This article aims to assist you in showing how to remove the newly discovered variant of Amnesia ransomware virus’s second variant and how to restore files encrypted by it, that have the .am file extension added to them.
The second variant of the previously detected Amnesia ransomware has been detected to perform various malicious activities on users’ computers. The malware has been reported to use sophisticated encryption in order to render the files on the computers that have been infected by it to no longer being able to be opened state. After doing so, the Amnesia 2 ransomware leaves behind the files of victims encrypted with an added .am file extension after their original names. In addition to this, the ransomware may drop a ransom note, which aims to extort victims into paying a hefty ransom fee in order to get the encrypted files decoded and working again. In the event that your computer has been infected by the .am extension variant of Amnesia ransomware, we recommend that you read the following article and learn how to remove Amnesia 2 and how to restore .am encrypted files.
Threat Summary
| Name | Amnesia 2 |
| Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
| Short Description | New variant of Amnesia ransomware. Encrypt the files on the infected computer and asks for a ransom to be paid in order to decrypt them and get them to work again. |
| Symptoms | The virus encrypts the files on the computers which it infects successfully and then drops a ransom note plus leaves the files with the .am file extension after encryption is complete. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
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Malware Removal Tool
|
User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Amnesia 2. |
| 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. |
Amnesia 2 Ransomware – How Does It Infect
The primary infection file which has been detected to be associated with this variant of Amnesia ransomware virus has been reported to be the following at VirusTotal.com:
The file may be dropped from another infection web link or file attachment which may be sent to you via e-mail. Such e-mail messages often pretend that they are completely legitimate and come from reputable companies from the likes of FedEx, DHL, PayPal, eBay and others. The e-mail messages themselves are also quite convincing, such as claiming that you have made an online purchase and must see your receipt (which is the malicious attachment) or that there is a suspicious activity on your bank account and you must click on the link they have provided for more info. If you encounter such e-mails, recommendations are to immediately check whether their content is malicious or not using services such as VirusTotal or ZipeZip.
Amnesia 2 Ransomware – More Information
When the virus was discovered in it’s first variant back in May of 2017, Amnesia had two main sub-variants of it’s first variant.
Amnesia 1.0
The very first variant of the amnesia ransomware used a ransom note, which was named HOW TO RECOVER ENCRYPTED FILES.TXT and this note included the following extortion message:
YOUR FILES ARE ENCRVPTED!
Vour personal ID: {UNIQUE ID}
Attention! What happened?
Vour documents, databases and other important data has been encrypted.
IF you want to restore Files send an email to: s1an1er111@protonmail.com
In a letter to indicate your personal identiFier (see in the beginning of this document).
Attention!
Do not attempt to remove the program or run the anti-virus tools.
attempts to self-decrypting files will result in the loss of your data.
Decoders are not compatible with other users of your data, because each user’s unique encryption key.
The variant used the traditional for the virus .amnesia file extension and the files begun appearing like the following after encryption by Amnesia 1.0:
Amnesia 1.1
The second iteration of the first variant of Amnesia ransowmare had some major changes in it, starting with the ransom note demanding the exact sum of 0.5 BTC in order to purchase a decrypter for your encoded files. The ransom note had other changes in it as well, like the RECOVER-FILES.HTML name and the new contents in it:
Your files are Encrypted!
For data recovery needs decryptor.
To buy the decryptor, you must pay the cost of 0.5 Bitcoin
[Buy Decryptor] button
Free decryption as guarantee.
Before paying you can send us 1 file for free decryption.
To send a message or file use this form:
The biggest change out of all the changes happening to this virus is the fact that it renames the file completely and adds a file extension that is completely random number, for instance .03. Files encrypted by this version of Amnesia looked somewhat like the following:
Amnesia 2 (Newest Variant)
The latest variant of amnesia which, also detected by malware researcher Michael Gillespie was reported to be a bit of a buggy variant and it still renames the files of the infected computers similar to the 1.1 variant of the virus, however this time, the malware adds the .am file extension to them. After encryption with this variant of Amnesia, your files will look similar to the image below:
In addition to this, the virus also leaves behind an ENCRYPTED FILES.TXT file which contains unique keys of each encrypted file.
Thankfully, it is good to know that all the Amnesia viruses that have been detected so far are decryptable and you must not pay any form of ransom in order to decrypt them. Simply follow the instructions in the removal below in order to learn how you can use the Emsisoft Decrypter in order to decode your encoded files without paying any ransom, after removing the virus.
Amnesia 2 Ransomware – Removal
Before getting down to the decryption of your files, it is important to remove Amnesia 2 ransomware virus safely from your computer. You can do this either manually or automatically, preferably by following the removal instructions down below. They are specifically designed in order to help you delete the malicious files of this virus from your computer without damaging the encrypted files. For maximum effectiveness, malware removal experts strongly recommend to use an advanced anti-malware software which will help remove Amnesia 2 .am variant automatically from your computer.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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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 Amnesia 2 Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Amnesia 2 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 Amnesia 2 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
How to Remove Amnesia 2 from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Amnesia 2
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 Amnesia 2 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 Amnesia 2 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 Amnesia 2 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 Amnesia 2 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 Amnesia 2.
Ransomware infections and Amnesia 2 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 Amnesia 2 from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Amnesia 2 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 Amnesia 2:
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 Amnesia 2. 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 Amnesia 2. 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 Amnesia 2 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 Amnesia 2. 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 Amnesia 2.
Ransomware infections and Amnesia 2 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.
Amnesia 2 FAQ
What is Amnesia 2 ransomware and how does it work?
Amnesia 2 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 Amnesia 2 ransomware infect my computer?
Via several ways.Amnesia 2 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 Amnesia 2 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 .Amnesia 2 files?
You can't. At this point the .Amnesia 2 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 .Amnesia 2 files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
One way to restore files, encrypted by Amnesia 2 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 ".Amnesia 2" files (Other Methods)?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .Amnesia 2 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 Amnesia 2 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 Amnesia 2 ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .Amnesia 2 files.
Also, keep in mind that viruses like Amnesia 2 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.