This article will aid you to remove .zzzzzzzz Scarab Ransomware. Follow the ransomware removal instructions provided at the end of the article.
.zzzzzzzz Scarab Ransomware is one that encrypts your data and demands money as a ransom to get it restored. Files will receive the .zzzzzzzz extension. The .zzzzzzzz Scarab Ransomware will leave ransomware instructions as a desktop wallpaper image. Keep on reading the article and see how you could try to potentially recover some of your locked files and data.
Threat Summary
| Name | .zzzzzzzz Scarab |
| Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
| Short Description | The Scarab ransomware encrypts files by placing the .zzzzzzzz before the affected files on your computer system and demands a ransom to be paid to allegedly recover them. |
| Symptoms | The Scarab ransomware will encrypt your files and leave a ransom note with payment instructions. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
Download
Malware Removal Tool
|
User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss .zzzzzzzz Scarab. |
| 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. |
.zzzzzzzz Scarab Ransomware – Distribution Techniques
A new variant of the Scarab ransomware family has been released in the wild, this time choosing to distinguish itself with the .zzzzzzzz extension. As previous iterations of this malware family it will use several of the most popular distribution tactics to infect as many victims as possible.
Using exploit kits and coordinated attack campaigns this particular version of the Scarab ransomware can be found in hacker-made email messages. They are designed just like legitimate notifications sent out from well-known companies, services or products that the users know and actually might be using. The .zzzzzzzz Scarab Ransomware files can be directly attached to the messages or linked somewhere in the body contents — multimedia, text links and banners.
An alternative to this is the creation of malicious web sites that impersonate legitimate and well-known landing pages, download portals, search engines or product sites. Whenever they are visited any interaction with their elements can lead to the virus infection. In many cases simply clicking on any of them will execute scripts that can silently deploy the malware.
In many cases the use of file-sharing networks like BitTorrent can also be an outlet for ransomware files, they are widely use to share both legitimate and pirate content.
All of these tactics can be used to carry infected payload carriers of which there are two main types:
- Malicious Documents — The hackers can embed the necessary installation scripts in documents of many types: presentations, text documents, spreadsheets and databases. Whenever they are opened a notification prompt will be spawned asking the victims to enable the built-in macros in order to correctly view the document. If this action is taken by the victims then the infection will follow.
- Infected Application Installers — The criminals behind the .zzzzzzzz Scarab Ransomware may embed the necessary commands into setup files across all popular software chosen by end users: system utilities, optimization tools, creativity suites, productivity apps and office programs.
In order to create a larger number of infected computers the criminals can also use browser hijackers which are dangerous plugins made for the most popular web browsers. These extensions are uploaded to the relevant repositories, often with fake user reviews and developer credentials. They will contain descriptions that will promise feature additions and optimizations. In reality upon installation the malware behavior will be triggered and the .zzzzzzzz Scarab Ransomware installed. Additionally the settings may be changed in order to redirect the victims to a hacker-controlled landing page — this is done by manipulating the default home page, new tabs page and search engine.
.zzzzzzzz Scarab Ransomware – Detailed Analysis
The .zzzzzzzz virus has been confirmed to be a new iteration of the Scarab ransomware family. As such it will follow the modular structure as defined by the criminals. The exact configuration can change between attack campaigns which is the reason why a single analysis cannot determine all malicious actions that can potentially be carried out by the Scarab infections.
Most of them will run a data harvesting process before starting the other modules. This is done in order to acquire sensitive information that can be further processed by the virus or the hackers behind the virus. This is the case with any personal information that is accessed, the Scarab ransomawre can be programmed to search both the local drive contents, as well as the memory, Windows Registry and even accessible network shares and removable storage devices. Such information includes the victim’s real name, address, location and even stored account credentials.
The other data that is acquired by the engine is machine identification which is composed of information related to the installed hardware components, sysgtem settings and operating system values. The algorithm will take the extracted values as input parameters and lead to the creation of an unique infection ID.
Following the completion of this step the Scarab ransomware can list all installed security software and attempt to bypass them. This is done by scanning all of the relevant applications and stoping the real-time engines. This can bypass most anti-virus programs, firewalls, virtual machine hosts and sandbox environments.
At this point the virus engine will have complete control over the infected machine allowing it to hook up to existing processes which allows it to spy on the users activities. Additionally changes to the Windows Registry are often made — this is done in order to make it more difficult to remove the threat. Modifications to the strings used by the operating system can render the system unusable by severely reducing the stability and performance. Changes to settings used by any third-party installed applications can make them stop working.
A related mechanism is the creation of a persistent infection which is used to automatically start the .zzzzzzzz Scarab Ransomware as soon as the computer is powered on. It may also block access to system menus and recovery options which are used by manual user removal guides. To make recovery even more difficult the Scarab ransomware samples can locate and delete important system data such as System Restore Points and Shadow Volume Copies. In these cases a combination of a professional-grade anti-malware and backup solution is to be used.
One of the most dangerous conseqences of having this virus on a given computer is its ability to install a Trojan client — this will allow the hackers to to spy on the victims in real-time, steal their data (before and after the ransomware is engaged) and also take over control of their machines.
.zzzzzzzz Scarab Ransomware – Encryption Process
When all prerequisite commands have completed the encryption process will be started. It will search for sensitive user data according to a built-in list of target file type extensions. An example one is the following:
- Archives
- Backups
- Databases
- Images
- Videos
- Music
All victim files will be renamed with the .zzzzzzzz extension which contains the email address used by the operators. The associated ransomware is created in a file called HOW TO RECOVER ENCRYPTED FILES.TXT.
Remove .zzzzzzzz Scarab Ransomware and Try to Restore Data
If your computer system got infected with the .zzzzzzzz Scarab ransomware virus, you should have a bit of experience in removing malware. You should get rid of this ransomware as quickly as possible before it can have the chance to spread further and infect other computers. You should remove the ransomware and follow the step-by-step instructions guide provided below.
Martin Beltov
Martin graduated with a degree in Publishing from Sofia University. As a cyber security enthusiast he enjoys writing about the latest threats and mechanisms of intrusion.
Follow Me:
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- Step 4
- Step 5
Step 1: Scan for .zzzzzzzz Scarab with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Ransomware Automatic Removal - Video Guide
Step 2: Uninstall .zzzzzzzz Scarab 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 .zzzzzzzz Scarab 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 .zzzzzzzz Scarab 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 .zzzzzzzz Scarab
Step 5: Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .zzzzzzzz Scarab.
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 .zzzzzzzz Scarab 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.
.zzzzzzzz Scarab-FAQ
What is .zzzzzzzz Scarab Ransomware?
.zzzzzzzz Scarab 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 .zzzzzzzz Scarab 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 .zzzzzzzz Scarab Infect?
Via several ways..zzzzzzzz Scarab 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 .zzzzzzzz Scarab 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 ..zzzzzzzz Scarab files?
You can't without a decryptor. At this point, the ..zzzzzzzz Scarab 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 ..zzzzzzzz Scarab files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
Can I Restore "..zzzzzzzz Scarab" Files?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore ..zzzzzzzz Scarab 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 .zzzzzzzz Scarab 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 .zzzzzzzz Scarab ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important ..zzzzzzzz Scarab 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 .zzzzzzzz Scarab 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 .zzzzzzzz Scarab Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this .zzzzzzzz Scarab 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 .zzzzzzzz Scarab 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.