This article provides information on how to remove Scarab ransomware and how to restore .oneway files without paying the ransom.
Another version of Scarab ransomware associated with the .oneway extension has been found by security researchers. It follows a typical data locker ransomware pattern. So once it plagues the system it encrypts important files and renames them .oneway extension. After encryption, a ransom note appears on the screen to inform about the existence of the threat and instruct infected victims how to obtain the specific decryption key.
Threat Summary
| Name | Scarab (.oneway) |
| Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
| Short Description | A data locker ransomware that utilizes strond cihper algorithm to encrypt files stored on the infected computer. Then it demands a ransom for decryption solution. |
| Symptoms | Important files are corrupted and renamed with .oneway extension. They remain unusable until a ransom is paid. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| Detection Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Scarab (.oneway) Download Malware Removal Tool | User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Scarab (.oneway). |
| 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. |
Scarab Ransomware – Distribution
The infection process with this Scarab (.oneway) ransomware version begins once its payload is running on the system. For its distribution hackers bet on various shady techniques all of which are designed to trick you to grant the malicious payload the access to your PC. One of the most preferred ways of ransomware distribution is through email spam messages. Bad actors often send email messages that pose as representatives of legitimate services like your favorite website or your internet provider, any logistics company, your bank or even any governmental institution. The text messages usually urge you to open an attached file as soon as possible or click a presented link as the information you will find there is very important or available for limited time. And in case that you received such an email and followed the instructions you have unnoticeably infected your system with Scarab (.oneway) ransomware infection.
For the sake of your security, before you open a dubious file on your PC you could use a free online file extractor to check the security level of the file. Tools of this kind scan the code of each uploaded file for specific malicious traits. After, the scan you could see whether the uploaded file contains malicious elements or not. The information could help you to refrain from opening corrupted files on your PC.
Scarab Ransomware – Overview
After a series of new strains of Scarab ransomware that were released in the wild this month, security researchers reported the existence of another one that is associated with the extension .oneway.
Some of the previous Scarab iterations reported by our team are Rebus, [email protected] Files Virus and [email protected] Crypto Virus. Similar to its predecessors this newly discovered version of Scarab ransomware attacks computer users worldwide in order to encrypt their sensitive data and blackmail them to pay a ransom for the decryption of corrupted data.
In order to complete its main purpose, Scarab (.oneway) crypto virus needs to establish its malicious files on the system, plague some essential settings to run them and this way ensure its persistent presence on the system.
If not all then some of the malicious ransomware files may be located in the following folders:
- %AppData%
- %Local%
- %LocalLow%
- %Roaming%
- %Temp%
- %Windows%
Have in mind that some malicious processes may gain the control of some legit system processes in order to remain undetected by active security measures. So it may be a hard task to locate and remove them manually.
Additionally, Scarab ransomware is able to set its malicious payload to execute automatically on each system start which eventually leads to the corruption of all new files you create on the system. For its automatic execution, the threat creates values under some specific registry keys stored in the Registry Editor.
At the end of the attack a ransom message appears on the screen of the infected device to inform about the corruption of important files and blackmail victims to contact hackers at a given email. The note is contained in a file called Расшифровать файлы oneway.TXT. It name is a hint that the text of the message is written in Russian and here is all that the message reads:
Напишите на почту – [email protected]
====================================================================================================
ВАШИ ФАЙЛЫ ЗАШИФРОВАНЫ!Ваш личный идентификатор
[redacted 646 hex]Ваши документы, фотографии, базы данных и другие важные файлы были зашифрованы.
Каждые 24 часа удаляются 24 файла, необходимо прислать свой идентификатор чтоб мы отключили эту функцию.
Каждые 24 часа стоимость расшифровки данных увеличивается на 30% (через 72 часа сумма фиксируется)Для расшифровки данных:
Напишите на почту – [email protected]
*В письме указать Ваш личный идентификатор
*Прикрепите 2 файла до 1 мб для тестовой расшифровки.
мы их расшифруем, в качестве доказательства, что ТОЛЬКО МЫ можем их расшифровать.-Чем быстрее вы сообщите нам свой идентификатор, тем быстрее мы выключим произвольное удаление файлов.
-Написав нам на почту вы получите дальнейшие инструкции по оплате.В ответном письме Вы получите программу для расшифровки.
После запуска программы-дешифровщика все Ваши файлы будут восстановлены.Внимание!
* Не пытайтесь удалить программу или запускать антивирусные средства
* Попытки самостоятельной расшифровки файлов приведут к потере Ваших данных
* Дешифраторы других пользователей несовместимы с Вашими данными, так как у каждого пользователя
уникальный ключ шифрования
* Не пытайтись найти решение на стороне, это 100% развод. Никто кроме нас расшифровать не может.
====================================================================================================
Если связаться через почту не получается
* Зарегистрируйтесь на сайте http://bitmsg.me (сервис онлайн отправки Bitmessage)
* Напишите письмо на адрес BM-2cXv1tCz4mRNE52UyDZ7DWDdvfUf5ed6GB с указанием Вашей почты и
личного идентификатораВаш личный идентификатор
[redacted 646 hex]
Below you can see an image that depicts the message translated in English:
It is advisable to avoid contacting cyber criminals as they can only scam you once again and steal your money. In order to regain the security of your infected PC, you need to remove all malicious files and objects associated with the ransomware as soon as possible.
Scarab .oneway Ransomware – Encryption Process
Similar to the previous Scarab ransomware iterations this one plagues computer systems with the main purpose to locate predefined target files and encrypt them with the strong RSA-2048 cipher. This process transforms all files that store sensitive information in a way that you cannot use them anymore.
So in case of infection it is likely that all of the following files will remain encrypted until an efficient recovery solution restores their original code:
- Audio files
- Video files
- Document files
- Image files
- Text files
- Backup files
- Banking credentials, etc
After encryption, all corrupted files could be recognized by the extension .oneway that is appended at the end of their names.
Following encryption, Scarab crypto virus is believed to delete all Shadow Volume Copies stored by the Windows operating system. This happens after the command shown below is entered in Command Promt pannel:
→vssadmin.exe delete shadows /all /Quiet
As a result one of the possible data recovery options is eliminated. Happily, there are other available methods that may help you to restore some .oneway files. Keep reading to find some of them.
Remove Scarab Ransomware and Restore .oneway Files
The removal of Scarab ransomware demands a bit of technical experience and ability to recognize traits of malware files. And there is no doubt that you should remove this nasty threat from the infected PC as soon as you detect it. Otherwise, it has the chance to spread its infection files across the whole network. Below you could find how to remove it from your PC step by step. Beware that ransomware has highly complex code that plagues not only your files but your whole system. So as recommended by security researchers you need to utilize an advanced anti-malware tool for its complete removal. Such tool will keep your system protected against devastating threats like Scarab and other kinds of malware that endanger your online security.
After you remove the ransomware make sure to check the “Restore Files” step listed in the guide be
low. But before you take any further actions, don’t forget to back up all encrypted files to an external drive in order to prevent their irreversible loss.
To remove Scarab (.oneway) follow these steps:
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.
Before starting the Automatic Removal below, 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.
Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for Scarab (.oneway) and remove them.
Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
Gergana Ivanova
Gergana has completed a bachelor degree in Marketing from the University of National and World Economy. She has been with the STF team for three years, researching malware and reporting on the latest infections. She believes that in times of constantly evolving dependency of network connected technologies, people should spread the word not the war.
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