Remove File Spider ransomware (Removal Guide) - updated Dec 2017
File Spider virus Removal Guide
What is File Spider ransomware?
File Spider ransomware targets victims from Balkans
File Spider ransomware is a malicious program which aims to encrypt valuable information on the victimized computers to earn illegal profits[1]. After it reaches the system and encodes data, it demands to pay the ransom within 96 hours to receive a decryptor. According to the latest news, the ransomware targets people from the Balkans — Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, etc.
However, security experts do not recommend following such orders. Criminals are not worth relying on because you might lose your money as well. Thus, after you have noticed .spider extension at the end of your filenames, you should focus on File Spider removal because it may have modified the system, opened a backdoor to other cyber threats and made your PC vulnerable.
File Spider ransomware is usually dropped on the system from the malicious MS Word document and executed using PowerShell. The virus on the system operates from two components. The one is an encryptor that arrives on the system as an enc.exe file. The second element is a decrypter and the main GUI that runs from dec.exe.
Following data encryption, ransomware shows a ransom demanding window called “File Spider [ file-spider@protonmail.ch].” It includes a detailed explanation about data encryption and gives instructions what users have to do. The ransom note also provides a link to the video hosting site where the victims can find a video tutorial on how to decrypt the data.
The program has several sections that provide different information or guidelines:
- Start Page;
- Translate
- Visit Website;
- ID Code;
- Decrypter;
- Help.
In the Start Page, victims are threatened not to take any other action because File Spider malware is said to be capable of detecting them and deleting encrypted files as a punishment. However, it’s currently unknown if ransomware actually has this functionality. Though, elimination of the malware is still needed.
Nevertheless, cyber criminals try to be helpful and give even video tutorial how to access payment website; you should not follow their orders to avoid money loss.[2] Ransomware is used for swindling the money illegally. Thus, once they receive the payment; they might disappear and do not give the decryption key.
If you see this threatening window on your computer’s screen, you should reboot to Safe Mode with Networking and remove File Spider virus using reputable malware removal software, such as ReimageIntego.
Ransomware arrives as a decoy Office Word document
While crypto-malware can spread with the help of different techniques, this one particularly reaches the victim as a fraudulent email letter with the subject line Potrazivanje dugovanja, which means Debt Collection in English. The malicious letter holds Word document written in Bosnian language.
Once the inexperienced computer user opens the document it triggers the hidden macro code which launches PowerShell to download the payload of the ransomware from a free Java Script hosting site called yourjavascript.com. At first, the payload is encoded with Base64.
To decode the malicious files, PowerShell script uses AlbertTI key in the XOR operation and saves the payloads inside the executables of the ransomware — enc.exe and dec.exe.
Therefore, malware researchers team from Bedynet.ru[3] warn that users have to be careful with downloads, updates, and ads because they might also be used for spreading the virus. Thus, you should not click or download any suspicious content online.
File Spider virus termination instructions
It is important to understand the risks of File Spider ransomware. It can not only corrupt your files, but also let inside other dangerous computer threats to damage your system. Therefore, its elimination procedure should be held with an extreme care.
Sadly, but the regular computer user is not experienced enough to deal with ransomware-type cyber infections. Likewise, the only option to clean your system is to ensure File Spider removal to a professional security software. Our top recommendations would be ReimageIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes.
They are particularly designed to be easy to use and finish the elimination procedure quickly. If you want to perform automatic termination, you might need to reboot your PC into Safe Mode to prevent the ransomware blocking your system. Those who are not aware of how to do that can follow the instructions provided below.
Once you remove File Spider from the computer, you can restore encrypted files from backups. However, if you do not have them, you can try alternative recovery tools. You can find our recommendations below as well.
Getting rid of File Spider virus. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
You should start File Spider removal by booting your PC into Safe Mode. The instructions are given below:
Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing 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.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
%AppData%
%LocalAppData%
%ProgramData%
%WinDir%
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
Remove File Spider using System Restore
Alternative way to disable the virus is the following:
-
Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Windows 7 / Vista / XP- Click Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
-
Select Command Prompt from the list
Windows 10 / Windows 8- Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
- Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
-
Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window.
-
Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
-
Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
-
Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again..
-
When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of File Spider. After doing that, click Next.
-
Now click Yes to start system restore.
-
Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
Bonus: Recover your data
Guide which is presented above is supposed to help you remove File Spider from your computer. To recover your encrypted files, we recommend using a detailed guide prepared by 2-spyware.com security experts.If your files are encrypted by File Spider, you can use several methods to restore them:
Give a try to Data Recovery Pro
You can restore files with .spider extension with the help of this professional tool. Keep in mind that it is handy since you can also recover data if you have accidentally deleted it.
- Download Data Recovery Pro;
- Follow the steps of Data Recovery Setup and install the program on your computer;
- Launch it and scan your computer for files encrypted by File Spider ransomware;
- Restore them.
You can always use the Windows Previous Versions feature
This option suits the ones who want to particularly recover individual data and if the System Restore function was enabled before ransomware infiltration.
- Find an encrypted file you need to restore and right-click on it;
- Select “Properties” and go to “Previous versions” tab;
- Here, check each of available copies of the file in “Folder versions”. You should select the version you want to recover and click “Restore”.
ShadowExplorer might be helpful
Note that Shadow Volume Copies are necessary to use this tool.
- Download Shadow Explorer (http://shadowexplorer.com/);
- Follow a Shadow Explorer Setup Wizard and install this application on your computer;
- Launch the program and go through the drop down menu on the top left corner to select the disk of your encrypted data. Check what folders are there;
- Right-click on the folder you want to restore and select “Export”. You can also select where you want it to be stored.
Currently, there is no official File Spider Decryptor
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from File Spider and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as ReimageIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting ransomware
Protect your privacy – employ a VPN
There are several ways how to make your online time more private – you can access an incognito tab. However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of Private Internet Access VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise. Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and Private Internet Access VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.
No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool
If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers – human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence. In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.
If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. Data Recovery Pro is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market – it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.
If this free removal guide helped you and you are satisfied with our service, please consider making a donation to keep this service alive. Even a smallest amount will be appreciated.
- ^ Ransomware. Techopedia. Defining the latest tech buzzwords.
- ^ Ryan Harnedy. What a $20,000 Ransomware Attack Can Teach You About Backup and Recovery. Barkly Endpoint Security Blog. Latest endpoint security news, tips, and actionable insights.
- ^ Bedynet. Bedynet. Cyber security news.