Geek's Advice

QNTY ransomware takes your files hostage, demands a ransom

QNTY ransomware is a malicious file-encrypting computer malware that just came out from the STOP/DJVU ransomware family. This virus operates by encrypting every file it can find on any computer it compromises before appending .qnty extension to each of them respectively. Take for example, an existing file originally called 1.jpg will be renamed to 1.jpg.qnty and same process will be applied on all others. During the attack, ransom notes known as _readme.txt will also be released by the ransomware in all the folders. These notes contain information from the cybercriminals notifying the victim about what just happened and briefly explains why they would have to a ransom fee in order to receive QNTY decryption tool.

The cybercriminals would emphasize in the note that QNTY ransomware virus has encrypted every file/data found in the computer system thereby making them unusable, and since they made use of very strong encryption key, the victim has no other option than to pay a ransom fee that will qualify them to receive a decryption tool. Also included will be two email addresses obviously dropped for the victim so they could have a means of reaching out to them. The email addresses are: support@sysmail.ch and helprestoremanager@airmail.cc.

And lastly, the note will contain decryption service prices as well as conditions of payment. They will instruct that payment has to be made without delay and to influence the victim to comply ASAP; it will state that should payment be made within a 3-day period i.e. 72 hours, there would be 50% discount. In other words, instead of paying a ransom fee of $980, the victim will now have to pay $490 but once 3 days elapses, only the full ransom fee will be acceptable.

However, once the victim contacts them through any of the email they provided, the cybercriminals will state categorically that payment can only be made through cryptocurrency. Therefore, the victim would have to purchase cryptocurrency that is worth the ransom fee and transfer it to their wallet address. The apparent reason why they use this option is to avoid the risks associated with other medium of payment that could lead to their arrest, thus they chose a medium that will protect their identity. They may also request for parts of the encrypted files to be sent to them for test decryption as a way of convincing the victim but they will warn that such excerpt must not contain data that could be perceived as important.

Our team of cybersecurity experts advises people to follow FBI’s guidelines pertaining to ransom payments and it states that on no account should ransom be paid. There are several reasons why this recommendation was put forward and they’re displayed below:

• There is no guarantee you will recover your encrypted files even after paying huge sums as ransom.
• Paying ransom would be a form of endorsement to the cybercriminals, and they will be encouraged to continue in their nefarious activities.
• More ransom money in their hands would enable them to expand their illegal activities and victimize more people.
• It might be illegal to pay a ransom depending on your country’s laws.

It does not end there; the virus is also capable of dropping Trojans like AZORULT and VIDAR that can covertly steal information from the already compromised computer such as banking details, software login details, computer-saved passwords, cryptocurrency wallets and browsing history among others. Such sensitive information in the wrong hands can result in more scams.

Those that have been infected with any of the STOP/DJVU ransomware variants should remove the QNTY ransomware as quickly as possible to avert any further damage. The best way to remove it is by setting up your computer in Safe Mode with Networking before activating any strong antivirus on the infected computer. If you’re not sure about which antivirus to use, then you can make use of INTEGO Antivirus recommended by our experts. In addition to that, you should also download RESTORO which you can use to repair any damage to your Windows OS files.

Ransomware Summary

REMOVE MALWARE & REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE

Ransomware distribution techniques used by cybercriminals

Most victims of STOP/DJVU ransomware variants including QNTY virus got infected after downloading from malicious online torrents. The cybercriminals will upload pirated software copies that are loaded with virus and they become triggered in random computers after they are downloaded by unsuspecting users. Therefore, the use key generators, “cracks” and any other fake software copies are highly discouraged. Over the years, victims of ransomware have often reported about ransomware attack after exposing themselves to some of these fake software contents. From our list so far, the most common pirated software contents that are often uploaded to online torrents platforms are listed below:

• Internet Download Manager;
• Cubase;
• Tenorshare 4ukey;
• AutoCad;
• Opera browser;
• Corel Draw;
• VMware Workstation;
• Fifa 20;
• Adobe Illustrator;
• League of Legends;
• Adobe Photoshop;
• KMSPico (illegal Windows activation tool).

For those that have a penchant for visiting online torrents platform, you’re hereby advised to desist from doing so. You will vulnerable to ransomware attack any single moment you spend in such places. Trying to download key generators, so-called cracks or to gain access to paid game versions at no cost is akin to going through a field filled with landmines. These illegal software contents are baits used by cybercriminals to get their victims. Also, making use of copyrighted software contents illegally is subject to civil penalties and is punishable by law.

Instead of risking all these, it is much better to do the right thing by going to the recognized official pages of the original content producers and pay whatever license fees that is required so you can obtain them legitimately. The license fee is always affordable unlike the outrageous ransom fees cybercriminals demand from their victim. In addition to that, you won’t be at risk of losing important/sensitive data.

Another distribution method used by cybercriminals is malicious email attachments whereby they compose highly convincing messages that would be attached with documents formatted on XLS, DOCX, PDF or similar ones that allow JavaScript or other macro functions that can be used to upload and trigger payload in other computers.

The problem is that trying to decipher which email is genuine or from cybercriminals can be quite difficult. This is because these rogues have devised means of impersonating others. They usually pretend to be FAM or from well-known brands like DHL, eBay, UPL or Amazon etc. and equally use official terms like Tracking Details, Invoice or Order Summary. They may even decide to use email spoofing techniques that would obfuscate the actual sender’s email address. Whatever gimmick they use, you’re advised to thread with caution anytime you receive an email whose source is not clear enough.

For victims of STOP/DJVU ransomware, it would be in your best interest to stay away from suspicious websites that claim to provide decryption solutions. These are dubious claims because such solutions hardly exist. Currently, only Emsisoft and DiskTuna have tools that are verified to be effective. However, others only want to spread other versions of ransomware like ZORAB disguised as fake STOP/DJVU decryptors. Downloading them would likely lead to double-file encryption.

More technical details about the malware

Complex activities take place during QNTY ransomware attack, so this section explains what actually happens and how much it affects the computer. The first thing that occurs during a ransomware attack is the setting up of build.exe or build2.exe executables and also winupdate.exe (this is a prompt that shows a fake Windows update display).

Afterward, the virus will connect with https[:]//api.2ip.ua/geo.json, and the response will be forwarded to the geo.json file. It will then begin gathering every detail concerning the computer under attack, such as the computer’s geolocation, time zone, zip code, latitude, and longitude, and would save them accordingly before creating another file information.txt where hardware details, installed software list and other processes will be stored. Shown in the screenshot below is an example of geo.json file.

See a screenshot of information.txt file below.

At this point, the virus will make use of the geolocation information to detect if it is domiciled in any of their encryption-exception countries listed as Russia, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Kazachstan, and Belarus. If they find out it actually belongs to any of the countries, they will immediately abort their mission. However, if otherwise, the malware will now fetch online encryption key from their server and would join it to the victim’s ID before saving them in bowsakkdestx.txt file and to PersonalID.txt file. Examples of these files are shown in the screenshot below.

Failure to extract any online encryption key (this situation occurs in case the virus fails to establish connection with Command&Control server), it will settle for an offline key version. The difference between both keys is that offline key is hardcoded into the ransomware and is used per all offline-encryption victims while the online key obtained from Command&Control server is strictly unique for every victim.

The implication is that with offline key, the victim can hope to decrypt .qnty files going forward but such chances is limited with online key encryption. An indication of offline key usage is t1 characters at the end of the victim’s ID (you can check this by opening C:\SystemID\PersonalID.txt file). Read more about it here.

Afterwards, the ransomware will begin full data encryption process whereby it will scan every folder and also encrypts them with Salsa20 before locking the encryption key using RSA-2048. While this process is still ongoing, the virus will mark each file with extra extension identical to the ransomware’s variant name.

The image below shows _readme.txt ransom note the malware drops in all the folders.

The next the virus does is to delete Volume Shadow Copies using command prompt shown here:

^{vssadmin.exe Delete Shadows /All /Quiet}

In completing the process, the malware will blacklist certain domains in the Windows HOSTS file and when/if the victim tries to gain access to them, an error message: DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN may appear on the screen.

Remove QNTY Ransomware Virus and Retrieve Your Files

You’re advised to remove QNTY ransomware virus as quickly as you can once it is detected in your computer. You can get this done by booting your computer through Safe Mode with Networking before running any reputable antivirus on it, to ensure optimal result. This is very important and if you’re not sure about the antivirus to use, then you should consider making use of INTEGO Antivirus because it has been tested by us and certified to be perfect.

Once QNTY ransomware removal is complete, please follow the steps below as recommended by our team:

• You should endeavor to inform relevant law enforcement agencies about the cyber-attack without further delay.
• Make use of your backup device to restore your lost files.
• Learn possible ways that files encrypted by STOP/DJVU ransomware variants can be decrypted.
• Change all passwords that were used on the compromised computer.
• Think about using software for the aftermath following the ransomware. You can download RESTORO which claims to repair virus damage on Windows OS files.

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.

Read full review here.

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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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.