlink them in body contents. In addition the messages can be used to spread viral payloads, two popular examples are the following:
- Software Installers — The criminals can embed the dangerous Booknish Jigsaw virus into application installers of various types: system utilities, creativity solutions, production software, office applications and even computer games. The virus infections are deployed automatically once the installers execute correctly.
- Documents — The virus code can be embedded in documents of different types such as presentations, rich text files and spreadsheets. Usually the infections are done when the malware scripts are invoked. This is done if the victim users enable them.
The other deployment tactic is the use of browser hijackers which are dangerous browser extensions that seek to redirect the victim users to a hacker-controlled site. They are usually uploaded to the official plugin repositories which use fake user reviews, elaborate descriptions and counterfeit developer credentials. The browser plugins are made compatible with the most popular web browsers: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, Opera, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer.
The Booknish Jigsaw virus can also infect legitimate sites as well by using various web scripts. The dangerous files spread by using affiliate and ad networks.
Booknish Jigsaw Virus – In-Depth Analysis
The initial security analysis reveals that the Booknish Jigsaw virus follows the behavior patterns associated with the previous versions that belong to this family of threats. Jigsaw strains are known for having a complex multi-stage infection.
The first part of the attacks are used to prepare the system for the actual ransomware module. This is done by launching a data harvesting engine that can accumulate a large database of data. The collected information can be divided into two main types:
- Sensitive Private Data — The corresponding malware engines can be configured into harvesting information that can reveal the identity of the victims. Example information includes the user’s name, address, telephone number, geographic location, interests, passwords and account credentials.
- Campaign Metrics Data — The hackers can instruct the Booknish Jigaw virus engine to extract data that can help optimize the attack campaigns. This includes all manners of operating system details and a detailed review of the installed hardware components.
In some cases the collected information can then be processed by a secondary module known as stealth protection. It is used to prevent certain applications from interrupting the correct virus execution. Examples include anti-virus software, virtual machine hosts or sandbox environments. Some viruses opt to deleete themselves in the event that this step is not successful in order to evade detection.
After this is done the actual malware components of the threat can be started. Administrative access to the operating system is acquired through and then system changes follows. This is usually done to the Windows Registry. The virus sample analysis indicates that the engine manipulates both the strings associated with the operating system and the user-installed applications. This can result in the inability to run certain functions and overall performance issues. Further issues can arise when the virus is instituted as a persistent threat. This means that it will automatically start once the computer is booted. In connection with this the Booknish Jigsaw virus can make it impossible for the users to enter into the recovery menu.
This particular threat also hooks to system services and key Windows components in order to infect the system as deeply as possible. We expect to see Trojan-like behavior by inducing a network connection to a hacker-controlled server. It can be used to gather the collected information hijaked by the Jigsaw malware engine in the beginning of the infection. Such infections are also used to spy on the victims and take over control of the affected machines.
Once all prerequsite conditions have complete the ransomware engine is started. Like previous versions it uses a strong AES cipher in order to affect target user data. The victim files are chosen based on a built-in list of file types. Example data that is compromised includes the following:
- Archives
- Documents
- Backups
- Databases
- Images
- Videos
- Music
As a result .booknish extension is applied to the victim files. One of the interesting features is that instead of a traditional ransom note an application frame that is created to look like a notification message. It contains the following text:
You have been weened
Your personal files are being deleted. Your photos, videos, documents, etc…
rektEvery hour I select some of them to delete permanently,
therefore I won’t be able to to access them, either.
During the first 24 hour you will only lose a few files,
the second day a few hundred, the third day a few thousand, and so on.
If you turn off your computer or try to close me, when I start next time
you will get 1000 files deleted as a punishment.
An initial ransomware sum is quoted, at the time of writing the captured strains of the Booknish Jigsaw request the sum of 100 US Dollars.
Remove Booknish Jigsaw Virus and Restore .Booknish Jigsaw Files
If your computer system got infected with the Booknish Jigsaw 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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Attention! SensorsTechForum strongly recommends that all malware victims should look for assistance only by reputable sources. Many guides out there claim to offer free recovery and decryption for files encrypted by ransomware viruses. Be advised that some of them may only be after your money.
As a site that has been dedicated to providing free removal instructions for ransomware and malware since 2014, SensorsTechForum’s recommendation is to only pay attention to trustworthy sources.
How to recognize trustworthy sources:
- Always check "About Us" web page.
- Profile of the content creator.
- Make sure that real people are behind the site and not fake names and profiles.
- Verify Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter personal profiles.
About the Booknish Jigsaw Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Booknish Jigsaw 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 Booknish Jigsaw 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.
References
1. How to Recognize Spam Emails with Ransomware
2. How Does Ransomware Encryption Work?
3. How to Decrypt Ransomware Files
4. Ransomware Getting Greedier and Bigger, Attacks Increase by 40%
5. 1 in 5 Americans Victim of Ransomware
- Guide 1: How to Remove Booknish Jigsaw from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of Booknish Jigsaw from Mac OS X.
How to Remove Booknish Jigsaw from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Booknish Jigsaw
1. Hold Windows Key + R.
2. The "Run" Window will appear. In it, type "msconfig" and click OK.
3. Go to the "Boot" tab. There select "Safe Boot" and then click "Apply" and "OK".
4. When prompted, click on "Restart" to go into Safe Mode.
5. You can recognise Safe Mode by the words written on the corners of your screen.
Step 2: Uninstall Booknish Jigsaw and related software 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:
1. Hold the Windows Logo Button and "R" on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear.
2. In the field type in "appwiz.cpl" and press ENTER.
3. This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC. Select the program that you want to remove, and press "Uninstall"
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 3: Clean any registries, created by Booknish Jigsaw 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 Booknish Jigsaw there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
1. Open the Run Window again, type "regedit" and click OK.
2. When you open it, you can freely navigate to the Run and RunOnce keys, whose locations are shown above.
3. You can remove the value of the virus by right-clicking on it and removing it.
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: Scan for Booknish Jigsaw with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
1. Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.
2. After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
3. After the update process has finished, click on the 'Malware/PC Scan' tab. A new window will appear. Click on 'Start Scan'.
4. After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the 'Next' button.
Video Guide for Automatic and Fast Removal
Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by Booknish Jigsaw.
Ransomware infections and Booknish Jigsaw 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.
1. Download the recommended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:
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.
Step 6: How to Restore Files Encrypted by Ransomware (Video Guide)
Get rid of Booknish Jigsaw from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Booknish Jigsaw and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:
3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to Booknish Jigsaw:
4. Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.
5. In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to Booknish Jigsaw. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash
”.
6. Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference.
Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to Booknish Jigsaw. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
7. Remove any left-over files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove Booknish Jigsaw via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
1: Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:
2: Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:
3: Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as Booknish Jigsaw. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 3 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by Booknish Jigsaw.
Ransomware infections and Booknish Jigsaw 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.
1. Download the recommended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:
Simply click on the link and on the website menus on top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
Booknish Jigsaw FAQ
What is Booknish Jigsaw ransomware and how does it work?
Booknish Jigsaw 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 algorithm how 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.
How does Booknish Jigsaw ransomware infect my computer?
Via several ways.Booknish Jigsaw Ransomware infects computers by being sent via phishing e-mails, 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.
After you download and execute this attachment, a drive-by download occurs and your computer is infected with the ransomware virus.
Another way, you may become a victim of Booknish Jigsaw 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 .Booknish Jigsaw files?
You can't. At this point the .Booknish Jigsaw files are encrypted. You can only open them once they are decrypted.
Decryptor did not decrypt my data. What now?
Do not panic and backup the files. If a decryptor did not decrypt your .Booknish Jigsaw files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
One way to restore files, encrypted by Booknish Jigsaw ransomware is to use a decryptor for it. But since it's a new virus, advised that the decryption keys for it may not be out yet and available to the public. We will update this article and keep you posted as soon as this decryptor is released.
How Do I restore ".Booknish Jigsaw" files (Other Methods)?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .Booknish Jigsaw files.
These methods are in no way 100% guarantee that you will be able to get your files back. But if you have a backup, your chances of success are much greater.
How do I get rid of Booknish Jigsaw ransomware virus?
The safest way and the most efficient one for the removal of this ransomware infection is the use a professional anti malware software. It will scan for and locate Booknish Jigsaw ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .Booknish Jigsaw files.
Also, keep in mind that viruses like Booknish Jigsaw ransomware also install Trojans and keyloggers that can steal your passwords and accounts. Scanning your computer with an anti-malware software will make sure that all of these virus components are removed and your computer is protected in the future.
What to Do If nothing works?
There is still a lot you can do. If none of the above methods seem to work for you, then try these methods:
- Try to find a safe computer from where you can can login on your own line accounts like One Drive, iDrive, Google Drive and so on.
- Try to contact your friends, relatives and other people so that they can check if they have some of your important photos or documents just in case you sent them.
- Also, check if some of the files that were encrypted it can be re-downloaded from the web.
- Another clever way to get back some of your files is to find another old computer, a flash drive or even a CD or a DVD where you may have saved your older documents. You might be surprised what will turn up.
- You can also go to your email account to check if you can send any attachments to other people. Usually what is sent the email is saved on your account and you can re-download it. But most importantly, make sure that this is done from a safe computer and make sure to remove the virus first.
More tips you can find on our forums, where you can also asks any questions about your ransomware problem.
How to 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.