Remove PGP virus. How to restore .[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp files.

What is PGP file

The .[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp extension is a file extension that is used by the latest variant of the Crysis/Dharma ransomware to mark files that have been encrypted. PGP ransomware is a malicious program that encrypts user files and demands a ransom for a key-decryptor pair that is necessary to decrypt the affected files. It uses a strong encryption system and a long key, which virtually eliminates the possibility of decrypting files without a key. Files encrypted with .[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp extension become useless, their contents cannot be read without the key that the criminals have.

What is PGP ransomware virus

PGP ransomware is one of the variants of Dharma/Crysis ransomware. The most common source of infection are torrents files, freeware, cracked apps and games, Windows and Microsoft Office activators, and other similar software. Upon execution, it encrypts files using a key that is individual for each computer. PGP ransomware uses a very strong encryption system, which eliminates the possibility of determining the key, even using a super computer. The encryption process is very fast, regardless of what is in the file, the virus can easily encrypt it. PGP can encrypt almost all files that are on the computer, including those located on network drives. The only thing that the virus does not encrypt is the files that are necessary for the Windows OS to function normally. Below we list some types of files that can be encrypted by the ransomware:

.cdr, .hvpl, .ibank, .zi, .wps, .wma, .dmp, .mrwref, .xlgc, .m4a, .vpk, .ws, .gdb, .icxs, .doc, .ods, .png, .jpe, .itm, .wm, .wri, .odp, .wp5, .crw, .pptx, .xld, .wdp, .wbc, .accdb, .apk, .forge, .bik, .dba, .raf, .zip, .rtf, .db0, .wpd, .3fr, .sql, .xmind, .zip, .iwi, .lbf, .crt, .txt, .wpg, .dwg, .ncf, .xbdoc, .wpt, .bar, .cr2, .wn, .epk, .xxx, .pfx, .sidd, .mcmeta, .wmo, .pst, .wps, .mpqge, .pptm, .mlx, .bc7, .pem, .csv, .css, .t12, .wgz, .wsh, .wp, .d3dbsp, .xml, .mdf, .x3f, .wpw, .sr2, .wire, .wpe, .svg, .mp4, .xf, .layout, .bsa, .fos, .map, .wma, .wbz, .yml, .3ds, .xll, .xdb, .fsh, .itl, .zdc, .wb2, .rwl, .p7c, .xbplate, .3dm, .mdbackup, .z, .ntl, .xwp, .xar, .wav, .pef, .wpa, .docx, .rw2, .big, .hplg, .sav, .qic, .sum, .das, .docm, .wbd, .z3d, .dbf, .wmv, .cas, .t13, .odm, .kdc, .xls, .snx, .srw, .xyp, .upk, .xlsb, .rim, wallet, .hkdb, .bc6, .py, .mef, .arw, .p12, .zif, .y, .wpl, .xlsx, .menu, .dcr, .wpd, .wot, .wbmp, .raw, .xy3, .mov, .zabw, .m3u, .wcf, .xdl, .dazip, .1st, .blob, .sie, .wpb, .wdb, .hkx, .wmf, .jpeg, .dng, .pkpass, .lvl, .webdoc, .psk, .rb, .xpm, .yal, .1, .psd, .bkf, .syncdb, .mdb, .2bp, .bay, .wp4, .r3d, .xls, .kdb, .der, .ppt, .ybk, .vcf, .p7b, .sb, .odc, .wp6, .indd, .rgss3a, .vfs0, .tax, .dxg, .wbk, .nrw, .pdf, .ysp, .sidn, .xmmap, .ff, .eps

When a file is encrypted, ‘.id-USERID.[EMAIL-ADDRESS].pgp’ is added at the end of its name, that is, if you had a file of ‘document.docx’, then a file with the name ‘document.docx.id-USERID.[EMAIL-ADDRESS].pgp’ will appear in its place. If you change the file name, just delete the added extension, then nothing will change. The file will remain encrypted, and as before, this file will not be possible to open in the program with which it is associated.

Perhaps you found on your computer or its desktop a new file called ‘FILES ENCRYPTED.txt’, which for some reason is not encrypted. An example of such a file is given below.

This file is very important, in addition to containing a ransom demand, it also contains information that allows you to contact intruders. According to the message, the victim is invited to contact the attackers using the given email address. In response, the authors of the virus will give a Bitcoin address to which the ransom must be transferred. Of course, you should understand that there is no guarantee that the attackers, after receiving the ransom, will provide you with the key necessary to decrypt your files. In addition, by paying the ransom, you will push attackers to create a new ransomware.

The contents of the FILES ENCRYPTED.txt file:

all your data has been locked us
You want to return?
Write email openpgp@foxmail.com

Threat Summary

Name	PGP ransomware
Type	Crypto malware, File locker, Ransomware, Crypto virus, Filecoder
Encrypted files extension	.[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp
Ransom note	FILES ENCRYPTED.txt
Contact	openpgp@foxmail.com
Ransom amount	$500-$1500 in Bitcoins
Detection Names	Trojan.Win32.Crusis.tqMs, Trojan.Ransom.Crysis, Win32:RansomX-gen [Ransom], TrojWare.Win32.Crysis.D@6sd9xy, Trojan.Encoder.3953, Win32/Filecoder.Crysis.P, W32/Crysis.W!tr.ransom, Trojan-Ransom.Crysis, Trojan-Ransom.Win32.Crusis.to, Ransom.Crysis.Generic
Symptoms	Your personal files fail to open. Your files now have different extensions that end with something like .locked, .crypted or .cryptor. Files named such as ‘FILES ENCRYPTED.txt’, ‘#_README_#’, ‘_DECRYPT_’ or ‘recover’ in each folder with at least one encrypted file.. Your desktop is locked with a message about How to pay to unlock your system.
Distribution ways	Phishing Emails that is carefully developed to trick a victim into opening an attachment or clicking on a link that contains a harmful file. Drive-by downloads from a compromised web-site. Social media posts (they can be used to trick users to download malware with a built-in ransomware downloader or click a suspicious link). Suspicious webpages.
Removal	PGP ransomware removal guide
Decryption	To decrypt PGP ransomware use the steps

The full text of the message that appears in the PGP popup window:

All your files have been encrypted!
All your files have been encrypted due to a security problem with your PC. If you want to restore them, write us to the e-mail openpgp@foxmail.com
Write this ID in the title of your message –
In case of no answer in 24 hours write us to theese e-mails:openpgp@foxmail.com
You have to pay for decryption in Bitcoins. The price depends on how fast you write to us. After payment we will send you the decryption tool that will decrypt all your files.
Free decryption as guarantee
Before paying you can send us up to 1 file for free decryption. The total size of files must be less than 1Mb (non archived), and files should not contain valuable information. (databases,backups, large excel sheets, etc.)
How to obtain Bitcoins
The easiest way to buy bitcoins is LocalBitcoins site. You have to register, click ‘Buy bitcoins’, and select the seller by payment method and price.
hxxps://localbitcoins.com/buy_bitcoins
Also you can find other places to buy Bitcoins and beginners guide here:
hxxp://www.coindesk.com/information/how-can-i-buy-bitcoins/
Attention!
Do not rename encrypted files.
Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss.
Decryption of your files with the help of third parties may cause increased price (they add their fee to our) or you can become a victim of a scam.

As we have already said, PGP is not the first ransomware from the Crysis/Dharma family. The fact that to date, antivirus companies have not created a way to decrypt files, and just have not found a 100% way to protect the user’s computers (otherwise how would you be on our site), indicates the complexity of the ransomware and the method that it uses to encrypt files. Nevertheless, you do not need to despair. There are several ways to find and remove PGP ransomware, and there is also a chance to restore part or even all encrypted files to their original state. Below we will describe in detail how to do this.

How to remove PGP ransomware, Restore .[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp files

If your files have been encrypted with ‘.[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp’ extension, then first of all you need to remove PGP ransomware and be 100% sure that there is no active ransomware on your computer, and then proceed to restore the files. Both the ransomware removal process and the file recovery process will take a lot of time, so do not believe the magical instructions that say that this can be done very quickly. We definitely recommend, even if for some reason one of the methods proposed below did not suit you, try another one and try all of them. Perhaps one of them will help you. Feel free to ask questions in the special section on our website or in the comments below. And the last, before proceeding with the instructions, we advise you to read it thoroughly carefully, and then print or open it on a tablet or smartphone to have it always at hand.

1. How to remove PGP ransomware virus
2. How to decrypt .[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp files
3. How to restore .[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp files
4. How to protect your personal computer from PGP ransomware

How to remove PGP ransomware virus

First you need to remove PGP 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 PGP 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 PGP ransomware, then let us know in the comments, we will try to help you.

To remove PGP ransomware, use the steps listed below:

• Kill PGP ransomware
• Disable PGP ransomware Start-Up
• Scan computer for malware

Kill PGP ransomware

Press CTRL, ALT, DEL keys together.

Click Task Manager. Select the “Processes” tab, look for something suspicious that is the PGP 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 PGP 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.

Scan computer for malware

Zemana AntiMalware (ZAM) is a malware scanner that is very effective for detecting and removing PGP crypto malware. The steps below will explain how to download, install, and use Zemana Anti-Malware to scan your computer and remove crypto malware, spyware, trojans, worms, adware, malicious software for free.

1. Visit the page linked below to download Zemana Anti-Malware. Save it on your Desktop.
   
   

   Zemana AntiMalware
   164107 downloads
   Author: Zemana Ltd
   Category: Security tools
   Update: July 16, 2019
   
2. Once the downloading process is complete, close all apps and windows on your computer. Open a file location. Double-click on the icon that’s named Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup.
3. Further, click Next button and follow the prompts.
4. Once install is finished, click the “Scan” button to perform a system scan with this utility for the PGP ransomware virus and other security threats. A scan can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the number of files on your PC system and the speed of your PC system.
5. As the scanning ends, it will show the Scan Results. Review the report and then click “Next”. After disinfection is finished, you may be prompted to restart your computer.

If you have already used some malware removal tools, they found and removed malware, then in order to be 100% sure that the computer no longer has PGP ransomware, 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 antivirus. This utility has great capabilities and therefore we suggest using KVRT in the last turn to be sure that the PGP ransomware virus has been removed.

Download Kaspersky virus removal tool (KVRT) from the following link. Save it to your Desktop so that you can access the file easily.

When the download is finished, double-click on the Kaspersky virus removal tool icon. Once initialization process is finished, you will see the Kaspersky virus removal tool screen as shown on the screen below.

Click Change Parameters and set a check near all your drives. Click OK to close the Parameters window. Next click Start scan button for scanning your machine for the PGP crypto malware and other malware. A scan may take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the number of files on your PC system and the speed of your PC. While the utility is checking, you may see how many objects and files has already scanned.

As the scanning ends, KVRT will open a screen that contains a list of malware that has been found as displayed in the figure below.

In order to remove all threats, simply press on Continue to begin a cleaning process.

How to decrypt .[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp files

All files with the ‘.[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp’ extension are encrypted. Their contents cannot be unlocked simply by removing this extension or completely changing the filename. Unfortunately, as we already reported in this article, there is currently no way to decrypt files. The reason for this is the complexity of the encryption algorithm that the authors of PGP virus use. In principle, this is what the attackers sought. But this does not mean that you have no choice and you need to pay a ransom for your files.

Never pay the ransom! Any security expert will tell you this. Of course, there is a chance that by paying a ransom, PGP virus authors will allow you to unlock your files, but there is no guarantee. Moreover, you should understand that when you pay a ransom, you unknowingly push the attackers to create new, even more destructive viruses.

Do not forget that besides you, thousands more people around the world have lost their files, that is, you are not alone. Antivirus companies, security experts are working on something that will allow you to decrypt .[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp files. Perhaps in the future an universal method will be developed that will allow all victims to unlock all their data.

Of course, as soon as a way to decrypt the files appears, we will post a message about this to this article or to our facebook account. Therefore, we recommend that you follow the updates.

How to restore .[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp files

As we wrote above, you cannot decrypt files encrypted with PGP ransomware. But you can use a different way, there is a small chance to restore .[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp files without decrypting them. Programs created for searching and recovering lost and deleted data can help you with this. We recommend you to use the following free programs: PhotoRec and ShadowExplorer. Two more things we want to say about. First, before restoring files, you must be 100% sure that there is no ransomware on the computer. We recommend using free malware removal tools that we examined in this article. Second, and what is very important! The less you use your computer after ransomware infection, the higher the chance that you will be able to recover encrypted files.

Use ShadowExplorer to recover .[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp files

First of all, try to recover your files using a free tool called ShadowExplorer. This program will allow you to recover your files from Shadow Volume Copies. These copies are created automatically by the OS when you work with your files. Unfortunately, very often, the virus automatically deletes all these copies and thus prevents the user from recovering encrypted files. Nevertheless, in some cases, the ransomware cannot delete all copies, and the user gets the opportunity to quickly restore all files. Therefore, our opinion, you should definitely try this method!

First, visit the page linked below, then press the ‘Download’ button in order to download the latest version of ShadowExplorer.

After downloading is done, extract the saved file to a directory on your PC. This will create the necessary files similar to the one below.

Start the ShadowExplorerPortable program. Now select the date (2) that you wish to recover from and the drive (1) you wish to restore files (folders) from as shown below. If there is nothing in list 2 (date), this means that the PGP ransomware has deleted all recovery points and Shadow copies, so close ShadowExplorer and immediately proceed to the next method of file recovery.

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

And finally, specify a directory (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 .[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp files with PhotoRec

Another really working way to recover your encrypted files is to use a program named PhotoRec. It is created to recover deleted or lost files. Does the PGP ransomware block this method? Fortunately, the ransomware cannot block this method of recovering the contents of encrypted files. The more you used (moved, deleted, modified) files before infection, the greater the chance that you will be able to recover them.

Download PhotoRec on your system by clicking on the link below.

When downloading is complete, 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 such as the one below.

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

Select a drive to recover as displayed on the image below.

You will see a list of available partitions. Choose a partition that holds encrypted photos, documents and music as displayed on the screen below.

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

Next, press Browse button to choose where restored files should be written, then click Search. We highly recommend that you use an external device to save recovered files!

Count of restored 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, click on Quit button. Next, open the directory where restored documents, photos and music are stored. You will see a contents as displayed on the image below.

All restored files are written in recup_dir.1, recup_dir.2 … sub-directories. If you are searching 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 PGP ransomware

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. 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.

Download HitmanPro.Alert from the link below.

After the download is done, open the folder in which you saved it. You will see an icon like below.

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

Now click the Install button to activate the protection.

Finish words

This guide was created to help all victims of the PGP ransomware virus. We tried to give answers to the following questions: how to remove ransomware; how to recover .[openpgp@foxmail.com].pgp files. 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 PGP related issues, go to here.