How to remove FBI ransomware

FBI ransomware encrypts users' files and asks them to pay a fine for engaging in illegal activities

FBI ransomware is a file-locking virus that can encrypt users' personal files, like photos, videos, and documents. The affected files are appended with the .fbi extension. If a file was previously named picture.jpg, after encryption it would look like this – picture.jpg.fbi. The icons are also changed to white pages so thumbnails become unavailable. Encrypted files are impossible to open.

The ransom note

FBI ransomware generates 3 files on the machine – readme.txt, LOCKEDBYFBI.hta, and decryptfiles.html, which are all empty. It also displays a fullscreen, and the message reads as follows:

Illegal content has been found on your system!

This computer has been seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Inn accordance with a seizure warrant obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California, and the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Issued pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 981, 982, and 1030 by the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.
All your files have been encrypted and to get them back you must notice we detected illegal content.
We notice also your illegal activity online, to get your files back you must e-mail us at crimeinvest23@proton.me
Else your files will be used as evidence against you. Your fine must be payed and illegal files will be erased after.
Your current find is: $250.00 for having illegal websites and activity in your system.
Do not attempt to close the locker, it is bad decide for you. When closed all detail will be sent to the FBI database.
You can be arrested for up to many years and its classed as escaping the fine.

Warning, all attempts to unlock the system are logged to FBI database, do not try to guess your system password, pay the fine!

In the note, cybercriminals are pretending to be from the  Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, the law enforcement agency has nothing to do with this malicious program. Users are told that their files were encrypted because of illegal activity. They are told to pay a fine of $250.

We strongly advise against contacting the threat actors or paying the ransom. Many previous ransomware attack victims say that they never received the promised decryption tools after sending the payment. Luckily, files encrypted by FBI ransomware can be decrypted by entering the decryption key^[1] “fbi” into the “Decrypt:” window and clicking “Unlock.”

However, it is rare for cybercriminals to use one simple decryption key for all infected machines. If the decryption key will not unlock your data, decrypting the files is almost impossible. There is a third-party solution that helps in some cases. You will find instructions on how to use it below.

Distribution methods

Ransomware is distributed using various methods. Most of the time, people get infected by installing “cracked” software^[2] from Torrent websites, or peer-to-peer file-sharing platforms. These platforms are unregulated because the activity is illegal. Therefore, it is impossible to know if the files you download are safe.

Another possibility is that you opened an infected attachment in an email. Cybercriminals use social engineering to create letters that look like urgent messages. Usually, they impersonate well-known companies to appear trustworthy. That is why it is best to only open attachments from senders you know.

The most important thing you should do daily is update your operating system and software. Hackers can use software vulnerabilities to deliver their malicious programs. Software developers regularly release security patches that should be installed to prevent this from happening.

Use professional security tools to eliminate ransomware

The critical thing to do is disconnect the affected machine from the local network. For home users, disconnecting the ethernet cable should do the job. If this happened at your workplace, doing that might be complicated, so we have instructions for corporate environments at the bottom of this post.

If you try to recover your data first, it can result in permanent loss. It can also encrypt your files the second time. It will not stop until you remove the malicious files causing it first. You should not attempt removing the malicious program yourself unless you have experience.

Use anti-malware tools like SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes to scan your system. This security software should find all the related files and entries and remove them automatically for you. In some cases, malware is not letting you use antivirus in normal mode, so you need to access Safe Mode and perform a full system scan from there:

Windows 7 / Vista / XP

1. Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
2. When your computer becomes active, start pressing the F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. – it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
3. Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.

Windows 10 / Windows 8

1. Right-click on the Start button and select Settings.
   
2. Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
3. On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
4. Now scroll down to find the Advanced Startup section.
5. Click Restart now.
6. Select Troubleshoot.
7. Go to Advanced options.
8. Select Startup Settings.
9. Click Restart.
10. Press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.

Fix system errors

Performance, stability, and usability issues, to the point where a complete Windows reinstall is required, are expected after a malware infection. These types of infections can alter the Windows registry database, damage vital bootup, and other sections, delete or corrupt DLL files, etc. Once a system file is damaged by malware, antivirus software is not able to repair it. 

This is why FortectIntego was developed. It can fix a lot of the damage caused by an infection like this. Blue Screen errors,^[3] freezes, registry errors, damaged DLLs, etc., can make your computer completely unusable. By using this maintenance tool, you could avoid Windows reinstallation.

• Download the application by clicking on the link above
• Click on the ReimageRepair.exe
  
• If User Account Control (UAC) shows up, select Yes
• Press Install and wait till the program finishes the installation process
• The analysis of your machine will begin immediately
• Once complete, check the results – they will be listed in the Summary
• You can now click on each of the issues and fix them manually
• If you see many problems that you find difficult to fix, we recommend you purchase the license and fix them automatically.

File recovery software

Many people think that they can fix their files with anti-malware tools, but that is not what they are designed for. All the security tools can do is detect suspicious processes in your system and eliminate malicious files. The truth is, that the files can be restored only with a decryption key or software that only the cybercriminals have.

If you did not back up your data previously, you possibly lost your files forever. You can try using data recovery software, but third-party programs cannot always decrypt the files. We suggest at least trying this method. Before proceeding, you have to copy the corrupted files and place them in a USB flash drive or another storage. And remember – only do this if you have already removed the FBI ransomware.

Before you begin, several pointers are essential while dealing with this situation:

• Since the encrypted data on your computer might permanently be damaged by security or data recovery software, you should first make backups of it – use a USB flash drive or another storage.
• Only attempt to recover your files using this method after you perform a scan with anti-malware software.

Install data recovery software

1. Download Data Recovery Pro.
2. Double-click the installer to launch it.
3. Follow on-screen instructions to install the software.
4. As soon as you press Finish, you can use the app.
5. Select Everything or pick individual folders where you want the files to be recovered from.
6. Press Next.
7. At the bottom, enable Deep scan and pick which Disks you want to be scanned.
8. Press Scan and wait till it is complete.
9. You can now pick which folders/files to recover – don't forget you also have the option to search by the file name!
10. Press Recover to retrieve your files.