An infection with the dangerous .java Virus leads to serious security issues. Victims can restore and protect their computers by following our complete removal guide.
Remove .java Virus and Restore PC
Manual Removal Guide
Skip all steps and download anti-malware tool that will safely scan and clean your PC.
SpyHunter anti-malware tool will diagnose all current threats on the computer. By purchasing the full version, you will be able to remove all malware threats instantly. Additional information about SpyHunter / Help to uninstall SpyHunter
Distribution of .java Virus
The .java Virus is a new virus which has been sighted in a limited attack campaign. At the moment the security researchers cannot determine the primary infection strategy. We presume that the most widely used tactics are going to be employed.
Among them are the email messages created in an automated way and sent to large lists of potential victims. The .java Virus can be directly attached to the messages. This is one of the easiest way for the criminals to attempt the infection. However a lot of email hosting providers usually capture the signatures of the virus and as such discard such messages or label them as dangerous or spam. Other infection methods related to this one is the option of inserting hyperlinks in the body content of the messages. The links are usually labeled as leading to a familiar website or a file of user interest. Redirects can redirect to hacker-controlled sites, infected payloads or other instances that can lead to an .java Virus infection.
The computer criminals behind the malware can create malicious sites or download portals which distribute malware of different kinds, including the .java 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 the .java 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 addons 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 .java Virus
The .java virus is the newest strain of the Dharma ransomware family. This is one of the most popular threats as this malware type is considered high risk both to the security of the infected machines and the privacy of the victims. Most advanced forms of the Dharma ransomware like the .java virus infect the systems in a several stage attack. The end goal of the .java virus is to encrypt the majority of user files with a dangerous cipher. They are then extorted to pay a ransomware fee in the digital currency Bitcoin or an alternative which makes it hard to trace the payments down to the recipients.
The .java virus begins its malicious actions by first performing an initial information harvesting check. This is a deep scan of the infected host which gathers data including the following: installed hardware components, applications and user settings. The Dharma ransomware family uses the data to compute a string called the unique infection ID (UID).
The next initiated step is to make system-wide changes to the computer. Depending on the hackers strategy the steps may fall into one of these categories:
- Registry Changes ‒ They can alter the Windows operating system in ways that make certain system functions unstable or non-working.
- Performance Issues ‒ The .java virus can cause severe performance issues to the target computer when the preliminary processes and the actual ransomware component is initiated.
- Settings Modification ‒ The infection engine of the .java virus can trigger inportant settings changes that can be applied both to the user-installed applications and the operating system as a whole.
When an advanced form of the .java virus is found it can install itself in a persistent way. This is a special attack scenario where the infection engine actively monitors the users actions and protects itself from removal. The .java virus then infiltrates various system folders which prevents the victims from finding out the exact location of the engine. The first instances of the Dharma ransomware family were known to infiltrate the users directories including the following:
- %UserProfile%\Desktop
- %UserProfile%\Documents
- %UserProfile%\Pictures
- %UserProfile%\Downloads
- %UserProfile%\Music
- %UserProfile%\Videos
The .java virus may report the infections to the hacker-operated servers. Advanced forms may contain additional components that can be loaded once the preliminary checks have complete. They may be loaded externally or via built-in modules. Examples include the following:
- Trojan Modules ‒ They allow the hacker operators to spy the users in real time by viewing their displays and recording their mouse movement or keystrokes.
- Additional Malware Deployment ‒ The .java virus may be used to infect the hosts with multiple malware at once.
- Data Theft ‒ The hacker operators behind the .java virus have the ability to extract any file that they wish prior to the encryption phase.
Once all preliminary steps have taken place the ransomware process is started. Like previous Dharma ransomware variants the .java virus uses a strong encryption which makes it impossible to recover the data without using the combination of a quality anti-spyware solution and a data recovery application. It is no different than other similar threats by targeting the most popular file type extensions: documents, archives, images, videos, photos, backups, configuration files and others. Like its name it renames all processed files with the .java extension. A generic ransomware note may be created in a file called README.TXT or HELP.txt which may contain template-based notes. An example note reads the following:
‘ATTENTION!
At the moment, your system is not protected.
We can fix it and restore files.
To restore the system write to this address:
[email protected]’
A generic file list includes the following target file type extensions:
“PNG .PSD .PSPIMAGE .TGA .THM .TIF .TIFF .YUV .AI .EPS .PS .SVG .INDD .PCT .PDF .XLR .XLS
.XLSX .ACCDB .DB .DBF .MDB .PDB .SQL .APK .APP .BAT .CGI .COM .EXE .GADGET .JAR .PIF .WSF .DEM
.GAM .NES .ROM .SAV CAD Files .DWG .DXF GIS Files .GPX .KML .KMZ .ASP .ASPX .CER .CFM .CSR .CSS .HTM .HTML .JS .JSP .PHP .RSS .XHTML. DOC .DOCX .LOG .MSG .ODT .PAGES .RTF .TEX .TXT .WPD .WPS .CSV .DAT .GED .KEY .KEYCHAIN .PPS
.PPT .PPTX ..INI .PRF Encoded Files .HQX .MIM .UUE .7Z .CBR .DEB .GZ .PKG .RAR .RPM .SITX .TAR.GZ .ZIP .ZIPX .BIN .CUE
.DMG .ISO .MDF .TOAST .VCD SDF .TAR .TAX2014 .TAX2015 .VCF .XML Audio Files .AIF .IFF .M3U .M4A .MID .MP3 .MPA .WAV .WMA Video Files .3G2 .3GP .ASF .AVI .FLV .M4V .MOV .MP4 .MPG .RM .SRT .SWF .VOB .WMV 3D .3DM .3DS .MAX .OBJ R.BMP .DDS .GIF .JPG ..CRX .PLUGIN .FNT .FON .OTF .TTF .CAB .CPL .CUR .DESKTHEMEPACK .DLL
.DMP .DRV .ICNS .ICO .LNK .SYS .CFG”
Depending on the version a ransomware note can be created which features generic messages blackmailing the victims to pay a Bitcoin ransomware fee. We recommend that all users abstain from communicating with the hackers and use our full .java Virus removal guide below to recover their data and delete the active infections.
Remove .java Virus and Restore PC
WARNING! Manual removal of the .java 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.
SpyHunter anti-malware tool will diagnose all current threats on the computer. By purchasing the full version, you will be able to remove all malware threats instantly. Additional information about SpyHunter / Help to uninstall SpyHunter
.java Virus – Manual Removal Steps
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 bellow 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
Remove .java from Windows
Here’s a way to remove the program. This method will work regardless if you’re on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP. Simply selecting the program and pressing delete won’t work, as it’ll leave a lot of small files. That’s bad because these leftovers can linger on and cause all sorts of problems. The best way to delete a program is to uninstall it. Here’s how you can do that:
1. Hold the “Windows” button (It’s between CTRL and Alt on most keyboards) and press “R”. You’ll see a pop-up window.
2. In the textbox, type “appwiz.cpl”, then press“ Enter ”.
3. The “Programs and features” menu should now appear. It’s a list of all the programs installed on the PC. Here you can find the program, select it, and press “Uninstall“.
Remove .java Virus From Your Browser
Before resetting your browser’s settings, you should know that this action will wipe out all your recorded usernames, passwords, and other types of data. Make sure to save them in some way.
-
1. Start Mozilla Firefox. In the upper right corner, click on the Open menu icon and select “Add-ons“.
2. Inside the Add-ons Manager select “Extensions“. Search the list of extensions for suspicious entries. If you find any, select them and click “Remove“.
3. Click again on the Open menu icon, then click “Options“.
4. In the Options window, under “General” tab, click “Restore to Default“.
5. Select “Search” in the left menu, mark the unknown search engine and press “Remove”.
-
1. Start Google Chrome. On the upper-right corner, there a “Customize and Control” menu icon. Click on it, then click on “Settings“.
2. Click “Extensions” in the left menu. Then click on the trash bin icon to remove the suspicious extension.
3. Again in the left menu, under Chrome, Click on “Settings“. Go under “On Startup” and set a new page.
4. Afterward, scroll down to “Search“, click on “Manage search engines“.
5. In the default search settings list, find the unknown search engine and click on “X“. Then select your search engine of choice and click “Make default“. When you are ready click “Done” button in the right bottom corner.
2. In the “Manage add-ons” window, bellow “Add-on Types“, select “Toolbars and Extensions“. If you see a suspicious toolbar, select it and click “Remove“.
3. Then again in the “Manage Add-ons” window, in “Add-on Types“, Select “Search Providers“. Chose a search engine and click “Set as default“. Select the unknown search engine and click “Remove and Close”.
4. Open the Tools menu, select “Internet Options”.
5. In the “General” tab, in “Home page”, enter your preferred page. Click “Apply” and “OK”.
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
