This article has been written to explain more about what is the .waifu variant of Dharma ransomware, how to remove it from your PC and how you can try to restore .waifu, encrypted files.
Yet another variant of the notorious Dharma ransomware virus has been detected, this time using the .waifu file extension, which it adds to the files, encrypted by the virus. The new variant of Dharma is a part of a recent wave of variants of the same virus, which could be a sign of the malware being spread as a RaaS (Ransomware-as-a-service) on the deep web. The new Dharma variant is also the type of virus, which leaves the files with a unique id, plus leaves the e-mail of the crooks to contact them in order to pay a hefty ransom in order to get the encrypted files recovered back to their original working state. If your computer has been affected by the .waifu Dharma ransomware virus, we recommend that you read this article and learn how you can remove this Dharma variant and how you can restore files, encrypted by it on your computer.
Threat Summary
Name | .waifu Dharma Virus |
Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
Short Description | A variant of Dharma ranosmware. Encrypts files on your computer and then holds them hostage until a ransom is paid. |
Symptoms | Files are no longer able to be opened and have the [Darknes@420blaze.it].waifu suffix added to their names. |
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
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss .waifu Dharma Virus. |
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. |
.waifu Dharma Ransomware – Distribution Methods
There have been numerous methods by which you can become a victim of this variant of Dharma ransomware. The main one, that is also used with other versions of the virus has been reported to be malicious e-mails, also known as malspam. These e-mails may pose as legitimate type of files that seem important, for example:
- Invoices.
- Receipts.
- Banking documents.
- Suspicious activity on your account.
- Something that is work – related.
- A CV of a new employee.
The e-mail messages are also very well designed and in most cases they tend to imitate reputable companies, like PayPal, eBay, DHL, Dropbox, LinkedIn and other seemingly important services, for example:
The primary method of infecton with the .waifu variant of Dharma includes carrying a malicious file In those e-mails that may be of the following types:
→ .zip, .js, .rar, .bat, .vbs, .exe, .sfx, .pdf, .docx, .docm
In the events that the malicious files, belonging to this variant of Dharma ransomware have been spread in .pdf or .docx or .docm formats, they are linkey=d documents that seem legitimate but can infect your PC via malicious macros, once you enable the editing of those documents.
Furthermore, in addition to this, the .waifu variant of Dharma ransomware may also have it’s infection file uploaded on the web and pretending to be a legitimate setup, patch, crack, portable version of a program or any other similar software.
.waifu Files Variant of Dharma – Analysis
The .waifu variant is very similar to most Dharma ransomware viruses we have detected so far, except the first one, which was decryptable.
The ransomware uses two main infection files, which were uploaded and tweeted by researchers.
→ SHA-256: 26653834234b4abf4f3c5f90a135ab74e0eb1e089d6be8934a08dbaf03858dde
Name:unlikexpc.exe
Size:311.57 KB
SHA-256:a1ac896f8be90f43aa83fc5442cdf7715396f7d385aee604f22e3cf2cb462f62
Size:92.5 KB
Once the unlikexpc.exe infection file is dropped on the victim’s computer, the .waifu variant of Dharma ransomware is activated and performs malicious actions on the following Windows system files:
→ C:\WINDOWS\system32\winime32.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ws2_32.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ws2help.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\psapi.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\mscoree.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\imm32.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lpk.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\usp10.dll
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\EB93A6\996E.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\mscoreei.dll
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\mscorwks.dll
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\clr.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\MSVCR100_CLR0400.dll
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\Config\machine.config
C:\WINDOWS\assembly\NativeImages_v4.0.30319_32\index18.dat
C:\WINDOWS\assembly\NativeImages_v4.0.30319_32\mscorlib\cece9d0256e18427b64587ba690605d4\mscorlib.ni.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\rpcss.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\MSCTF.dll
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\Culture.dll
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\locale.nlp
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\nlssorting.dll
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\SortDefault.nlp
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\clrjit.dll
C:\WINDOWS\assembly\pubpol1.dat
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\mscorrc.dll
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\assembly\GAC_MSIL\Microsoft.VisualBasic\v4.0_10.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a\Microsoft.VisualBasic.dll
C:\WINDOWS\assembly\NativeImages_v4.0.30319_32\System\7169c473071af03077b1cd2a9c1dbcbe\System.ni.dll
C:\WINDOWS\assembly\NativeImages_v4.0.30319_32\System.Core\4a9f25bff4bb74c9b6a21091923307d2\System.Core.ni.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\rsaenh.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\crypt32.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\xpsp2res.dll
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\diasymreader.dll
Furthermore, the malicious file of Dharma ransomware interacts with the following registry keys in Windows Registry Editor:
→ \Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\996E.exe
\Registry\MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot\Option
\Registry\Machine\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Safer\CodeIdentifiers
\REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Safer\CodeIdentifiers\TransparentEnabled
\REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Safer\CodeIdentifiers
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\mscoreei.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\ntdll.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\KERNEL32.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\GDI32.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\USER32.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\Secur32.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\RPCRT4.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\ADVAPI32.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\msvcrt.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\WS2HELP.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\WS2_32.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\SHLWAPI.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\PSAPI.DLL
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\winime32.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\mscoree.dll
\REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\mscoree.dll\CheckAppHelp
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\IMM32.DLL
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\USP10.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\LPK.DLL
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\MSVCR100_CLR0400.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\clr.dll
\REGISTRY\MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\996E.exe\RpcThreadPoolThrottle
\REGISTRY\MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Rpc
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\ole32.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\mscorlib.ni.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\MSCTF.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\culture.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\nlssorting.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\clrjit.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\VERSION.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\rsaenh.dll
\REGISTRY\MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Cryptography
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\System.ni.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\System.Core.ni.dll
\REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AeDebug
\REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\DebugApplications
\REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\DebugApplications
\REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PCHealth\ErrorReporting
\REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PCHealth\ErrorReporting
\REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PCHealth\ErrorReporting\ShowUI
\REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PCHealth\ErrorReporting\DoReport
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\diasymreader.dll
\Registry\Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\xpsp2res.dll
Then, the .waifu variant of Dharma ransomware proceeds to terminate the following Windows process:
→ C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\EB93A6\996E.exe
Dharma ransomware also creates several mutexes on the infected Windows machine:
→ CTF.LBES.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500
CTF.Compart.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500
CTF.Asm.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500
CTF.Layouts.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500
CTF.TMD.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500
CTF.TimListCache.FMPDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500MUTEX.DefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500
In addition to those activities, the malware may also delete your shadow volume copies and disable Windows Recovery. This is done by running Windows Command Prompt as an administrator and executing the following commands in /quiet mode, so that the whole activity is hidden:
→ sc stop VVS
sc stop wscsvc
sc stop WinDefend
sc stop wuauserv
sc stop BITS
sc stop ERSvc
sc stop WerSvc
cmd.exe /C bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled No
cmd.exe /C bcdedit /set {default} bootstatuspolicy ignoreallfailures
C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe” /C vssadmin.exe Delete Shadows /All /Quiet
.waifu Dharma Virus – Encryption Process
Once infected by the .waifu variant of Dharma ransomware, your documents, videos, images, audio files, archives, databases and many other important files, become it’s target. The virus scans for files by checking their file extensions. In this case, the .waifu Dharma variant may look for the following file types to encrypt them:
“PNG .PSD .PSPIMAGE .TGA .THM .TIF .TIFF .YUV .AI .EPS .PS .SVG .INDD .PCT .PDF .XLR .XLS .XLSX .ACCDB .DB .DBF .MDB .PDB .SQL .APK .APP .BAT .CGI .COM .EXE .GADGET .JAR .PIF .WSF .DEM .GAM .NES .ROM .SAV CAD Files .DWG .DXF GIS Files .GPX .KML .KMZ .ASP .ASPX .CER .CFM .CSR .CSS .HTM .HTML .JS .JSP .PHP .RSS .XHTML. DOC .DOCX .LOG .MSG .ODT .PAGES .RTF .TEX .TXT .WPD .WPS .CSV .DAT .GED .KEY .KEYCHAIN .PPS .PPT .PPTX ..INI .PRFEncodedFiles .HQX .MIM .UUE .7Z .CBR .DEB .GZ .PKG .RAR .RPM .SITX .TAR.GZ .ZIP .ZIPX .BIN .CUE .DMG .ISO .MDF .TOAST .VCD SDF .TAR .TAX2014 .TAX2015 .VCF .XML Audio Files .AIF .IFF .M3U .M4A .MID .MP3 .MPA .WAV .WMA Video Files .3G2 .3GP .ASF .AVI .FLV .M4V .MOV .MP4 .MPG .RM .SRT .SWF .VOB .WMV 3D .3DM .3DS .MAX .OBJR.BMP .DDS .GIF .JPG ..CRX .PLUGIN .FNT .FON .OTF .TTF .CAB .CPL .CUR .DESKTHEMEPACK .DLL .DMP .DRV .ICNS .ICO .LNK .SYS .CFG”
Once the files are detected, the .waifu variant of Dharma uses the same encryption model as the variant it’s based on, which first used the .cezar file extension.
After the virus encrypt the files on your computer it leaves them in a crippled state and they start to look like the following image shows:
The files are encrypted with the AES cipher, which generates a decryption key that is used effectively only by the cyber-crooks after the victim pays the ransom, which is requested in cryptocurrency tokens, like BitCoin or Monero. Paying the ransom is not among the recommended things to do, since you cannot trust these people to recover your files.
Remove Dharma Ransomware and Restore .waifu Encrypted Files
Before starting any removal process, we strongly advise you to backup your files, even though they can no longer be opened. And not only this, but we also recommend that you learn how to safely store them(https://sensorstechforum.com/safely-store-your-important-files-and-protect-them-from-malware/) in the future, to prevent any damages.
To remove Dharma ransomware, you are welcome to follow the removal instrucitons down below. They are created to help you delete this malware either manually or automatically from your PC. Be advised that if manual removal is not something you feel confident in doing, we strongly recommend that you remove Dharma by using an advanced anti-malware software. Such tool aims to automatically scan your computer for any files, objects and settings that are malicious and then make sure that they are safely removed from your PC.
If you want to restore .waifu, encrypted files, you can try to use the alternative methods in step “4. Try to restore files, encrypted by .waifu Dharma virus”. They are not a 100% guarantee to recover all your files, but their main idea is to help recover as many files as possible.
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.
- Guide 1: How to Remove .waifu Dharma Virus from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of .waifu Dharma Virus from Mac OS X.
How to Remove .waifu Dharma Virus from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove .waifu Dharma Virus





Step 2: Uninstall .waifu Dharma Virus 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:



Step 3: Clean any registries, created by .waifu Dharma Virus 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 .waifu Dharma Virus there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:



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 .waifu Dharma Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .waifu Dharma Virus.
Ransomware infections and .waifu Dharma Virus 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 top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
Get rid of .waifu Dharma Virus from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall .waifu Dharma Virus 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:
- 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 .waifu Dharma Virus 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:
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 .waifu Dharma Virus.
Ransomware infections and .waifu Dharma Virus 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 top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
.waifu Dharma Virus FAQ
What is .waifu Dharma Virus ransomware and how does it work?
.waifu Dharma Virus 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 .waifu Dharma Virus ransomware infect my computer?
Via several ways..waifu Dharma Virus 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 .waifu Dharma Virus 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 ..waifu Dharma Virus files?
You can't. At this point the ..waifu Dharma Virus 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 ..waifu Dharma Virus files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
One way to restore files, encrypted by .waifu Dharma Virus 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 "..waifu Dharma Virus" files (Other Methods)?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore ..waifu Dharma Virus 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 .waifu Dharma Virus 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 .waifu Dharma Virus ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important ..waifu Dharma Virus files.
Also, keep in mind that viruses like .waifu Dharma Virus 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.