This article has been created with the main purpose of helping explain what is the .MAFIA file ransomware and how to remove it from you computer plus how you can try and recover encrypted files by it.
A relatively new ransomware infection, using the .MAFIA file extension which it appends to the encrypted files has been reported by security researchers to infect computers, primarily in Korea. The ransomware virus is using a Tor proxy to communicate with it’s C2 server and is a unique ransomware variant. The virus’s primary goal is to encrypt the files of victims and then add the .MAFIA file extension to them while leaving behind a ransom note file with instructions on how to pay a hefty ransom in order to recover the encrypted files.
Threat Summary
| Name | MAFIA |
| Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
| Short Description | Infects computers and then holds them hostage until a ransom has been paid. |
| Symptoms | Files have the .MAFIA file extension. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files |
| Detection Tool |
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss MAFIA. |
| 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. |
How Does .MAFIA Ransomware Infect PCs
The primary methods of infection which are conducted by the .MAFIA file ransomware are believed to be via e-mail that may carry the infection file of .MAFIA ransomware. The ransomware virus may be encountered in the form of an e-mail attachment, which aims to pose as a legitimate document, such as:
- An invoice.
- An order receipt.
- Banking statement.
- Some kind of report.
Either way, the victim is usually asked In the e-mail to check the document and upon opening it, the infection may commence via different types of obfuscated activities, designed to evade Microsoft Windows’s defenses.
Furthermore in addition to this, the ransomware may also be uploaded and pretend to be different types of useful programs, such as:
- Setups of software.
- Patches.
- Cracks.
- Online license activators.
- Key generators.
MAFIA Ransomware – Analysis
The MAFIA ransomware is the type of malware which aims to first drop it’s payload files on the computers of users. The main malicious IOC of MAFIA ransomware has been detected to have the following properties:
→ MD5: da23c8a7be5d83ae3e6b7b3291fdb880
SHA1: 419a00476e229f4b2fc85ffd54ed1e32b03c069d
SHA256: d6dee35981698416804548185f09af9c27987a0423e35bffd5b543c50fb9b5e3
The malicious files of MAFIA ransomware may also be dropped in the following Windows Directories:
- %AppData%
- %Local%
- %LocalLow%
- %Roaming%
- %Temp%
Once the malicious files are dropped, MAFIA ransomware may stop the service AppCheck by running the following command in Windows Command Prompt as an administrator on the compromised machine:
→ sc stop AppCheck
In addition to this, the ransomware may also stop database processes so that it can encrypt active databases on the infected computers.
Furthermore, the author is likely from Korea, because researcher BartBlaze has reported the ransomware virus to have a debug path left, mentioning the name “Jinwoo” in Korean, which could be an indicator of origin.
MAFIA Ransomware – Encryption Process
The encryption procedure of MAFIA ransomware is performed by the OpenSSL encryption mode, which uses the AES-256 algorithm, also known as Advanced Encryption Standard with a 256 bit strenght. This cipher is also used with a CBC encryption mode, which means Cipher Block Chaining. This mode basically means that the encrypted files are tied together in a block chain and tampering with one file can result in the permanent damage of all the files.
Before encrypting files, MAFIA ransomware may first scan for the files to be encrypted and then encode those files. This activity may result in the MAFIA ransomware virus to successfully encrypt the following file types if on your computer:
→ .3dm, .3ds, .3fr, .3g2, .3gp, .3pr, .ab4, .accdb, .accde, .accdr, .accdt, .ach, .acr, .act, .adb, .ads, .agdl, .ait, .apj, .arw, .asf, .asm, .asp, .asx, .avi, .back, .backup, .backupdb, .bak, .bank, .bay, .bdb, .bgt, .bik, .bkp, .bkp, .blend, .bpw, .cdf, .cdr, .cdr3, .cdr4, .cdr5, .cdr6, .cdrw, .cdx, .ce1, .ce2, .cer, .cfp, .cgm, .cib, .class, .cls, .cmt, .cpi, .cpp, .cr2, .craw, .crt, .crw, .csh, .csl, .csv, .dac, .db-journal, .db3.dbf, .dc2, .dcr, .dcs, .ddd, .ddoc, .ddrw, .dds, .der, .des, .design, .dgc, .djvu, .dng, .doc, .docm, .docx, .dot, .dotm, .dotx, .drf, .drw, .dtd, .dwg, .dxb, .dxf, .dxg, .eml, .eps, .erbsql, .erf, .exf, .fdb, .ffd, .fff, .fhd, .fla, .flac, .flv, .fpx, .fxg, .gray, .grey, .gry, .hbk, .hpp, .ibank, .ibd, .ibz, .idx, .iif, .iiq, .incpas, .indd, .java, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg, .kc2, .kdbx, .kdc, .key, .kpdx, .lua, .m4v, .max, .mdb, .mdc, .mdf, .mef, .mmw, .moneywell, .mos, .mov, .mp3, .mp4, .mpg, .mrw, .msg, .myd, .ndd, .nef, .nk2, .nop, .nrw, .ns2, .ns3, .ns4, .nsd, .nsf, .nsg, .nsh, .nwb, .nx2, .nx1, .nyf, .oab, .obj, .odb, .odc, .odf, .odg, .odm, .odp, .ods, .odt, .oil, .orf, .ost, .otg, .oth, .otp, .ots, .ott, .p12, .p7b, .p7c, .pab, .pages, .pas, .pat, .pcd, .pct, .pdb, .pdd, .pdf, .pef, .pem, .pfx, .php, .plc, .pot, .potm, .potx, .ppam, .pps, .ppsm, .ppsx, .ppt, .pptm, .pptx, .prf, .psafe3, .psd, .pspimage, .pst, .ptx, .qba, .qbb, .qbm, .qbr, .qbw, .qbx, .qby, .r3d, .raf, .rar, .rat, .raw, .rdb, .rtf, .rw2, .rw1, .rwz, .s3db, .sas7bdat, .say, .sd0, .sda, .sdf, .sldm, .sldx, sqlite, .sqlite3, .sqlitedb, .srf, .srt, .srw, .st4, .st5, .st6, .st7, .st8, .stc, .std, .sti, .stw, .stx, .svg, .swf, .sxc, .sxd, .sxg, .sxi, .sxm, .sxw, .tex, .tga, .thm, .tlg, .txt, .vob, .wallet, .wav, .wb2, .wmv, .wpd, .wps, .xll, .x3f, .xis, .xla, .xlam, .xlk, .xlm, .xlr, .xls, .xlsb, .xlsm, .xlsx, .xlt, .xltm, .xltx, .xlw, .ycbcra, .yuv, .zip, .alz, .jar, .png, .bmp, .a00, .gif, .egg
The encryption process is not a fast one because of the OpenSSL used by MAFIA ransomware, so if you have started to see your files to start being encrypted, you can halt this process by immediately shutting down your PC.
After the files are encrypted by this variant of MAFIA ransomware, the virus creates a ransom note, written entirely in Korean and named information.mafia:
The files are also appended the .MAFIA extension and they appear like the following:
Remove MAFIA Ransomware and Restore .MAFIA Files
If you want to remove this version of MAFIA ransomware virus, we recommend that you follow the removal instructions in the article underneath. They have been divided in manual as well as automatic removal instructions with their main goal of being as effective as possible. If you want to remove this ransomware from your computer, but you lack the malware removal experience to do it manually, security experts strongly advise to perform the removal process automatically with the aid of an advanced anti-malware software.
If your files have been encrypted by the MAFIA ransomware virus, we recommend that you follow the alternative file recovery methods in step “2. Restore files, encrypted by MAFIA ransomware underneath.” They have been created in order to help you to try and recover as many encrypted files as possible if the damage has already been done.
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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Step 1: Scan for MAFIA with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Ransomware Automatic Removal - Video Guide
Step 2: Uninstall MAFIA 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 MAFIA 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 MAFIA 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 MAFIA
Step 5: Try to Restore Files Encrypted by MAFIA.
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 MAFIA 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.
MAFIA-FAQ
What is MAFIA Ransomware?
MAFIA 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 MAFIA 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 MAFIA Infect?
Via several ways.MAFIA 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 MAFIA 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 .MAFIA files?
You can't without a decryptor. At this point, the .MAFIA 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 .MAFIA files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
Can I Restore ".MAFIA" Files?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .MAFIA 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 MAFIA 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 MAFIA ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .MAFIA 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 MAFIA 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 MAFIA Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this MAFIA 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 MAFIA 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.
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.