Geek's Advice

Fresh ransomware makes your files inaccessible by using cryptography

Fresh ransomware is a new variant of DHARMA ransomware – this virus family uses a combination of RSA-AES cryptography to deny access to your files and developers of this malware demand a ransom in order to revert these changes. The corrupted files can be identified easily since the virus marks them with a combination that consists of victim’s ID, cybercriminal’s contact email address and .fresh extension. For example, the encrypted file may appear as 1.jpg.id-144314.[freshkart@420blaze.it].fresh after the attack. Following the file encryption, a ransom note called FILES ENCRYPTED.txt appears in every affected folder. This message states that all of your files have been encrypted. It also contains instructions on how to supposedly resolve this situation. Another message from the criminals is launched as info.hta file on the screen.

Ransom note contents: pay the price to access your files

After the intrusion and successful encryption, hackers leave ransom notes in every affected folder, as well as the desktop. This file contains an unambiguous message – either you pay the price demanded a chance to regain the access, or you lose your files permanently. In addition, the hacker‘s contact email is provided which is freshkart@420blaze.it. The user is also encouraged to make a trial test – sending one encrypted file to the email provided and later receiving it back decoded.

It is currently unknown how much money the ransomware authors demand for file decryption tools. The victim is also forbidden from attempting any third-party decrypting software since it might damage the files. It is important to note, that all of these actions are designed to provoke panic from the victim so that he would do rushed decisions.

Having this in mind, never make any contact with the cybercriminals for one simple reason: they are not trustworthy. These crimes are made by profit-driven people – if they see an opportunity to extort you more, they will do it.

Therefore, following their instructions might leave you with significant financial loss, that, even worse, might be completely pointless. Security experts receive many reports about cases in which the victim is left with nothing even after the payment is made. When dealing with these kinds of situations remember, that there is simply no guarantee that you will receive the promised decryption tool.

What has been done to your files

To understand the whole Fresh ransomware concept better, first of all, you need to have some context knowledge on what RSA-AES encryption is. RSA-AES is a cipher technology that was created to safely transmit data between military peers. It is no exaggeration when people call it military-grade cipher since it was used by various countries’ militaries. Every single act of using it creates a unique encryption/decryption key that is in the message sender’s possession.

Unfortunately, there is no real way to regain access to the affected files if they have been touched by RSA cipher unless you posses the previously mentioned key. However, as more and more ransomware variants emerge, novice hackers tend to leave mistakes inside their code which could be exploited in the victim’s favor. Nonetheless, that is rarely the case, so the only viable option might be to remove Fresh ransomware from your system and then importing lost files from a back-up.

Ransomware is becoming a widespread threat to your security

If you wonder how it is possible to get infected by virus like Fresh, you need to understand the basic principles of malware-spreading. Nowadays, cybercriminals tend to get creative and find more unusual ways to scam you but some of the methods are circulating on the internet for years. For example, downloading from unofficial, unverified websites and file-sharing platforms like zMule, ThePirateBay or Mediafire could leave you exposed to harmful actions initiated by hackers.

Keep in mind, that when talking about illegal software downloads (like keygens, activation tools, cracks, etc.) nothing comes free, even if it is advertised as such since you might pay the price at the expense of your system’s security.

The other distribution method used by hackers is various forms of adware – whether that is intrusive ads or browser hijackers. For example, pressing on a pop-up ad when you surf the internet might trigger a browser hijacker infection that changes your default browser’s settings. After that, it is possible that it might trigger chain infection (downloading additional malware).

Last but not least – Fresh ransomware might spread through malspam campaigns. To explain, it is a pretty straightforward social-engineering scheme that sends thousands of deceitful emails to random internet users. These emails are designed to trick the person into clicking on a link inside it or a file attached to it. Once that is done, a virus might get inside your system. So we recommend you always check your emails carefully and do not open any suspicious-looking links or files inside of them.

Remove Fresh ransomware

If you see any signs of being infected with this ransomware, you should take immediate action to complete FRESH virus removal. Having present malware in your system for extensive periods of time is extremely dangerous – the more time it has, the more damage it can deal with, plus it can provide ways for other malware to sneak in.

For this reason, we recommend you use RESTORO – this PC repair software not only is capable of dealing with tasks such as this – it also possesses the necessary capabilities to help your system heal itself. To remove Fresh ransomware follow the steps provided below. Please be extremely careful not to miss any step and ensure secure malware elimination from the system.

OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND

Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system:

STEP 1. REMOVE AUTOMATICALLY WITH ROBUST ANTIVIRUS

REMOVE & PROTECT WITH INTEGO

Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7.. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs.

Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer.

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STEP 2. 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.

Read full review here.

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Alternative software recommendations

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Removing spyware and malware is one step towards cybersecurity. To protect yourself against ever-evolving threats, we strongly recommend purchasing a Premium version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which provides security based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Includes ransomware protection. See pricing options and protect yourself now.

System Mechanic Ultimate Defense

If you're looking for an all-in-one system maintenance suite that has 7 core components providing powerful real-time protection, on-demand malware removal, system optimization, data recovery, password manager, online privacy protection and secure driver wiping technology. Therefore, due to its wide-range of capabilities, System Mechanic Ultimate Defense deserves Geek's Advice approval. Get it now for 50% off. You may also be interested in its full review.

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.

Matt Corey

Matt Corey is passionate about the latest tech news, gadgets and everything IT. Matt loves to criticize Windows and help people solve problems related to this operating system. When he’s not tinkering around with new gadgets he orders, he enjoys skydiving, as it is his favorite way to clear his mind and relax.