Guide to Remove V6cye Ransomware

V6cye Ransomware is a brand-new variant of the pernicious snatch Ransomware family. Just like other Ransomware, V6cye crypto-virus has been designed to encrypt the files & lock them by adding its malicious extension to the filenames. The encrypted files are inaccessible to the users & can be restored using a private unique key that is stored on the hacker’s server.

The hackers demand hefty amount as a ransom from the victims in return of the V6cye decrypter tool & the purchase key.

Is paying the ransom only way to restore your encrypted data? Can V6cye decrypter tool remove V6cye extension from the files? How can you stop V6cye Ransomware from infecting your system?  Read on to find answers to these questions.

Threat Summary

Name	V6cye
Type	Ransomware
Category	Malware
Operating System Impacted	Windows
Symptoms	Files are encrypted & locked with .v6cye extension. Appearance of ransom-demanding note while trying to access the files.

 

Threat Behavior of V6cye Ransomware

V6Cye Ransomware, a variant of the infamous Snatch Ransomware is the latest threat to the cyber-world. It has infected a large number of systems across the world so far. It is spreading its infection at an alarming rate via spam e-mail campaigns, third-party software download sources & suspicious websites.

Just like other Ransomware-infections, V6cye Ransomware has been designed to encrypt the files & make ransom demand.

After infecting the system, .V6cye file virus searches every nook & corner for the targeted files. When found, it employs highly-complex cryptographies such as AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) & RAS (Rivest–Shamir–Adleman) to encrypt the files. These cryptographies also generate unique decryption key for each victim.

The encrypted files renamed by adding .V6cye extension to the file-names. The users will not be able to access or read the content of the files as these are made inaccessible by the V6cye Crypto-virus.

A file named “image.jpg” might be renamed as “image.jpg.V6cye” after encryption.

Following are the file extensions that V6cye Ransomware is capable of encrypting-

1). Document files (.docx, .doc, .odt, .rtf, .text, .pdf, .htm, .ppt)

2). Audio Files (.mp3, .aif, .iff, .m3u, .m4u, .mid, .mpa, .wma, .ra, .avi, .mov, .mp4)

3). Video Files (.3gp, .mpeg, .3g2, .asf, .asx, .flv, .mpg, .wmv, .vob)

4). Images (.jpg, .jpeg, .raw, .tif, .gif, .png)

5). Backup Files (.bck, .bckp, .tmp, .gho)

Details of the Ransom Note & Amount for V6cye Ransomware

Once the files are encrypted, V6cye drops a ransom-demanding note, “RESTORE_V6CYE_FILES.txt” on the victim’s desktop.

This ransom note explains the current situation & states that only V6cye’s Developers can restore the encrypted data. Each victim is assigned a unique decryption key, which is required to restore data. This unique key is stored on the server that is handled by the V6cye’s developers.

The victims are required to pay hefty amount of around $500-$1500 in Cryptocurrency to the hackers in exchange of the V6cye decryption tool & unique key.

In order to guarantee the decryption, the hackers offer to restore any three encrypted files of the victims for free. The victims may contact the hackers & send files on their e-mail id –[email protected].

The ransom amount, whether high or low, should never be paid to the hackers. Analysis has shown that victims are typically ignored by the hackers after paying ransom amount. In addition to that, paying the ransom encourages the victims to continue to spread the infection & swindle computer users.

Instead, the victims must act smart & download V6cye decrypter tool. Else, they may follow virus removal guidelines to get rid of V6cye Ransomware.

Distribution Techniques of V6cye Ransomware

According to the cyber-security analysts, the developers of V6cye are using common internet services to propagate its infection. These include:

• Fake Software Updaters/Cracks
• Spam E-mail Campaigns
• Unofficial Software Download Sources
• Freeware download websites, free file-hosting sites
• Peer to Peer Networks
• Exploiting vulnerabilities in the OS & installed software
• Through Open Remote Desktop Services ports

How to remove V6cye Ransomware infection from the system

STEP A: Reboot your system to safe mode with networking

To restart the system to Safe Mode with Networking,  if already switched ON then follow the below steps:

Windows 7/ Vista/ XP

1. Click on Windows icon present in the lower left corner of the computer screen.
2. Select and click  Restart.
3. When the screen goes blank, Keep tapping  F8  Key until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
4. With the help of arrow keys on keyboard, Select Safe Mode with Networking  option from the list and press the Enter Key. The system will then restart to Safe Mode with Networking.

5 Click on the username and enter the password (if any).

Windows 10 / Windows 8

1. Press and hold the Shift Key and simultaneously click on the windows icon present in the lower left corner of your computer screen.
2. While the Shift key is still pressed click on the Power button and then click on Restart.
3. Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings.
4. When the Startup Settings screen appears which is the first screen to appear after restart, select and click on Enable Safe Mode with Networking. The system will then restart to Safe Mode with Networking.
5. Click on the username and enter the password.

STEP B: Remove Malicious Program from Command Prompt

Once the system starts, ensure to use an account with administrative privilege to access Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

After the user enters admin credentials, Command prompt window is displayed wherein you are entitled to enter the below commands:

1. Type the command “sc delete V6cye Ransomware” in the command prompt and press Enter.
2. Type “exit” to exit the command prompt and restart the system in safe mode with command prompt.

STEP C: Delete the suspicious service from the Registry Key

1. Type “Regedit” in search box / Run Box, select it and press Enter.
2. An authorization dialog box will appear, then you just have to click “Yes”. (The dialog box appearance may vary depending on OS used. For Windows 10 the the dialog box looks like the first screenshot and for windows 7 it appears like the second screenshot)
3. In the registry editor, take the backup of the current registry settings before making any changes in case you want to revert to old settings later. For this, Click on File option in the menu and select Export. Save the entry at a known location.
4. From the Menu, Click Edit and Select Find.
5. Enter V6cye Ransomware and click Ok in the search box.
6. Select and delete suspicious  enteries.

STEP D: Restore the System Files & Settings

Method 1 using Control Panel

1. Click on the ‘Start’ button on the taskbar. This will open the Start menu.
2. Click on the ‘Control Panel’ button in the Start menu. This will open the control panel window.
3. In the Control Panel window, click on the ‘View by:’ button on the top right. Select the Large Icon option
4. In the control Panel window click on the ‘Recovery Icon’. This will open a window that will ask ‘Restore the computer to an earlier point in time’.
5. Click on the ‘Open system restore’ button. This will open the ‘system restore ’window where you need to click on the Next Button.
6.  Select the restore point that is prior the infiltration of V6cye Ransomware. After doing that, click Next.
7. This will open the ‘Confirm your restore point’ dialog box. Click on Finish button. This will restore your system to a previous restore point before your system was infected by V6cye Ransomware.

OR

Method 2 using Command Prompt

1. Type cmd in the search box and click on the command prompt to open the Command Prompt window. box and clicking on it.
2. Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.(Ensure that you in the system32 directory of Windows folder in C Drive)
3. Now type rstrui and press Enter again.
4. When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of V6cye Ransomware. After doing that, click Next.
5. This will open the ‘Confirm your restore point’ dialog box. Click on Finish button. This will restore your system to a previous restore point before your system was infected by V6cye Ransomware.

OR

Method 3 : Directly type ‘rstrui’ in the search box

1. Type ‘Rstrui’ in the search box present on the task bar. This will open the System restore dialog box.

Continue to follow steps 4 & 5 of Method 2 to restore the System Files and settings.

How to prevent V6cye Ransomware from infecting your system

1. Keeping the Operating System Updated- In order to remain protected and avoid such infections, it is recommended to keep your Operating System updated by enabling the automatic update on your system. The systems with outdated or older versions of Operating System become an easy target for the attackers.
2. Resist clicking on spam emails – One of the major techniques used for malware distribution is forwarding spam emails to the user. The system gets infected as soon as the user clicks on the attachment. These mails appear to be genuine, so be aware and resist falling for these tricks.
3. Keep an eye on third party installations- It is quite important that you take due care while installing any third party applications for they are major source of such infections. Such malware programs come bundled with the free applications thereby requiring the user to remain cautious.
4. Regular periodical backup- In order to keep your data and files safe, it is recommended to take regular back up of all your data and files either on an external drive or cloud.
5. Use Anti-Virus Protection- We strongly recommend the use of antivirus protection/internet security in your PC like  Vipre, Kaspersky & BULL GUARD so that it remains safe.
6. Enable the Ad Blocker/Popup Blocker in your browser- Enabling the popup blocker/ ad blocker in your chosen browser will help you to stay protected from annoying adware.