An infection with the dangerous .booknish Jigsaw virus leads to serious security issues. Victims can restore and protect their computers by following our complete removal guide.
Manual Removal Guide
Recover .booknish Jigsaw- Files
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Distribution of .booknish Jigsaw Virus
.booknish Jigsaw virus is a new data locker ransomware that has been released in attack campaigns against computer users worldwide. The threat could be utilizing widely used tactics of distribution to infect computer systems.
One of the easiest ways for the criminals to spread the payload of .booknish Jigsaw ransomware is by attaching it to email messages that are later released in active attack campaigns. The method allows hackers to send the virus to large lists of potential victims. The attachments to malicious email spam messages usually have Word documents or other types of files which users open without hesitation. Once opened on a target host these compromised files trigger the ransomware payload and infect the device with .booknish Jigsaw crypto virus. Other infection tactic related to emails is hyperlink inserted in the content of the messages. The links are usually labeled as leading to a familiar website or a file of user interest.
Computer criminals behind this new ransomware can be using malicious sites or download portals to distribute malware of different kinds, including .booknish Jigsaw virus. A popular option is the use of infected documents which may be of different types ‒ spreadsheets, rich text documents, presentations and databases. They are modified to initiate the virus once the built-in scripts are run. Usually when the files are opened a notification will ask the users to run the macros (scripts). If this is done the infection follows.
The hacker-controlled sites are specialist portals that have been created either manually or automatically by the criminals behind .booknish Jigsaw virus. They can either directly distribute the threat by initiating various scripts or automated operations or link to such instances. Redirects are usually caused by email interaction, ad networks or other browsing activity. However one of the main sources is the availability of browser hijackers. They are malicious add-ons made for the most popular web browsers ‒ Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, Microsoft Edge and Safari. Once installed they not only infect the users with the malware, but also redirect the victims to a hacker-controlled site. Depending on the configuration the browser hijackers can also steal sensitive information such as any stored passwords, account credentials, history, bookmarks, form data and settings.
Impact of .booknish Jigsaw Virus
The .booknish Jigsaw virus is the latest virus strain from the Jigsaw ransomware family that has been identified in an ongoing attack campaign. It appears to closely follow the behavior strains associated with previous versions.
Upon infection the associated virus engine will perform a multi-stage infection. The initial infection begins with an information gathering that can reveal sensitive data about the users. As a result the hackers can gain access to information about the user’s name, address, interests, location, telephone number, passwords and account credentials. When campaign metrics are requested the engine retrieves information concerning the installed hardware components and certain operating system values.
This information can then be processed using a stealth protection module. It is used to guard the .booknish Jigsaw from interference and acts primarily against anti-virus products, virtual machine hosts and sandbox environments. In certain cases when this isn’t possible the virus may be instructed into deleting itself to avoid detection.
After these steps are complete system changes are performed. One of the most notable examples are the various Windows Registry modifications. They can manipulate strings used by both the operating system and the user-installed applications. This means that certain functions may be blocked, furthermore the users can experience overall performance issues. Modifications to these entries can also make the malware engine execute as a persistent threat. This means that it will execute when the computer boots. It will also override any removal attempts using the manual methods.
To cause further trouble the .booknish Jigsaw virus engine can also the identified Shadow Volume Copies. This makes data recovery difficult unless a specialized data recovery software is used. Refer to our recovery instructions for more information about this.
An additional measure is the inclusion of Trojan-like components that can connect to a hacker-controlled server. This approach allows the malware strain to spy on the victims in real time, take over their computers and institute additional viruses.
The ransomware engine itself is lanched after all other components have finished execution. It uses a very strong AES cipher in order to encrypt sensitive user data. Like previous versions of the Jigsaw ransomware family the list of target file types is built-in to the code. The security analysis reveals that each attack campaign can have different lists. An example one may target the following file types:
- Archives
- Databases
- Backups
- Documents
- Music
- Images
- Videos
As it is customary the .booknish extension is applied. Instead of a ransomware note an application frame spawned which requests the ransom fee from the victims. Its contents reads the following:
You have been weened
Your personal files are being deleted. Your photos, videos, documents, etc…
rektEvery hour I select some of them to delete permanently,
therefore I won’t be able to to access them, either.
During the first 24 hour you will only lose a few files,
the second day a few hundred, the third day a few thousand, and so on.
If you turn off your computer or try to close me, when I start next time
you will get 1000 files deleted as a punishment.
The requested ransomware sum quoted by the captured samples is $100.
Remove .booknish Jigsaw Virus and Restore PC
Please note that paying the requested ransom fee to cyber criminals does not really solve your problem with .booknish Jigsaw crypto virus. In fact, you only encourage hackers to continue spreading ransomware of this kind. Instead, you must remove the threat immediately, and only then look for optional ways to recover your data.
WARNING! Manual removal of .booknish Jigsaw ransomware virus requires being familiar with system files and registries. Removing important data accidentally can lead to permanent system damage. If you don’t feel comfortable with manual instructions, download a powerful anti-malware tool that will scan your system for malware and clean it safely for you.
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Start the PC in Safe Mode with Network
This will isolate all files and objects created by the ransomware so they will be removed efficiently. The steps below are applicable to all Windows versions.
1. Hit the WIN Key + R
2. A Run window will appear. In it, write msconfig and then press Enter
3. A Configuration box shall appear. In it Choose the tab named Boot
4. Mark Safe Boot option and then go to Network under it to tick it too
5. Apply -> OK
Show Hidden Files
Some ransomware threats are designed to hide their malicious files in the Windows so all files stored on the system should be visible.
1. Open My Computer/This PC
2. Windows 7
- – Click on Organize button
– Select Folder and search options
– Select the View tab
– Go under Hidden files and folders and mark Show hidden files and folders option
3. Windows 8/ 10
- – Open View tab
– Mark Hidden items option
4. Click Apply and then OK button
Enter Windows Task Manager and Stop Malicious Processes
1. Hit the following key combination: CTRL+SHIFT+ESC
2. Get over to Processes
3. When you find suspicious process right click on it and select Open File Location
4. Go back to Task Manager and end the malicious process. Right click on it again and choose End Process
5. Next, you should go folder where the malicious file is located and delete it
Repair Windows Registry
1. Again type simultaneously the WIN Key + R key combination
2. In the box, write regedit and hit Enter
3. Type the CTRL+ F and then write the malicious name in the search type field to locate the malicious executable
4. In case you have discovered registry keys and values related to the name, you should delete them, but be careful not to delete legitimate keys
Click for more information about Windows Registry and further repair help
Recover .booknish Jigsaw- Files
WARNING! All files and objects associated with .booknish Jigsaw ransomware virus should be removed from the infected PC before any data recovery attempts. Otherwise the virus may encrypt restored files. Furthermore, a backup of all encrypted files stored on external media is highly recommendable.
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1. Use present backups
2. Use professional data recovery software
Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery – a specialist tool that can restore partitions, data, documents, photos, and 300 more file types lost during various types of incidents and corruption.
3. Using System Restore Point
- – Hit WIN Key
– Select “Open System Restore” and follow the steps
4. Restore your personal files using File History
- – Hit WIN Key
– Type restore your files in the search box
– Select Restore your files with File History
– Choose a folder or type the name of the file in the search bar
– Hit the “Restore” button
