GANDCRAB 5.3 Ransomware Virus

by Ventsislav Krastev | April 19, 2019 | 0 Comments file-encryption, malware, ransomware

What is “ENCRYPTED BY GANDCRAB 5.3”? How to remove GANDCRAB 5.3 ransomware? How to try and restore files on your computer, encrypted by GANDCRAB 5.3?

What seems to be a modified version that may look like a new GANDCRAB 5.3 ransomware version has been detected by researcher Jakub Kroustek(https://twitter.com/JakubKroustek/status/1119194352184700929). The ransomware virus aims to perform a variety of activities on the victimized computers, ending with their files becoming encrypted and unopenable. The GANDCRAB 5.3 Jokeroo ransomware may then drop a ransom note, where the victim is extorted to pay ransom if they want to use their files again. If your computer has been infected by GANDCRAB 5.3 ransomware, you should not pay ransom and focus on removing the virus and restoring the files yourself. Read this article if you are a victim of the GANDCRAB 5.3 threat.

Threat Summary

Name	GANDCRAB 5.3
Type	Ransomware, Cryptovirus
Short Description	Aims to encrypt the files on the computer infected by it and then ask victims to pay ransom to retrieve them.
Symptoms	Files have a random extension. A ransom note ending in “-MANUAL.txt” may appear and the wallpaper may be changed to “ENCRYPTED BY GANDCRAB 5.3” one.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss GANDCRAB 5.3.
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.

GANDCRAB 5.3 – How Did I Get It and What Does It Do?

The GANDCRAB 5.3 Ransomware virus may enter your computer by being uploaded on comprmised sites. If that is the case, the virus may spread via an infection file, pretending to be:

Crack.
License activator.
Patch.
Setup.
Portable program.

In addition to this, GANDCRAB 5.3 may also pretend to be a legitimate document of some sort and be sent to you via e-mail. If this is the case, then the document may be in a .ZIP or .RAR archive or be a .docx file, containing a malicious macro infection.

Once GANDCRAB 5.3 has been situated on your computer, the ransomware may change your wallpaper to the following image:

In addition to this, GANDCRAB 5.3 could also drop its ransom note file, which contains the following message:

—= GANDCRAB v5.3 =—

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT DELETE THIS FILE, UNTIL ALL YOUR DATA IS RECOVERED
FAILING TO DO SO WIL RESULT IN YOUR SYSTEM CORRUPTION, IF THERE ARE DECRYPTION ERRORS

Attention!

All your files, documents, photos, databases and other important files are encrypted and have the extension:

The only method of recovering files is to purchase an unique private key. Only we can give you this key and only and only we can recover your files.

The server with your key is in a closed network TOR. You can get there by the following ways:

—————————————————————————————–

| 0. Download Tor browser – https://www.torproject.org/

| 1. Install Tor Browser
| 2. Open Tor Browser
| 3. Open link in TOR browser https://gandcrabmfe6mnef.onion/ b6314679c4ba3647/
| 4. Follow the instructions on this page

—————————————————————————————–

On our page you will see instructions on payment and get the opportunity to decrypt 1 file for free.

ATTENTION!
IN ORDER TO PREVENT DATA DAMAGE:
* DO NOT MODIFY ENCRYPTED FILES
* DO NOT CHANGE DATA BELOW

In addition to the ransom note, GANDCRAB 5.3 could also perform other activities on the computers of victims, like check if the virus has ran previously on the infected machine. If so, GANDCRAB may stop the infection process and self-delete. Other activities include creating files in %AppData% and other system directories and also creating mutexes. In addition to this, GANDCRAB 5.3 could also check your IP and regional information to see which country you are from.

The encryption process of GANDCRAB 5.3 is rather complicated. The virus may target files of the following types:

Images.
Videos.
Audio files.
Documents.
Archives.
Database files.

Once the files are encrypted, they do start to appear with a changed extension and the user cannot open them. Paying the ransom is not recommended, since you cannot possibly trust the ones behind GANDCRAB and by paying you support their cyber-criminal activity. Instead, we advise you to remove the virus and backup your files, even if they are encoded.

Remove GANDCRAB 5.3 and Try Restoring Files

To remove this virus, we suggest that you follow the removal instructions underneath. If the manual removal steps do not seem to work, then we suggest that you try and remove GANDCRAB 5.3 automatically, with the aid of an advanced anti-malware software. Such tool in particular is created to be able to fully erase malicious files of viruses, like GANDCRAB 5.3 safely and effectively.

If you want to restore files, encrypted by GANDCRAB 5.3, then you should focus on the alternative tools we have suggested underneath. They have been created with the primary idea of helping you get back at least some of the encrypted files, until a decryptor for them arrives. If it occurs, we will post an update with the decryptor in the following article.

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.

How to Remove GANDCRAB 5.3 from Windows.

Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove GANDCRAB 5.3

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

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".

Tip: Make sure to reverse those changes by unticking Safe Boot after that, because your system will always boot in Safe Boot from now on.

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 GANDCRAB 5.3 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 GANDCRAB 5.3 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 GANDCRAB 5.3 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.

IMPORTANT!
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 GANDCRAB 5.3 with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

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.

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.

If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.

Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by GANDCRAB 5.3.

Ransomware infections and GANDCRAB 5.3 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 reccomended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:

EaseUS Data Recovery Software

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.

Windows Mac OS X

Get rid of GANDCRAB 5.3 from Mac OS X.

Step 1: Uninstall GANDCRAB 5.3 and remove related files and objects

OFFER

Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!

We Recommend To Scan Your Mac with SpyHunter for Mac

Keep in mind, that SpyHunter for Mac needs to purchased to remove the malware threats. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy

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 GANDCRAB 5.3:

Tip: To quit a process completely, choose the “Force Quit” option.

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 GANDCRAB 5.3. 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 GANDCRAB 5.3. 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 GANDCRAB 5.3 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:

Disclaimer! If you are about to tamper with Library files on Mac, be sure to know the name of the virus file, because if you delete the wrong file, it may cause irreversible damage to your MacOS. Continue on your own responsibility!

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 GANDCRAB 5.3. 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.

Click the button below below to download SpyHunter for Mac and scan for GANDCRAB 5.3:

Download

SpyHunter for Mac

Step 3 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by GANDCRAB 5.3.

1. Download the reccomended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:

EaseUS Data Recovery Software

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.

GANDCRAB 5.3 FAQ

What is GANDCRAB 5.3 ransomware and how does it work?

GANDCRAB 5.3 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 GANDCRAB 5.3 ransomware infect my computer?

Via several ways.GANDCRAB 5.3 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 GANDCRAB 5.3 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 .GANDCRAB 5.3 files?

You can't. At this point the .GANDCRAB 5.3 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 .GANDCRAB 5.3 files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.

One way to restore files, encrypted by GANDCRAB 5.3 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 ".GANDCRAB 5.3" files (Other Methods)?

Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .GANDCRAB 5.3 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 GANDCRAB 5.3 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 GANDCRAB 5.3 ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .GANDCRAB 5.3 files.

Also, keep in mind that viruses like GANDCRAB 5.3 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.

GANDCRAB 5.3 Ransomware Virus – How to Remove It