How to remove Kovasoh file virus. Kovasoh ransomware decryption tool.

Kovasoh file virus is a malware that stealthily penetrates the computer and encrypts photos, documents and music that stored on PC disks. While encrypting, it renames all encrypted documents, photos and music so that they have the .kovasoh file extension.

The Kovasoh virus locks up documents, photos and music using AES-RSA technology, that makes it impossible to unlock the affected data by the user on his own without obtaining a private key, which is the only way to decrypt affected personal files. It can be obtained only in the case of payment of the required amount through digital currency, which is very large. Kovasoh virus encrypts almost of music, archives, database, videos, web application-related files, images and documents, including common as:

.bsa, .odb, .zdb, .ws, .sie, .xls, .wcf, .crw, .slm, .zw, .wmo, .wdb, .db0, .cdr, .p7c, .itdb, .z, .wsh, .bay, .wpb, .wmf, .das, .mef, .crt, .mddata, .wotreplay, .sav, .jpe, .asset, .psd, .wpa, .vcf, .wbmp, .xwp, .xls, .jpg, .xx, .x3f, .pptx, .gdb, .xlsx, .1st, .qic, .dcr, .bc6, .gho, .re4, .zdc, .erf, .mlx, .sum, .fpk, .hplg, .sql, .ybk, .wm, .arch00, .der, .mrwref, .xlsx, .x3d, .tor, .2bp, .pdd, .icxs, .cfr, .wmv, .mdf, .m2, .sr2, .raw, .wp, .wma, .js, .xll, .rar, .wma, .xpm, .xxx, .xml, .docm, .dwg, .flv, .pem, .wp6, .lbf, .kf, .m4a, .odm, .arw, .bar, .zif, .dng, .odp, .mdb, .wbd, .txt, .tax, .xdb, .csv, .wsd, .xmind, .x, .vpp_pc, .mdbackup, .ncf, .eps, .syncdb, .zabw, .py, .srf, .wps, .nrw, .sb, .ai, .r3d, .wpl, .pdf, .d3dbsp, .w3x, .orf, .webp, .xbdoc, .xy3, .xlk, .7z, .hkx, .pkpass, .layout, .bc7, .esm, .map, .ztmp, .wav, .wsc, .ltx, .m3u, .t12, .pak, .wmd, .cr2, .wp7, .srw, .xlsm, .mov, .iwi, .pef, .vdf, .p7b, .yal, .png, .sis, .epk, .ntl, .sidn, .pfx, .psk, .rofl, .zip, .xlsm, .odc, .ff, .xld, .xlgc, .xar, .bik, .z3d, .rw2, .jpeg, .xmmap, .indd, .wot, .avi, .wbz, .wire, .bkf, .itm, .wpg, .dmp, .fsh, .sidd, .dxg, .ptx, .pst, .xdl, .3fr, .wb2, .wbc, .forge, .rtf, .wp4, .wp5, .hkdb, .mcmeta, .wbm, .p12, .wps, .pptm, .iwd, .vpk

With the encryption work is done, all encrypted personal files will now have the new .kovasoh extension appended to them. Kovasoh file virus drops a file called ‘_readme.txt’. This file contains a ransom note that is written in the English language. The ransom demanding message directs users to make payment through Bitcoins in exchange for the special code key needed to unlock files.

 

Threat Summary

Name	Kovasoh
Type	Crypto malware, Crypto virus, Ransomware, Filecoder, File locker
Encrypted files extension	.kovasoh
Ransom note	_readme.txt
Contact	CONTACT
Ransom amount	$300-$1000 in Bitcoins
Detection Names	KNOWN AS
Symptoms	Files won’t open. Your documents, photos and music now have a new extension. Your file directories contain a ‘ransom note’ file that is usually a .txt file.
Distribution methods	Malicious e-mail spam. Malicious downloads that happen without a user’s knowledge when they visit a compromised website. Social media posts (they can be used to entice users to download malware with a built-in ransomware downloader or click a malicious link). USB sticks containing malicious software.
Removal	To remove Kovasoh ransomware use the removal guide
Decryption	To decrypt Kovasoh ransomware use the steps

 

This post is developed for those who are looking for a way to fully delete Kovasoh virus from the computer, and for those who want to learn as much as possible about how unlock documents, photos and music. We hope you will find answers to all your questions in this article.

Quick links

1. How to remove Kovasoh file virus
2. How to decrypt .kovasoh files
3. Kovasoh decryption tool
4. How to restore .kovasoh files
5. How to protect your system from Kovasoh file virus?
6. Finish words

How to remove Kovasoh file virus

Before you run the procedure of recovering files that has been encrypted, make sure Kovasoh file virus is not running. Firstly, you need to uninstall this file virus permanently. Happily, there are several malicious software removal tools which will effectively scan for and uninstall Kovasoh virus and other crypto virus malicious software from your PC system.

How to remove Kovasoh file virus with Zemana Anti-Malware

Zemana Anti-Malware (ZAM) is one of the best in its class, it can look for and delete a large number of of different security threats, including spyware, adware software, worms, trojans, crypto malware and malicious software that masqueraded as legitimate computer programs. Also Zemana AntiMalware (ZAM) includes another tool called FRST – is a helpful application for manual removal of files and parts of the Windows registry created by crypto virus.

Download Zemana Free by clicking on the link below.

Once the downloading process is done, start it and follow the prompts. Once installed, the Zemana will try to update itself and when this process is finished, click the “Scan” button to perform a system scan with this tool for the Kovasoh file virus and other security threats.

When a malware, adware or potentially unwanted applications are found, the count of the security threats will change accordingly. Review the results once the tool has done the system scan. If you think an entry should not be quarantined, then uncheck it. Otherwise, simply press “Next” button.

The Zemana Anti-Malware (ZAM) will uninstall Kovasoh file virus and other security threats.

Run MalwareBytes AntiMalware (MBAM) to delete Kovasoh file virus

Get rid of Kovasoh virus manually is difficult and often the virus is not completely removed. Therefore, we recommend you to run the MalwareBytes that are completely clean your computer. Moreover, this free program will help you to uninstall malware, PUPs, toolbars and adware that your computer may be infected too.

Visit the page linked below to download MalwareBytes Anti-Malware. Save it directly to your MS Windows Desktop.

After the downloading process is complete, close all apps and windows on your PC. Double-click the install file called mb3-setup. If the “User Account Control” dialog box pops up as displayed below, click the “Yes” button.

It will open the “Setup wizard” which will help you install MalwareBytes AntiMalware on your PC. Follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.

Once setup is complete successfully, press Finish button. MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) will automatically start and you can see its main screen as shown on the screen below.

Now press the “Scan Now” button . MalwareBytes AntiMalware (MBAM) tool will start scanning the whole computer to find out Kovasoh file virus and other security threats. Depending on your personal computer, the scan can take anywhere from a few minutes to close to an hour. When a threat is detected, the count of the security threats will change accordingly. Wait until the the scanning is complete.

When MalwareBytes Free completes the scan, it will show the Scan Results. All found items will be marked. You can delete them all by simply click “Quarantine Selected” button. The MalwareBytes AntiMalware will remove Kovasoh virus related folders,files and registry keys and move items to the program’s quarantine. After disinfection is finished, you may be prompted to reboot the system.

We suggest you look at the following video, which completely explains the process of using the MalwareBytes to delete adware, browser hijacker and other malicious software.

Use KVRT to delete Kovasoh file virus

KVRT is a free removal utility which can scan your machine for a wide range of security threats such as the Kovasoh file virus, adware, potentially unwanted applications as well as other malware. It will perform a deep scan of your PC including hard drives and Windows registry. When a malware is found, it will allow you to delete all found threats from your PC system by a simple click.

Download Kaspersky virus removal tool (KVRT) on your MS Windows Desktop from the following link.

After downloading is complete, double-click on the KVRT icon. Once initialization procedure is finished, you’ll see the Kaspersky virus removal tool screen like the one below.

Click Change Parameters and set a check near all your drives. Click OK to close the Parameters window. Next press Start scan button to start checking your system for the Kovasoh file virus . A scan can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the count of files on your computer and the speed of your computer. While the Kaspersky virus removal tool utility is checking, you can see how many objects it has identified as being infected by malware.

After the scan is done, KVRT will show a list of all items found by the scan as displayed in the following example.

All found threats will be marked. You can remove them all by simply press on Continue to begin a cleaning procedure.

How to decrypt .kovasoh files

To date, there is no other method to decrypt the affected files, but only to pay the ransom payment to scammers. Developers of free Kovasoh decryption utilities that can restore these files are working on creating them, but the result is not yet, and it is not known when it will be.

Never pay the ransom! Nevertheless, everyone has to remember that paying the creators of the Kovasoh file virus who are threatening you is a terrible idea. You can pay this ransom payment, but there is no guarantee that your data will be yours again. That is the reason why you should consider other options (that do not involve paying the scammers) in order to decrypt locked files. There still are some methods to defuse virus without paying redemption, so you would not need to pay fraudsters and you would not let them reach their goal.

The Kovasoh file virus is not the only one of its kind, for some of them, there are already methods to unlock encrypted files that were made by cyber threat analysts. This gives hope that the Kovasoh decryption utility can be made for this virus as well. However, since each case of coding is original, victim should seek help and provide an identifier that will give the opportunity to get the special code key and decryption tool.

Kovasoh decryption tool

With some variants of Kovasoh file virus, it is possible to decrypt encrypted files using free tools listed below.

Michael Gillespie (@) released the Kovasoh decryption tool named STOPDecrypter. It can decrypt .Kovasoh files if they were locked by one of the known OFFLINE KEY’s retrieved by Michael Gillespie. Please check the twitter post for more info.

STOPDecrypter is a program that can be used for Kovasoh files decryption. One of the biggest advantages of using STOPDecrypter is that is free and easy to use. Also, it constantly keeps updating its ‘OFFLINE KEYs’ DB. Let’s see how to install STOPDecrypter and decrypt .Kovasoh files using this free tool.

1. Installing the STOPDecrypter is simple. First you will need to download STOPDecrypter on your Windows Desktop from the following link.
   download.bleepingcomputer.com/demonslay335/STOPDecrypter.zip
2. After the downloading process is done, close all applications and windows on your machine. Open a file location. Right-click on the icon that’s named STOPDecrypter.zip.
3. Further, select ‘Extract all’ and follow the prompts.
4. Once the extraction process is finished, run STOPDecrypter. Select Directory and press Decrypt button.

If STOPDecrypter does not help you to decrypt .Kovasoh files, in some cases, you have a chance to restore your files, which were encrypted by ransomware. This is possible due to the use of the tools named ShadowExplorer and PhotoRec. An example of recovering encrypted files is given below.

How to restore .kovasoh files

In some cases, you can restore files encrypted by Kovasoh virus. Try both methods. Important to understand that we cannot guarantee that you will be able to restore all encrypted files.

Recover .kovasoh encrypted files using Shadow Explorer

The MS Windows has a feature called ‘Shadow Volume Copies’ that can help you to recover .kovasoh files encrypted by the Kovasoh file virus. The solution described below is only to restore encrypted photos, documents and music to previous versions from the Shadow Volume Copies using a free tool named the ShadowExplorer.

ShadowExplorer can be downloaded from the following link. Save it to your Desktop.

When the download is complete, extract the saved file to a folder on your computer. This will create the necessary files such as the one below.

Launch the ShadowExplorerPortable program. Now select the date (2) that you want to restore from and the drive (1) you want to recover files (folders) from as shown below.

On right panel navigate to the file (folder) you wish to recover. Right-click to the file or folder and click the Export button as shown in the following example.

And finally, specify a directory (your Desktop) to save the shadow copy of encrypted file and press ‘OK’ button.

Use PhotoRec to restore .kovasoh files

Before a file is encrypted, the Kovasoh virus makes a copy of this file, encrypts it, and then deletes the original file. This can allow you to restore your documents, photos and music using file recover software like PhotoRec.

Download PhotoRec from the link below.

Once the downloading process is complete, open a directory in which you saved it. Right click to testdisk-7.0.win and choose Extract all. Follow the prompts. Next please open the testdisk-7.0 folder like the one below.

Double click on qphotorec_win to run PhotoRec for MS Windows. It will display a screen as displayed on the screen below.

Select a drive to recover as shown on the screen below.

You will see a list of available partitions. Select a partition that holds encrypted documents, photos and music as displayed in the figure below.

Click File Formats button and specify file types to recover. You can to enable or disable the restore of certain file types. When this is done, click OK button.

Next, press Browse button to choose where restored photos, documents and music should be written, then click Search.

Count of recovered files is updated in real time. All restored personal files are written in a folder that you have chosen on the previous step. You can to access the files even if the recovery process is not finished.

When the recovery is done, press on Quit button. Next, open the directory where recovered documents, photos and music are stored. You will see a contents as on the image below.

All recovered files are written in recup_dir.1, recup_dir.2 … sub-directories. If you’re searching for a specific file, then you can to sort your recovered files by extension and/or date/time.

How to protect your system from Kovasoh file virus?

Most antivirus software already have built-in protection system against the file virus. Therefore, if your personal computer does not have an antivirus program, make sure you install it. As an extra protection, use the HitmanPro.Alert.

Use HitmanPro.Alert to protect your computer from Kovasoh virus

HitmanPro.Alert is a small security tool. It can check the system integrity and alerts you when critical system functions are affected by malware. HitmanPro.Alert can detect, remove, and reverse ransomware effects.

Installing the HitmanPro Alert is simple. First you will need to download HitmanPro.Alert by clicking on the following link.

When the downloading process is done, open the directory in which you saved it. You will see an icon like below.

Double click the HitmanPro.Alert desktop icon. Once the utility is launched, you’ll be displayed a window where you can select a level of protection, as shown on the image below.

Now press the Install button to activate the protection.

Finish words

Now your machine should be free of the Kovasoh file virus. Delete MalwareBytes Free and KVRT. We recommend that you keep Zemana (to periodically scan your computer for new malicious software). Make sure that you have all the Critical Updates recommended for Microsoft Windows operating system. Without regular updates you WILL NOT be protected when new virus, malicious programs and adware are released.

If you are still having problems while trying to uninstall Kovasoh file virus from your PC system, then ask for help here.