An infection with the dangerous .qkG Virus leads to serious security issues. Victims can restore and protect their computers by following our complete removal guide.
Remove .qkG Virus and Restore PC
Manual Removal Guide
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Distribution of .qkG Virus
The .qkG 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 .qkG 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 .qkG Virus infection.
The computer criminals behind the malware can create malicious sites or download portals which distribute malware of different kinds, including the .qkG 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 .qkG 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 .qkG Virus
Security analysts discovered a new malware family which appears to be a completely new threat in the hands of its creators. According to the initial code analysis it is a distinct threat which contains a base engine that can further be modified to create new versions of it. It is believed that the developer of the malware is a hacker or criminal collective called TNA-MHT-TT2 or TNA@MHT-TT2. The .qkG virus that is being distributed in the moment contains only the base engine which can be further updated by the criminals behind it at any given time.
The security experts note that it is very possible that the .qkG virus is an experimental project or a proof-of-concept threat that is yet to see a truly global attack. Yet the researchers were able to obtain several different samples and variants belonging to this malware family. It is believed that the virus’s behavior upon infection is related to the particular strain as designed by its creator.
Important characteristic of this malware is the way it infects. A large part of the malware strains were found in hacker-modified documents, particularly Microsoft Word files containing dangerous scripts. When they are opened by the victims a notification prompt is called which asks them to enable the built-in scripts (macros). If this is done then the infection is initiated on the target computers.
At the moment there are three separate version of the .qkG Virus that are part of the initial attack wave:
- .qkG Virus 2d ‒ The processed files can be decrypted however the relevant code is not part of the source code and therefore it is labeled as non-working.
- .qkG Virus 2e ‒ The encryption process is not implemented.
- .qkG Virus e6 ‒ This virus does not infect all files after they have been processed by the initial module. Some files are excluded by filtering out their creation time.
As usual the virus can be further updated to include other components. Examples might include a Trojan instance that enables the criminals to spy on the victims in real time. Advanced versions include the ablity to record the mouse movement and keystrokes of the victims. It might also install itself in a persistent way which actively counters manual removal attempts. Depending on the hacker configuration the .qkG virus may also change important system settings including the following:
- Windows Registry ‒ Changes to the Windows registry can cause certain system functionality to fail. The creation of new values can help the virus stay on the computer.
- User Settings Modification ‒ The .qkG virus is able to revert user settings. Advanced malware can use this functionality to institute browser hijackers or other similar threats.
- Boot Options Change ‒ By manipulating sensitive Windows configuration files the .qkG virus can disable system restore functionality.
Network communications may be initiated with the hacker-operated servers to report the infection and receive additional commands. Using such techniques the criminals behind the malware can further manipulate the infected hosts.
When all prerequisite steps have completed the ransomware engine is started. Like other similar threats it uses a built-in list of target file type extensions containing the most frequently used files. Examples include the following: backups, archives, documents, images, music, videos, configuration files and etc. Depending on the hacker configuration a ransomware extension may be applied such as .qkG Virus.
A ransomware note is generated afterwards in a text or image file depending on the hacker configuration. It reads the following message:
I’m QkG@PTM17! by TNA@MHT-TT2
Send $300 to BTC Address: 14zA1NdTgtesLWZxtysLQQtsuKzjFbpydg
Contact Email: ***
7800320014003400580036001700380068003000
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 .qkG Virus removal guide below to recover their data and delete the active infections.
Remove .qkG Virus and Restore PC
WARNING! Manual removal of the .qkG 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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.qkG 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 .qkG 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 .qkG 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
