Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Note! Your computer might be affected by Enigma and other threats.
Threats such as Enigma may be persistent on your system. They tend to re-appear if not fully deleted. A malware removal tool like SpyHunter will help you to remove malicious programs, saving you the time and the struggle of tracking down numerous malicious files. SpyHunter’s scanner is free but the paid version is needed to remove the malware threats. Read SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Attacks by a ransomware discovered in April that is reportedly associated with Russia, carrying the name Enigma, have been reported to be rapidly rising. This nasty cyber threat encrypts the files of users using a strong AES encryption algorithm after which displays a ransom message, written in Russian. The ransom note aims to scare the user into paying, notifying him that there is no other option. However, it is strongly recommended not to pay any ransom demanded by this ransomware and attempt to restore your files using alternative solutions, such as the ones posted in this article.
Threat Summary
Name
Enigma
Type
Ransomware
Short Description
The ransomware encrypts files with the RSA algorithm and AES-128 ciphers and asks a ransom for decryption.
Symptoms
Files are encrypted and become inaccessible. A ransom note with instructions for paying the ransom shows as a .txt file. A .ENIGMA file exension is added to the encrypted files.
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.
Enigma Ransomware – Distribution
According to researchers at the independent MalwareHunterTeam, to be spread throughout user PCs this crypto-malware may employ a Javascript attack via an HTML attachment. Such attachments may be redistributed via different places online:
Spam e-mail messages.
File sharing websites or services.
Web links posted on the social media.
HTML files sent out in combination with other setups, programs or archived files.
The interesting part is once the user clicks on the web link it immediately opens up another web browser page and manipulates the JavaScript so that it downloads its ransomware executable and save it on the victim’s computer.
Enigma Ransomware – More About It
The malicious executable downloaded onto the user’s computer is reported to have a completely random alpha-numerical name, for example:
02s93d3d3hdsa9nc32nenc9a39dad.exe
This is a commonly used technique by ransomware to assist in concealing the executable by making it harder to find. In addition to this, the malware may also use obfuscators (https://sensorstechforum.com/obfuscation-in-malware-the-key-to-a-successful-infection/) to conceal its malicious executable while its encrypting your files.
Furthermore, Enigma ransomware, may create the following files in key Windows folders:
A text document in %Temp%.
A text document in %AppData%.
A .dat file on the Desktop which most likely looks for files to encrypt.
A .hta file on the Desktop..
A .RSA file on the desktop which most likely contains the encryption key.
A .txt file on the desktop which contains the ransom message written in Russian.
Its primary malicious executable, located in the folder where the user downloads files from the browser
In addition to that, the ransomware has been reported by researchers to create several Registry keys associated with the Enigma Ransomware, like the entry to make the malicious file encrypting .exe run on startup:
After the malicious executable created by Enigma Ransomware is activated, it may begin to scan and encrypt file extensions that belong to the following types of data.
Videos.
Photos.
Songs.
Databases.
Other.
More specifically the files it scans for and encrypts have been reported by Symantec engineers to be the following:
The ransomware claims to use AES – 128 algorithm, and it may use an RSA cypher to encrypt the private key without which the decryption is impossible. The files that are encrypted have the .enigma file extension appended to them, for example:
New Text Document.txt.enigma
After encrypting the data, the ransomware may drop a .txt file with the ransom message written in Russian:
→ Мы зашифровали важные файлы на вашем компьютере: документы, базы данных, фото, видео, ключи. Файлы зашифрованны алгоритмом AES 128(https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Encryption_Standard) с приватным ключем,который знаем только мы. Зашифрованные файлы имеют расширение .ENIGMA . Расшифровать файлы без приватного ключа НЕВОЗМОЖНО. Если хотите получить файлы обратно: 1)Установите Tor Browser https://www.torproject.org/ 2)Найдите на рабочем столе ключ для доступа на сайт ENIGMA_(номер вашего ключа).RSA 3)Перейдите на сайт http://249fj203923jd.onion в тор-браузере и авторизуйтесь с помощью ENIGMA_(номер вашего ключа).RSA 4)Следуйте инструкциям на сайте и скачайте дешифратор Translation: We have encrypted important files on your PC: documents, databases, pictures, videos, keys. The files are encrypted via AES-128 encryption algorithm(https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Encryption_Standard) with a private key known only to us. The encrypted files have the extension .ENIGMA. To decrypt the files without the private key is IMPOSSIBLE. If you want to get your files back: 1)Install Tor Browser https://www.torproject.org/ 2)Find on your desktop the key for accessing the ENIGMA_ (your key number).RSA 3)Go to the website http://249fj203923jd.onion in Tor Browser and login via ENIGMA_(your key number).RSA 4)Follow the instructions on the site and download the decoder.
Remove Enigma Ransomware and Restore .Enigma Encrypted Files
To remove this crypto-malware completely from your computer, we strongly advise you to follow the instructions in the removal accordion below. They will assist with removing all of the files associated with Enigma ransomware from your device.
To decrypt your data, make sure that Enigma ransomware has been reported to leave Volume Shadow Copies intact, you if you have File History in Windows turned on, make sure to get your files back using this method. If this is not the case, you may want to try by using the alternative file restoration methods which we have provided after this article.
Note! Your computer system may be affected by Enigma and other threats. Scan Your PC with SpyHunter SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as Enigma. Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
To remove Enigma follow these steps:
1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Enigma files and objects
OFFER
Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!
We Recommend To Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria
Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
For Windows XP, Vista and 7 systems:
1. Remove all CDs and DVDs, and then Restart your PC from the “Start” menu. 2. Select one of the two options provided below:
– For PCs with a single operating system: Press “F8” repeatedly after the first boot screen shows up during the restart of your computer. In case the Windows logo appears on the screen, you have to repeat the same task again.
– For PCs with multiple operating systems: Тhe arrow keys will help you select the operating system you prefer to start in Safe Mode. Press “F8” just as described for a single operating system.
3. As the “Advanced Boot Options” screen appears, select the Safe Mode option you want using the arrow keys. As you make your selection, press “Enter“.
4. Log on to your computer using your administrator account
While your computer is in Safe Mode, the words “Safe Mode” will appear in all four corners of your screen.
Step 1: Open up the Start Menu.
Step 2: Click on the Power button (for Windows 8 it is the little arrow next to the “Shut Down” button) and whilst holding down “Shift” click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, a blue menu with options will appear. From them you should choose Troubleshoot.
Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu choose Advanced Options.
Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.
Step 6: From the Startup Settings menu, click on Restart.
Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You can choose any of the three Safe Mode options by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.
Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.
2. Find files created by Enigma on your PC
Find files created by Enigma
1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. 2. For Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
For Newer Windows Operating Systems
Step 1:
On your keyboard press + R and write explorer.exe in the Run text box and then click on the Ok button.
Step 2:
Click on your PC from the quick access bar. This is usually an icon with a monitor and its name is either “My Computer”, “My PC” or “This PC” or whatever you have named it.
Step 3:
Navigate to the search box in the top-right of your PC’s screen and type “fileextension:” and after which type the file extension. If you are looking for malicious executables, an example may be “fileextension:exe”. After doing that, leave a space and type the file name you believe the malware has created. Here is how it may appear if your file has been found:
N.B. We recommend to wait for the green loading bar in the navination box to fill up in case the PC is looking for the file and hasn’t found it yet.
For Older Windows Operating Systems
In older Windows OS’s the conventional approach should be the effective one:
Step 1:
Click on the Start Menu icon (usually on your bottom-left) and then choose the Search preference.
Step 2:
After the search window appears, choose More Advanced Options from the search assistant box. Another way is by clicking on All Files and Folders.
Step 3:
After that type the name of the file you are looking for and click on the Search button. This might take some time after which results will appear. If you have found the malicious file, you may copy or open its location by right-clicking on it.
Now you should be able to discover any file on Windows as long as it is on your hard drive and is not concealed via special software.
Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs
3. Scan for malware and unwanted programs with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Scan your PC and Remove Enigma with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for Enigma and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove Enigma. Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
Step 1: Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.
It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.
Step 2: 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.
Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.
Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future
IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup.
4. Try to Restore files encrypted by Enigma
Try to Restore Files Encrypted by Enigma
Ransomware infections and Enigma aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to decrypt. This is why we have suggested several alternative methods that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that these methods may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Method 1: Scanning your drive’s sectors by using Data Recovery software. Another method for restoring your files is by trying to bring back your files via data recovery software. Here are some suggestions for preferred data recovery software solutions:
Method 2: Trying Kaspersky and EmsiSoft’s decryptors. If the first method does not work, we suggest trying to use decryptors for other ransomware viruses, in case your virus is a variant of them. The two primary developers of decryptors are Kaspersky and EmsiSoft, links to which we have provided below:
To restore your data in case you have backup set up, it is important to check for Volume Shadow Copies, if ransomware has not deleted them, in Windows using the below software:
Method 4: Finding the decryption key while the cryptovirus sends it over a network via a sniffing tool.
Another way to decrypt the files is by using a Network Sniffer to get the encryption key, while files are encrypted on your system. A Network Sniffer is a program and/or device monitoring data traveling over a network, such as its internet traffic and internet packets. If you have a sniffer set before the attack happened you might get information about the decryption key. See how-to instructions below:
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Attacks by a ransomware discovered in April that is reportedly associated with Russia, carrying the name Enigma, have been reported to be rapidly rising. This nasty cyber threat encrypts the files of users using a strong AES encryption algorithm after which displays a ransom message, written in Russian. The ransom note aims to scare the user into paying, notifying him that there is no other option. However, it is strongly recommended not to pay any ransom demanded by this ransomware and attempt to restore your files using alternative solutions, such as the ones posted in this article.
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7.
2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.
Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for Enigma and remove them.
Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
