.Tabe file extension ransomware (Tabe File Recovery Guide)

Tabe file extension

.Tabe file extension is a file extension that is appended to the name of files affected by the latest version of STOP (djvu) ransomware. The Tabe ransomware is a malware that encrypts victims’ files and thus locks up the information contained in them. The ransomware developers demand a ransom in exchange for a decryptor and a key, which are necessary for decrypting the files. Fortunately, since Tabe is one of the variants of STOP (djvu), in some cases you can use a free decryptor to decrypt files affected by it. More details about this decryptor, as well as other ways of recovering encrypted files, will be discussed in this article.

Tabe ransomware

Tabe ransomware is malware that is 234th version of the STOP (DJVU) ransomware. Like other versions of this ransomware, it is distributed through key generators, cracked software, adware and torrents web-sites. Upon execution, Tabe creates a folder in the Windows system directory and copies itself there. Then the virus collects information about the infected computer and changes some system settings so that it starts automatically every time the PC is turned on or restarted.

Having collected information about the victim’s computer, the Tabe ransomware tries to establish a connection with its command-and-control server (C&C). If the connection has been established, the virus receives a key (so called ‘online key’) from the command server that will be used to encrypt files. In addition, Tabe virus may receive additional commands and files that will be executed on the victim’s computer. If the ransomware could not connect to the command server, then it uses a fixed key, which the security researchers called ‘offline key’.

There is a significant difference between ‘online key’ and ‘offline key’. The online key is unique for each victim, that is, the key from one victim will not help decrypt the files of the other victim. The offline key is the same for all victims. Thus, it can be used to decrypt files regardless of where they were encrypted.

Having a key to encrypt files, the Tabe ransomware proceeds directly to the process of encrypting files. It encrypts file-by-file, so that all files of the victim will be encrypted. It doesn’t matter where the files are located, on the internal drive, flash drive, external media, cloud storage, all of them can be encrypted. There is a small exception, the virus does not encrypt files located in the Windows system directories, files with the extension from the list ‘.lnk, .bat, ini, .sys, .dll’ and files with the name ‘_readme.txt’. Thus, almost all of the victim’s data will be encrypted, including documents, pictures, databases, archives and other types of files, such as:

.itm, .csv, .z, .zdb, .ntl, .wmd, .vcf, .wri, .wpb, .vdf, .crw, .cr2, .dazip, .rgss3a, .wbd, .xll, .dbf, .vpk, .wbk, .zip, .3fr, .lrf, .erf, .kdb, .qic, .xdb, .pem, .sav, .yml, .ws, .gdb, .xx, .pfx, .snx, .itdb, .p7b, .upk, .wpl, .rtf, .xld, .docx, .raf, .hkdb, .cas, .wire, .xmmap, .db0, .docm, .wp, .flv, .vtf, .syncdb, .wma, .esm, .m2, .mddata, .kf, .mlx, .pak, .blob, .map, .fpk, .lvl, .webp, .arw, .cfr, .asset, .iwd, .1, .xlgc, .dng, .ff, .wpd, .sid, .xlsm, .x3d, .7z, .p12, .big, .sql, .re4, .tax, .pdd, .xf, .xwp, .xxx, .wpt, .webdoc, .srf, .tor, .wpa, .slm, .bc6, .pkpass, .xls, .t12, .rwl, .sie, .vfs0, .das, .qdf, .orf, .wotreplay, .rb, .xls, .3ds, .rim, .sb, .bkp, .y, .zw, .nrw, .xy3, .vpp_pc, .wpg, .wbmp, .wgz, .py, .xar, .hkx, .odb, .zif, .xml, .wcf, .psk, .iwi, .cer, .ods, .x3f, .mdf, .bar, .wm, .wdb, .jpg, .apk, .icxs, .eps, .odp, .xlsx, .wmo, .hvpl, .lbf, .zi, .xlsb, .crt, .desc, .wp7, .mrwref, .jpeg, .itl, .zabw, .xdl, .dba, .doc, .jpe, .mef, .wpe, .bkf, .wav, .xlsm, .odc, .wbc, .dcr, .x, .ncf, .fsh, .pst, .pptx, .dxg, .dmp, .epk, .zdc, .wdp, .sis, .png, .wpw, .wmv, .srw, .pptm, .pdf, .mdbackup, .xyp, .layout, .kdc, .z3d, .rar, .litemod, .ybk, .wpd, .xmind, .css, .ztmp, .sidn, .txt, .sum, .menu, .wsc, .1st, .sr2, .psd, .sidd, .wps, .w3x, .wn, .odm

Each file that has been encrypted by Tabe virus will be renamed. It will append the extension ‘.tabe’ at the end of the name of the affected file. Thus, a file named ‘image.jpg’, after it is encrypted, will receive the name ‘image.jpg.tabe’. To encrypt as many files as possible in the minimum time, the virus does not encrypt the entire file, but only its initial part in the amount of 154 kb. The Tabe ransomware encrypts files sequentially, when all files in the directory are encrypted, it places a new file in it. This file is called ‘_readme.txt’ and its contents are shown below.

This file is a ransom note that is a message from the Tabe creators. In this message, the criminals report that the victim’s files are encrypted and there is only one way to decrypt them – buy the key and the decryptor from them. Attackers set the price for the key and decryptor at $980. If the victim pays the ransom within 72 hours, then Tabe authors agree to make a discount of half the ransom, that is, reduce the size of the ransom to $490. Criminals offer to decrypt one file for free. To do this, the victim needs to send this file to one of the email addresses listed in the ransom demand message. But successful decryption of one file does not guarantee the possibility of decryption of files even after payment of the ransom.

Threat Summary

Name	Tabe ransomware
Type	Ransomware, Crypto virus, Crypto malware, Filecoder, File locker
Encrypted files extension	.tabe
Ransom note	_readme.txt
Contact	helpmanager@mail.ch
Ransom amount	$980/$490 in Bitcoins
Detection Names	Gen:NN.ZexaF.34128.VqW@aWdCvUbO, Win32.Trojan-Ransom.STOP.8DW50K, Trojan-Ransom.Win32.Stop.nl, Trojan.MalPack.GS, Artemis!07FBEC89AD85, Generic/HEUR/QVM10.2.ED1F.Malware.Gen, Ransom:Win32/STOP.BS!MTB, BehavesLike.Win32.SoftPulse.bc, W32/Kryptik.HEBJ!tr
Symptoms	When you try to open your file, Windows notifies that you do not have permission to open this file. You get an error message like ‘Windows can’t open this file’, ‘How do you want to open this file’. Files called like ‘_readme.txt’, ‘#_README_#’, ‘_DECRYPT_’ or ‘recover’ in each folder with at least one encrypted file.. Ransom note in a pop-up window with cybercriminal’s ransom demand and instructions.
Distribution ways	Malicious email attachments. Malicious downloads that happen without a user’s knowledge when they visit a compromised web page. Social media, like web-based instant messaging programs. Malvertising campaigns.
Removal	Tabe ransomware removal guide
Decryption	Tabe File Decrypt Tool

 

In the ransom note, the authors of Tabe virus report that it is impossible to decrypt files without a key and a decryptor. In general, this is true; to decrypt .tabe files, you must use the key and the decryptor. This is confirmed by the security researchers.

As we reported at the very beginning of this article, there is a free decryptor, which in some cases can decrypt .tabe files. In the case when it could not decrypt the files, there are several more methods, each of which can help the victim restore the files encrypted by Tabe virus. These methods do not require the use of a key and decryptor, and therefore are suitable for all victims.

How to remove Tabe virus, Recover, Decrypt .tabe files

If you are a victim of ransomware, your files have been encrypted, then we recommend that you follow the simple steps described above. These steps will help you remove Tabe virus, and decrypt .tabe files that were affected by it. Moreover, we will also show you how to recover encrypted files if the decryption of the files was unsuccessful. Read the entire manual carefully. To make it easier for you to follow the instructions, we recommend that you print it or open it on your smartphone.

1. How to remove Tabe ransomware
2. How to decrypt .tabe files
3. How to restore .tabe files

How to remove Tabe ransomware

First you need to remove the Tabe ransomware autostart entries before decrypting and recovering encrypted files. Another option is to perform a full scan of the computer using antivirus software capable of detecting and removing ransomware infection.

It is very important to scan the computer for malware, as security researchers found that spyware could be installed on the infected computer along with the Tabe ransomware. Spyware is a very dangerous security threat as it is designed to steal the user’s personal information such as passwords, logins, contact details, etc. If you have any difficulty removing the Tabe ransomware, then let us know in the comments, we will try to help you.

To remove Tabe ransomware, follow the steps below:

1. Kill the Tabe ransomware process
2. Disable the Tabe ransomware Start-Up
3. Delete the Tabe ransomware Task
4. Scan computer for malware

Kill the Tabe ransomware process

Press CTRL, ALT, DEL keys together.

Click Task Manager. Select the “Processes” tab, look for something suspicious that is the Tabe ransomware then right-click it and select “End Task” or “End Process” option.

A process is particularly suspicious: it is taking up a lot of memory (despite the fact that you closed all of your programs, its name is not familiar to you (if you are in doubt, you can always check the program by doing a search for its name in Google, Yahoo or Bing).

Disable the Tabe ransomware Start-Up

Select the “Start-Up” tab, look for something similar to the one shown in the example below, right click to it and select Disable.

Close Task Manager.

Delete the Tabe ransomware Task

Type “Task Scheduler” in the search bar. Click Task Scheduler app in the search results. Click “Task Scheduler Library” in the left panel. On the right panel, right-click to “Time Trigger Task” and select Delete.

Close Task Scheduler.

Scan computer for malware

Zemana AntiMalware (ZAM) highly recommended, because it can scan for security threats such as the Tabe ransomware, other malicious software and trojans which most ‘classic’ antivirus programs fail to pick up on. Moreover, if you have any Tabe removal problems which cannot be fixed by this tool automatically, then Zemana provides 24X7 online assistance from the highly experienced support staff.

First, click the link below, then click the ‘Download’ button in order to download the latest version of Zemana Free.

Once downloading is done, start it and follow the prompts. Once installed, the Zemana will try to update itself and when this task is finished, click the “Scan” button . Zemana Free application will scan through the whole PC system for the Tabe ransomware related folders,files and registry keys.

This task can take some time, so please be patient. During the scan Zemana will search for threats exist on your PC. When you’re ready, press “Next” button.

The Zemana Free will remove the ransomware and other security threats.

In order to be 100% sure that the computer no longer has the Tabe crypto virus, we recommend using the Kaspersky virus removal tool (KVRT). This utility, as its name suggests, is designed by the Kaspersky lab and uses the core of the Kaspersky Antivirus. Unlike the Kaspersky Antivirus, KVRT has a smaller size and, most importantly, it can work together with an already installed anti-virus. This tool has great capabilities and therefore we advise using KVRT in the last turn to be sure that the Tabe ransomware virus has been removed.

Download Kaspersky virus removal tool (KVRT) on your PC system from the following link.

When downloading is complete, double-click on the KVRT icon. Once initialization procedure is finished, you’ll see the KVRT screen as displayed on the screen below.

Click Change Parameters and set a check near all your drives. Press OK to close the Parameters window. Next click Start scan button . KVRT tool will begin scanning the whole system to find out the Tabe ransomware virus, other trojans and malicious applications. A scan may take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the count of files on your personal computer and the speed of your PC system. While the tool is checking, you can see how many objects and files has already scanned.

Once the scan get completed, Kaspersky virus removal tool will produce a list of unwanted applications and crypto virus as displayed on the image below.

Review the scan results and then click on Continue to start a cleaning task.

How to decrypt .tabe files

To decrypt .tabe files, you need to use a unique key and decryptor. Security researchers confirm that it is impossible to access the contents of encrypted files without decryption. Renaming the affected files, changing their extension cannot help the victim, the files will still remain encrypted. Fortunately, Emsisoft created a free decryptor, which in some cases can decrypt .tabe files.

Attention, be sure to scan your computer for ransomware before decrypting .tabe files. You must be 100% sure that there is no Tabe virus on the computer. To check your computer for ransomware, we recommend using free malware removal tools.

To decrypt .tabe files, use free Tabe File Decrypt Tool

• Download Tabe File Decrypt Tool from the following link.
  STOP Djvu decryptor
• Scroll down to ‘New Djvu ransomware’ section.
• Click the download link and save the decrypt_STOPDjvu.exe file to your desktop.
• Run decrypt_STOPDjvu.exe, read the license terms and instructions.
• On the ‘Decryptor’ tab, using the ‘Add a folder’ button, add the directory or disk where the encrypted files are located.
• Click the ‘Decrypt’ button.

Tabe File Decrypt Tool is a free software that can decrypt the encrypted files only in some cases, when the files were encrypted with an ‘offline key’. If the files were encrypted with an ‘online key’, then they cannot be decrypted. The reason for this is that the decryption key is in the hands of criminals and this key can not be determined. But even in this case, there is a chance to restore the contents of encrypted files, we will talk about how to do this a little later.

This video step-by-step guide will demonstrate How to remove Tabe ransomware, Decrypt/Recover .Tabe files.

How to find out which key was used to encrypt files

Below we show two ways to help you determine what type of key was used to encrypt your files. This is very important, since the type of key determines whether it is possible to decrypt .tabe files. We recommend using the second method, as it is more accurate.

Find out the type of key using ‘_readme.txt’ file

• Open the ransom demand message (‘_readme.txt’ file).
• Scroll down to the end of the file.
• There you will see a line with the text ‘Your personal ID’.
• Below is a line of characters that starts with ‘0234’ – this is your personal id.

Find out the type of key using ‘PersonalID.txt’ file

• Open disk C.
• Open directory ‘SystemID’.
• Open file named ‘PersonalID.txt’. This file lists ‘Personal ID’s that match the keys that the Tabe virus used to encrypt files.

The ‘Personal ID’ is not a key, it is an identifier related to a key that was used to encrypt files. If the ID ends with ‘t1’, then the files are encrypted with an offline key. If the ID does not end with ‘t1’, Tabe ransomware virus used an online key. If you could not figure out how to determine which key was used to encrypt files, then we can help. Just write a request here or in the comments below.

Tabe File Decrypt Tool : “No key for New Variant online ID”

If, when you try to decrypt .tabe files, Tabe File Decrypt Tool reports:

No key for New Variant online ID: *
Notice: this ID appears to be an online ID, decryption is impossible

It means that your files are encrypted with an ‘online key’ and their decryption is impossible, since only the Tabe authors have the key necessary for decryption. In this case, you need to use alternative methods listed below to restore the contents of encrypted files.

Tabe File Decrypt Tool : “No key for New Variant offline ID”

If, during decryption of .tabe files, Tabe File Decrypt Tool reports:

No key for New Variant offline ID: *t1
Notice: this ID appears be an offline ID, decryption MAY be possible in the future.

It means the following: your files are encrypted with an ‘offline key’, but the key itself has not yet been obtained by security researchers, in this case, you need to be patient and wait a while, in addition, you can also use alternative ways for recovering encrypted data.

If for some reason you were unable to decrypt the encrypted files, then We recommend to follow the news on our Facebook or YouTube channels. So you ‘ll know right away that it ‘s possible to decrypt .tabe files.

How to restore .tabe files

If the Tabe File Decrypt Tool did not help you, or your files are encrypted using an online key, then there is no need to panic! There are several other alternative methods that may allow you to restore the contents of encrypted files. Once again, remember to be sure to check your computer for ransomware and malware using free malware removal tools. You must be sure that Tabe virus is completely removed.

Each of the methods presented below uses a different mechanism for recovering encrypted files. So try each one. It often happens that if the first method did not help, then the second helped.

Restore .tabe files with ShadowExplorer

First of all, try to recover .tabe files from Shadow Volume Copies, which are automatically created by Windows OS. In order to recover photos, documents and music encrypted by Tabe virus from Shadow Volume Copies you can use a tool called ShadowExplorer. We recommend using this free utility because it is small in size, has a simple interface and does not require installation on a computer. Unfortunately, ransomware often removes all Shadow copies. Therefore, if Shadow Explorer cannot help you, then immediately proceed to the second method, which is given below.

First, click the link below, then click the ‘Download’ button in order to download the latest version of ShadowExplorer.

Once the downloading process is finished, extract the saved file to a folder on your system. This will create the necessary files as shown on the image below.

Start the ShadowExplorerPortable application. Now choose the date (2) that you wish to recover from and the drive (1) you wish to recover files (folders) from as shown on the screen below.

On right panel navigate to the file (folder) you want to recover. Right-click to the file or folder and press the Export button as shown below.

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

This video step-by-step guide will demonstrate How to recover encrypted files using Shadow Explorer.

Restore .tabe files with PhotoRec

Another alternative way to recover .tabe files is to use data recovery software. This method requires a lot of time, but in most cases it allows you to recover part, and sometimes all, encrypted files. To restore .tabe files, use a free tool called Photo Rec. It has a simple interface and does not require installation.

Download PhotoRec on your MS Windows Desktop by clicking on the link below.

After downloading is finished, open a directory in which you saved it. Right click to testdisk-7.0.win and select Extract all. Follow the prompts. Next please open the testdisk-7.0 folder as shown on the image below.

Double click on qphotorec_win to run PhotoRec for Windows. It’ll open a window as displayed on the image below.

Select a drive to recover as on the image below.

You will see a list of available partitions. Choose a partition that holds encrypted photos, documents and music like below.

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

Next, click Browse button to select where restored personal files should be written, then click Search. We strongly recommend that you use an external device to save the restored files!

Count of recovered files is updated in real time. All recovered photos, documents and music are written in a folder that you have chosen on the previous step. You can to access the files even if the restore process is not finished.

When the restore is complete, click on Quit button. Next, open the directory where restored files are stored. You will see a contents as displayed in the following example.

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

This video step-by-step guide will demonstrate How to recover encrypted files using PhotoRec.

How to protect your personal computer from Tabe file virus

Most antivirus apps already have built-in protection system against the crypto virus. Therefore, if your computer does not have an antivirus application, make sure you install it. As an extra protection, use the HitmanPro.Alert. All-in-all, HitmanPro.Alert is a fantastic utility to protect your machine from any ransomware. If ransomware is detected, then HitmanPro.Alert automatically neutralizes malware and restores the encrypted files. HitmanPro.Alert is compatible with all versions of Microsoft Windows OS from Microsoft Windows XP to Windows 10.

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

After the downloading process is finished, open the file location. You will see an icon like below.

Double click the HitmanPro.Alert desktop icon. When the tool is started, you will be displayed a window where you can choose a level of protection, like below.

Now click the Install button to activate the protection.

Finish words

This guide was created to help all victims of the Tabe ransomware virus. We tried to give answers to the following questions: how to remove ransomware; how to decrypt .tabe files; how to recover files, if Tabe File Decrypt Tool does not help; what is an online key and what is an offline key. We hope that the information presented in this manual has helped you.

If you have questions, then write to us, leaving a comment below. If you need more help with Tabe related issues, go to here.