How to remove Waifu ransomware

Waifu ransomware is yet another version of Dharma that uses random characters to mark encrypted files

Waifu ransomware is a cryptovirus that evolves from notorious ransomware known from 2016 – Dharma ransomware. This family of malware is known as one of the most prevalent threats around, and its authors have already released over twenty variants. A unifying feature all versions have is a file encrypting process which starts after the virus infiltration – all files get locked by a sophisticated encryption algorithm. The process^[1] ends when victims' photos, documents, and databases are appended with.[Darknes@420blaze.it].waifu file extension. As soon as the encoding is complete, Waifu virus drops a ransom note which displays more information about the attack. Users can also view a short notice in the FILES ENCRYPTED.txt file which is typically placed on the desktop. 

Waifu ransomware, just as its predecessors, displays a virtually identical program window which still does not inform about the size of the ransom, apart from the fact the payment must be executed using Bitcoin cryptocurrency. Nevertheless, hackers prompt users to do so ASAP to receive decipher to regain access to their data.

However, there is no guarantee that your files can be restored by these people. Instead, users should rely on a backup – either digital (cloud, Dropbox) or physical (flash drive, external HDD) one.^[2]. Please beware that you should remove Waifu ransomware before proceeding with the file recovery process. Otherwise, your backups can be encoded once again.

As previously mentioned, Waifu ransomware displays a ransom note window with instructions about the payment methods needed to recover files and a suggestion to test the decryption service. The text file containing the contact emails appears on each folder including the desktop. FILES ENCRYPTED.txt reads the following: 

all your data has been locked us
You want to return?
write email Darknes@420blaze.it or Darknes_reserve@qq.com 

Waifu ransomware virus is not supposed to be left on your system for long because ransomware makes various system changes, for example adds new or changes old Windows registry entries. The purpose of this modification is to make sure that the threat is persistent and remains working on the device when you relaunch your computer. 

As a result, Waifu ransomware removal requires professional tools like anti-malware program FortectIntego. You can also pick any other anti-malware program of your choice to check the system thoroughly and make sure that there are no malicious files saved on your PC system. Then, proceed to data recovery procedure by following steps given in the end of this post.

Malicious executables responsible for downloading ransomware can be found in spam email attachments

Researchers^[3] in many countries have been actively advising people to pay more attention to email attachments they receive from unknown senders. Besides, software bundles and deceptive advertisements should also be taken into account as they have also been widely known to spread PUPs and more significant malware online. 

The best precautionary measure you can take, in this case, is cleaning your email box more often and scanning every attachment before downloading it to the system. Links should also be double-checked before clicking as they can redirect their victims with malware-infested domains.

Remember that legitimate services and companies are not sending financial information-themed emails to people who are not using their products. If you ever get an email that looks suspicious, make sure to look for these signs:

• grammar mistakes or typos in the general contents of the email;
• lack of logical connection between the email, sender, and attachments;
• name of the company you are not the customer of.

Terminate Waifu ransomware and clean the system with anti-malware tools

To remove Waifu ransomware from the system, you should rely on tools created for malware elimination. The anti-malware programs have various features like detecting existing intruders, blocking infection attempts and removing malicious threats from the system. Use FortectIntego, SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes for the job or use several ones, one after another, to double-check and make sure that every possible threat is removed.

Your concerns about encrypted files are understandable, but you need to proceed with Waifu ransomware removal before you try any of the data recovery methods. When you clean the device fully and delete any files related to ransomware, you can plug in your external device or load files from the cloud on the system. If you have any of these, rely on data recovery software that we suggest below the article.