Remove Epic Ransomware (Jigsaw Variant) and Restore .epic Files

Berta Bilbao

Berta is a dedicated malware researcher, dreaming for a more secure cyber space. Her fascination with IT security began a few years ago when a malware locked her out of her own computer.

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The Jigsaw ransomware proves to be persistent. This time around the extension .epic is given to encrypted files. The crypto-virus encrypts 120 file extensions and more, as previous variants, and creates a ransom note which is Anonymous-themed. Five thousand dollars is the sum asked as payment for decryption. To know how to restore your files and remove the ransomware variant, you should read the article till its end.

Threat Summary

Name	Epic
Type	Ransomware
Short Description	The ransomware encrypts files by adding an .epic extension and demands a ransom for decryption.
Symptoms	Files with more than 120 different extensions get encrypted. Each hour files can get erased if the ransom money is not paid.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments, File Sharing Networks
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by Epic Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss Epic.
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.

Epic Ransomware – Delivery

Epic ransomware might be delivered through spam e-mails containing an attachment. When the attachment is opened, the malicious code inside it will inject itself into your computer machine. That file could have a name such as firefox.exe or something popular like it, so it can trick people into opening it.

Past variants of the Epic ransomware were delivered via social media networks or file-share sites, as well. DropBox was another delivery method used by the original variant – Jigsaw ransomware. The best advice you could know is to avoid any suspicious sites, links or files because from them you could find malicious code infecting you with the Epic ransomware virus.

Epic Ransomware – Technical Information

The Epic ransomware is a crypto-virus of the Jigsaw family. All your files will get encrypted and be unusable. The malware demands a huge sum of money to be paid in BitCoins for file decryption. If you do not meet the criteria given by the Epic ransomware, your files will be deleted in an hourly manner or even sent to your Contacts. The theme of this variant is Anonymous.

The ransomware will create some files on a compromised computer and register them in the Windows Registry with specific values, to maintain persistence.

This is one of the common entries in the Windows Registry:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\[random name].exe

That registry value will automatically load a certain executable file of the ransomware with each boot of the Windows Operating System. That way the Epic ransomware will launch every time.

Next, the Epic ransomware will display a lock screen which will type out text meant to scare you into paying the ransom.

Here is how the lock screen looks like:

The ransomware demands a payment of at least 5000 US dollars to be paid in BitCoins. Otherwise, the Epic ransomware will delete some of your files with each passing hour. The asked ransom price won’t increase with time.

The text inside the lock screen reads:

Very bad news! I am a so-called crypt.locker with following advanced functions:
Encrypting all your Data……………………………………………………………….……..Done!
Collecting all Logins, Contacts, eMail and Messenger History…..Done!
Uploading all of it on a Server………………………………………….Done!
Sending a copy of this Package to ALL of your contacts…Pending
Now here are some good news:
The pending task will never be executed and all your files will be decrypted
again as soon as you did a BITCOIN PAYMENT within the next 72h.
I will then remove myselfe from your system – like nothing ever happened!
To show you that I am serious I will delete every hour 1-5 files – better hurry!
If you fail no one will stop me from sending messages to all your contacts.
Sharing with them every private conversation or eMail of yours I could find.
Don’t try to be smart by closing me or Power off the Machine – its too late!
Now make your decission: Accepting the loss of Privacy and Data or doing the Payment.

[TIMER]

1 file will be deleted.

View encrypted files.

Please, send at least $5000 worth of BTC here:

I made a payment now give me back my files!

Below you see an executable file of the Epic ransomware, uploaded to VirusTotal:

Paying any ransom money demanded by the Epic ransomware is ridiculous. The sum of 5,000 dollars is too high for the average user, and absolutely nobody can guarantee that you will indeed return your files to normal for them to be usable. The ransomware is sold for 35 times less than the ransom which is asked per user. Giving up the money to the cyber crooks will only feed their addiction for crimes and inspire them in that direction.

Know that at the end of this article you will find described ways to restore your files. A decryption tool is also available thanks to Michael Gillespie – the malware researcher who cracked the original Jigsaw ransomware.

The Epic ransomware searches extensions to encrypt files which have them, on every type of storage device you can think of – SSD, HDD, be it internal or external. The Epic variant like past iterations of the ransomware will search for files with 120 plus extensions. The list of all these extensions is the following:

→ .3dm, .3g2, .3gp, .aaf, .accdb, .aep, .aepx, .aet, .ai, .aif, .as, .as3, .asf, .asp, .asx, .avi, .bmp, .c, .class, .cpp, .cs, .csv, .jpeg, .jpg, .js, .rtf, .sdf, .ses, .sldm, .sldx, .sql, .svg, .swf, .tif, .txt, .vcf, .vob, .wav, .wma, .wmv, .wpd, .wps, .xla, .xlam, .m3u, .m3u8, .m4u, .max, .mdb, .mid, .mov, .mp3, .mp4, .mpa, .mpeg, .mpg, .msg, .pdb, .pdf, .php, .plb, .pmd, .png, .pot, .potm, .potx, .ppam, .ppj, .pps, .ppsm, .ppsx, .ppt, .pptm, .pptx, .prel, .prproj, .ps, .psd, .py, .ra, .raw, .rb, .xll, .xlm, .xls, .xlsb, .xlsm, .xlsx, .xlt, .xltm, .xltx, .xlw, .xml, .xqx, .xqx, .dat, .db, .dbf, .doc, .docb, .docm, .docx, .dot, .dotm, .dotx, .dwg, .dxf, .efx, .eps, .fla, .flv, .gif, .h, .idml, .iff, .indb, .indd, .indl, .indt, .inx, .jar, .java

The AES algorithm used with this variant of the ransomware does not differ from the one used by the original Jigsaw ransomware. The ransomware sets .epic as an extension to all encrypted files. If you reboot your PC, there is a high chance that you could lose around 1,000 files of your encrypted data.

This variant of the Jigsaw Ransomware made an innovation with its scary ransom note and the bombastic sum of money wanted as ransom. Otherwise, a solution to restore all of your files is still present. In a case when you have rebooted your computer system after the infection and lost some of the files – do not panic. Data Recovery software might still recover the lost files.

Remove Epic Ransomware and Restore .epic Files

If Epic ransomware infected your machine, do not worry, as there is already a solution available for free file decryption. If you want to get rid of the ransomware, you should have a bit of experience in removing viruses. Check the instructions guide written below to see how you can recover your files.

Note! Your computer system may be affected by Epic 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 Epic.
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 Epic follow these steps:

1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Epic 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 Epic on your PC

Find files created by Epic

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 Epic with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data

1. Install SpyHunter to scan for Epic and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove Epic. 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.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

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 .

SOS Online Backup

Berta Bilbao

Berta is a dedicated malware researcher, dreaming for a more secure cyber space. Her fascination with IT security began a few years ago when a malware locked her out of her own computer.

More Posts

Berta Bilbao

Berta is a dedicated malware researcher, dreaming for a more secure cyber space. Her fascination with IT security began a few years ago when a malware locked her out of her own computer.

More Posts