Remove DEWD Ransomware Virus (DECRYPT .dewd FILES)

remove DEWD ransomware virus and learn how to decrypt or repair files with .dewd extension (free guide)

DEWD Ransomware Maliciously Aims To Encrypt Files Contained In Victims’ Computers

Contents

DEWD Ransomware Maliciously Aims To Encrypt Files Contained In Victims’ Computers
How to Prevent Ransomware Infiltrations?
Remove DEWD Ransomware and Decrypt Your Files
Decrypt DEWD files
Frequently Asked Questions

DEWD is a newly emerged malicious computer virus emanating from the infamous STOP/DJVU ransomware family. Just like other versions before it, this latest malware variant operates by encrypting all files contained in any computer it infects while equally appending .dewd extension to every filename. To explain it better, a random file that was hitherto saved as 1.jpg would instantly become 1.jpg.dewd following such an attack. Afterwards, the ransomware will also drop messages referred as _readme.txt in all the folders. Contained in them are information sent by those behind the cyber-attack, notifying the victim about the development and why they would have to pay ransom as a prerequisite to enable them receive DEWD file decryption tool.

To put it simply, this ransomware was developed with sole intention to take computer user’s files hostage and demand a ransom in exchange for a tool that could restore them back to normal.

Ransom note explains the attackers’ demands

Through the _readme.txt notes, the attention of the victim would be inclined toward the development and how all their files were encrypted by the DEWD ransomware, including vital documents, videos, photos and other similar files. To establish a communication interface between them, two emails (manager@time2mail.ch and supportsys@airmail.cc) would be dropped as well. In order to persuade the victim to pay the ransom urgently, they will state that cost of the decryption tool would be halved if payment could be made within 72 hours, which brings the ransom fee down to $490. However, once the 3 days “grace period” elapses, only the full ransom fee of $980 would be acceptable.

To ensure their identity is not revealed, they will state that the only payment method acceptable by them is through cryptocurrency. So, once the victim indicates the interest of paying the ransom, they would be informed of the particular cryptocurrency platform to use as well as the wallet address to transfer the ransom fee equivalent to.

The ransom note will also indicate that victims are at liberty to forward excerpts of the encrypted files to any of the email addresses for possible test decryption. However, they will also state that such a file sample must not contain any important information otherwise, it becomes invalid. The idea behind this is to assure the victim of their ability to restore their encrypted files once they pay the ransom.

Regardless, cybersecurity experts, including the FBI, have warned against ransom payment due to certain considerations. They base their verdict on the fact that ransom payment rarely leads to data recovery. Also, doing so inadvertently funds the activities of cybercriminals, and they would equally see the victim as a potential cash cow, thus increasing the chances of being targeted again in the future.

Specifics of STOP/DJVU ransomware variants

Studies conducted by cybersecurity experts on various variants of STOP/DJVU malware have revealed that certain countries are usually exempted from such cyber-attacks. These countries include Belarus, Armenia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Kazachstan and Uzbekistan. The virus then connects with https[:]//api.2ip.ua/geo.json and saves the resulting outcome in a geo.json file (it contains crucial information such as zip code, country, IP address, city, longitude and latitude). Afterwards, it would profile the information it deducted to confirm if it matches with any of the countries they designated as encryption-protected, as listed above, which would determine whether they would continue with the attack or not.

To worsen matters, data encryption is not the only threat posed by DEWD virus considering that it is also notorious for installing additional malware, particularly the information-stealing RATs otherwise known as Remote Access Trojans. The most recent ones to be detected alongside STOP/DJVU ransomware variants are AZORULT and VIDAR. The motive is to obtain sensitive private information like passwords, bank account details, browsing history and cryptocurrency wallets etc. which they hope to use in the future in committing more fraud, including blackmail.

Additionally, this ransomware deletes Volume Shadow Copies so that the computer user couldn’t restore files easily and also modifies Windows HOSTS file. The latter is updated with a list of URLs mapped to victim’s localhost IP. As a consequence, the computer user might run into DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error when trying to access one of the URLs restricted by the virus.

For those that are victims already, it would be in your best interest to remove DEWD ransomware virus as well as any other malware that may have been attached alongside. The recommended way of going about it is to get a trusted antivirus and also initiate a total system scan by first booting your computer system using Safe Mode with Networking as shown below. Afterwards, you should also consider the need to download RESTORO which is very effective in scanning systems in order to repair Windows OS files that were damaged during the cyber-attack.

Ransomware Summary

Name	DEWD Ransomware Virus
Type	Ransomware; Crypto-malware; Virtual Extortion Virus
Family	STOP/DJVU
Encryption type	RSA 2048 + Salsa20
Previous versions	NUHB, MSJD, DMAY, JHDD, DEWD, JHBG, JHGN, (find full list here)
Version	463rd
Extension	.dewd
Cybercriminal emails	manager@time2mail.ch and supportsys@airmail.cc
Additional malware dropped	Azorult or Vidar Trojan
Damage	The ransomware uses encryption to maliciously modify all files on the PC and marks their original names with .dewd extension. Ransom notes called as _readme.txt will be dropped in every computer folder. This piece of malware usually drags VIDAR Stealer alongside it and also eliminates VSS from the system. On top of that, it tends to modify Windows HOSTS file to restrict computer user’s access to cybersecurity-related websites online.
Ransom note	_readme.txt
Ransom demand	$490-$980 in Bitcoin
Distribution	Victims often download this ransomware along illegal torrent downloads, cracked software, activators, key generators or tools like KMSPico.
Known software cracks to contain this malware	Corel Draw, Tenorshare 4ukey, Adobe Photoshop, Cubase, Adobe Illustrator, Internet Download Manager, Tally, League of Legends.
Detection names	Ransom:Win32/StopCrypt.PAL!MTB (Microsoft), Trojan.Crypt (A) (Emsisoft), HEUR:Trojan-Ransom.Win32.Stop.gen (Kaspersky), Trojan.GenericKD.47850419 (BitDefender), Trojan.MalPack.GS (Malwarebytes), ML.Attribute.HighConfidence (Symantec) see all detection name variations on VirusTotal
Removal	Remove ransomware and related malware from your PC using trustworthy software. To repair virus damage on Windows OS files, consider scanning with RESTORO (secure download link).

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Scan your system for FREE to detect security, hardware and stability issues. You can use the scan results and try to remove threats manually, or you can choose to get the full version of software to fix detected issues and repair virus damage to Windows OS system files automatically. Includes Avira spyware/malware detection & removal engine.

Screenshot of data folder compromised by the described ransomware.

Contents of the _readme.txt ransom note are displayed below.

How to Prevent Ransomware Infiltrations?

Most computer threats typically infiltrate through risk factors such as illegal online downloads, malicious email attachments and fake update tools. However, STOP/DJVU malware variants including DEWD virus are specifically spread through pirated software copies that are often found in torrents platforms and other similar dubious online sites.

Evidences provided by previous victims have shown that such STOP/DJVU infections are usually detected following downloads of software contents from online torrents platforms. Based on that, any form of download from such dubious sites is strongly advised against. From our own checks, we discovered that fake versions of some popular software contents are usually used as baits, and listed below are the most common ones:

Adobe Illustrator,
Aobe Photoshop,
Corel Draw;
Adobe Premiere Pro,
AutoCad;
Cubase;
VMware Workstation;
League of Legends;
Tenorshare 4ukey;
Internet Download Manager.

Previous attempts of some computer users to download KMSPico versions had shown that ransomware variants were embedded in them. To remain on the safe side, you’re advised to get your software needs only from the genuine/original software producer or their authorized partners.

In addition to that, you should also be cautious when opening emails, especially when such email is unexpected or from unfamiliar sources. In trying to take their victims unawares, cybercriminals now use different deceptive methods. It is not unusual to observe them claiming to be who they are not while attaching files embedded with malware to their email. Such attachments are often created with XLS, PDF or DOCX among similar ones that enable macro functions. Opening them will automatically trigger the release of payload.

Before we conclude there is need to reemphasize that victims of STOP/DJVU variants should not make use of ransomware decryption tools that are usually advertised on dubious websites. So far, only DiskTuna and Emsisoft have been confirmed to be effective in decrypting files.

Remove DEWD Ransomware and Decrypt Your Files

To ensure a successful DEWD ransomware removal, you’re advised to take the following steps as listed below. Firstly, you should boot your computer using Safe Mode with Networking option before running a genuine antivirus software. After that, you may consider the need to download RESTORO to help in restoring damaged Windows OS files.

If you’ve managed to remove DEWD ransomware virus, it is time to do the following:

Report the incident at the police authorities nearest to you.
Make use of data backups in restoring lost files.
Study more about STOP/DJVU encrypted files and possible ways they could be repaired.
Immediately change all passwords that were previously used on the compromised computer.

OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND

Our team recommends removing malware using a professional antivirus software and then using the following tool to repair virus damage to Windows system files:

REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER

DOWNLOAD RESTORO

RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically.

RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them.

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GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more.

DEWD Ransomware Virus Removal Guidelines

Method 1. Enter Safe Mode with Networking

Step 1. Start Windows in Safe Mode with Networking

Before you try to remove DEWD Ransomware Virus virus, you must start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Below, we provide the easiest ways to boot PC in the said mode, but you can find additional ones in this in-depth tutorial on our website – How to Start Windows in Safe Mode. Also, if you prefer a video version of the tutorial, check our guide How to Start Windows in Safe Mode on Youtube.

Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users

First of all, turn off your PC. Then press the Power button to start it again and instantly start pressing F8 button on your keyboard repeatedly in 1-second intervals. This launches the Advanced Boot Options menu.
Use arrow keys on the keyboard to navigate down to Safe Mode with Networking option and press Enter.

Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users

Open Windows Start menu, then press down the Power button. On your keyboard, press down and hold the Shift key, and then select Restart option.
This will take you to Windows Troubleshoot screen. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart. Tip: If you can't find Startup Settings, click See more recovery options.
In Startup Settings, press the right key between F1-F9 to enter Safe Mode with Networking. In this case, it is the F5 key.

Step 2. Remove files associated with the virus

Now, you can search for and remove DEWD Ransomware Virus files. It is very hard to identify files and registry keys that belong to the ransomware virus, Besides, malware creators tend to rename and change them repeatedly. Therefore, the easiest way to uninstall such type of a computer virus is to use a reliable security program such as INTEGO Antivirus, which also includes data recovery software. For virus damage repair, consider using RESTORO.

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Method 2. Use System Restore

In order to use System Restore, you must have a system restore point, created either manually or automatically.

Step 1. Boot Windows in Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users

Shut down your PC. Start it again by pressing the Power button and instantly start pressing F8 button on your keyboard repeatedly in 1-second intervals. You will see Advanced Boot Options menu.
Using arrow keys on the keyboard, navigate down to Safe Mode with Command Prompt option and press Enter.

Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users

Launch Windows Start menu, then click the Power button. On your keyboard, press down and hold the Shift key, and then choose Restart option with the mouse cursor.
This will take you to Windows Troubleshoot screen. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart. Tip: If you can't find Startup Settings, click See more recovery options.
In Startup Settings, press the right key between F1-F9 to enter Safe Mode with Command Prompt. In this case, press F6 key.

Step 2. Start System Restore process

Wait until system loads and command prompt shows up.
Type cd restore and press Enter, then type rstrui.exe and press Enter. Or you can just type %systemroot%system32restorerstrui.exe in command prompt and hit Enter.
This launches System Restore window. Click Next and then choose a System Restore point created in the past. Choose one that was created before ransomware infection.
Click Yes to begin the system restoration process.

After restoring the system, we recommend scanning the system with antivirus or anti-malware software. In most cases, there won't be any malware remains, but it never hurts to double-check. In addition, we highly recommend checking ransomware prevention guidelines provided by our experts in order to protect your PC against similar viruses in the future.

Alternative software recommendations

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

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System Mechanic Ultimate Defense

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Disclaimer. This site includes affiliate links. We may earn a small commission by recommending certain products, at no additional cost for you. We only choose quality software and services to recommend.

Decrypt DEWD files

Fix and open large DEWD files easily:

It is reported that STOP/DJVU ransomware versions encrypt only the beginning 150 KB of each file to ensure that the virus manages to affect all files on the system. In some cases, the malicious program might skip some files at all. That said, we recommend testing this method on several big (>1GB) files first.

Create a copy of encrypted file to a separate folder using Copy > Paste commands.
Now, right-click the created copy and choose Rename. Select the DEWD extension and delete it. Press Enter to save changes.
In the prompt asking whether you want to make the changes as file might become unusable, click OK.
Try opening the file.

STOP/DJVU decryption tool usage guide

STOP/DJVU ransomware versions are grouped into old and new variants. DEWD Ransomware Virus is considered the new STOP/DJVU variant, just like NUHB, MSJD, DMAY, JHDD, DEWD, JHBG, JHGN, (find full list here). This means full data decryption is now possible only if you have been affected by offline encryption key. To decrypt your files, you will have to download Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP DJVU, a tool created and maintained by a genius security researcher Michael Gillespie.

Note! Please do not spam the security researcher with questions whether he can recover your files encrypted with online key - it is not possible.

In order to test the tool and see if it can decrypt DEWD files, follow the given tutorial.

Download the decryption tool from Emsisoft.
Click the little arrow next to your download and choose Show in Folder.
Now, right-click the file and choose Run as Administrator. If asked, enter administrator's password.
In UAC window, click Yes.
Click Yes to agree to software terms in both windows.
The tool will automatically include C:// disk as a location to decrypt. The file recovery tool will prepopulate the locations to scan, including connected data storage drives or network drives. Click Add folder if you wish to add additional locations.
In Options tab, you can choose to keep encrypted file copies. We recommend leaving this option selected, especially if you do not know if the decryption tool will work.
Click Decrypt to start restoring DEWD files. You will see the progress in the Results tab. Here, you can see messages from the tool, such as whether the decryption procedure is successful, or you need to wait for an update.
You might also be informed that online key was used to encrypt your files. In such case, the decryption tool won't work for you, and the only way to recover your files is to use a data backup.

Meanings of decryptor's messages

The DEWD decryption tool might display several different messages after failed attempt to restore your files. You might receive one of the following messages:

Error: Unable to decrypt file with ID: [example ID]

This message typically means that there is no corresponding decryption key in the decryptor's database.

No key for New Variant online ID: [example ID]
Notice: this ID appears to be an online ID, decryption is impossible

This message informs that your files were encrypted with online key, meaning no one else has the same encryption/decryption key pair, therefore data recovery without paying the criminals is impossible.

Result: No key for new variant offline ID: [example ID]
This ID appears to be an offline ID. Decryption may be possible in the future.

If you were informed that an offline key was used, but files could not be restored, it means that the offline decryption key isn't available yet. However, receiving this message is extremely good news, meaning that it might be possible to restore your DEWD extension files in the future. It can take a few months until the decryption key gets found and uploaded to the decryptor. We recommend you to follow updates regarding the decryptable DJVU versions here. We strongly recommend backing up your encrypted data and waiting.

Report Internet crime to legal departments

Victims of DEWD Ransomware Virus should report the Internet crime incident to the official government fraud and scam website according to their country:

In the United States, go to the On Guard Online website.
In Australia, go to the SCAMwatch website.
In Germany, go to the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik website.
In Ireland, go to the An Garda Síochána website.
In New Zealand, go to the Consumer Affairs Scams website.
In the United Kingdom, go to the Action Fraud website.
In Canada, go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
In India, go to Indian National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.
In France, go to the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information.

If you can't find an authority corresponding to your location on this list, we recommend using any search engine to look up "[your country name] report cyber crime". This should lead you to the right authority website. We also recommend staying away from third-party crime report services that are often paid. It costs nothing to report Internet crime to official authorities.

Another recommendation is to contact your country's or region’s federal police or communications authority.

Frequently Asked Questions

✓ How can I open .DEWD files?

You can only open DEWD files if you have the decryption key, or if you were affected by offline encryption type.

✓ How do I know if my files were encrypted with offline or online encryption?

To figure out whether you were affected by offline encryption, please go to C:/SystemID/PersonalID.txt and see if the string inside of it ends in t1. You can also try using Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP/DJVU.

✓ My files contain very important information (family memories). Every tool I used says it is impossible to decrypt. What should I do?

Please follow the guidances provided by the official DEWD decryption tools and believe what they say. If they say it is impossible to decrypt, it really is so. There is no magic tool or human capable of decrypting your files hiding somewhere. Encryption is a technique created to be nearly impossible to decrypt without a special private key (held by the criminals).

✓ I am afraid virus is still in my computer system. What should I do?

We advise scanning with anti-virus, anti-malware, malware removal tools or software like RESTORO to eliminate virus damage on the system. If you do not trust using a single tool, try running one after another. However, we do not recommend keeping several security programs on a computer at once as they can interfere with each other's work.

✓ I saw several Youtube videos suggesting secret decryption tools. Can I trust them?

Beware of fake DEWD decryption tools circulating around the web. Cyber criminals are uploading them to various shady websites, also might be promoting them via suspicious Youtube videos. These programs can infect your computer even more heavily (Trojans, miners, etc.). We suggest being extremely cautious around the web. If there will be an official STOP/DJVU decryption tool available, it will be widely discussed in public media.

Norbert Webb

Norbert Webb is the head of Geek’s Advice team. He is the chief editor of the website who controls the quality of content published. The man also loves reading cybersecurity news, testing new software and sharing his insights on them. Norbert says that following his passion for information technology was one of the best decisions he has ever made. “I don’t feel like working while I’m doing something I love.” However, the geek has other interests, such as snowboarding and traveling.