An infection with the dangerous .SEXY Virus leads to serious security issues. Victims can restore and protect their computers by following our complete removal guide.
Remove .SEXY Virus and Restore PC
Manual Removal Guide
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Distribution of .SEXY Virus
The .SEXY 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 .SEXY 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 .SEXY Virus infection.
The computer criminals behind the malware can create malicious sites or download portals which distribute malware of different kinds, including the .SEXY 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 .SEXY 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 .SEXY Virus
A new Globe Imposter strain has been identified by the security community. The .sexy virus is a new strain that has been found to contain newer components than already known versions. At the moment no information is available on the identity of the hacker or criminal collective behind the attacks.
Depending on the targets the hackers can customize the strains with additional components. The base engine itself is delivered only with the ransomware component and other additions can be bundled to extend its functionality.
Such strategies allow the computer criminals to execute built-in patterns either automatically or when certain conditions are met. Advanced threats usually run the malware code in two distinct phases ‒ a post-infection check and the actual malware processing of user files.
The .sexy virus stems from the Globe Imposter and as such can integrate all dangerous practices from the well-known malware family. This includes the preliminary information stealing check. If this is included the engine starts to extract sensitive data from the compromised computer: hardware components, installed software and user settings. Based on the information a unique infection ID (UID) may be created which serves as a way to identify the hacked machines.
Next based on the predefined hacker patterns the following modules can be integrated:
- Data Theft ‒ The criminals can steal user files prior to the encryption phase.
- Trojan Module ‒ It allows the hackers to remote control or spy on the users activities.
- Persistent Installation ‒ This is a deep infection tactic which actively prevents manual removal attempts from the user’s part. When such a threat is involved in a computer attack the only way to effectively remove is by using a quality anti-malware solution.
- Additional Virus Delivery ‒ The .sexy virus can be used to install other viruses to the target machines as well.
The .sexy virus are usually distributed in infected software installers or through email campaign. Some attack campaigns may seek to attach a smaller size payload dropper which contains only instructions that download the malware from remote servers once it is executed. After the initial infection is complete the malware engine can also contact the servers and report the infection by sending the generated unique infection ID along with the extracted information.
When all preliminary actions have complete the ransomware engine is started. Like other famous threats it uses a built-in list of target file type extensions. Usually they include data such as archives, backups, images, music, videos, configuration files, backups and etc. All processed files are renamed with the .sexy extension accordingly.
A ransomware note is crafted in an html file that features а generic message. An excerpt reads the following:
YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED
TO DECRYPT, FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW.
To recover data you need decryptor.
To get the decryptor you should:Send 1 crypted test image or text file or document to [email protected]
Or alternate email [email protected] )In the letter include your personal ID (look at the beginning of this document).
We will give ou the decrypted file and assign the price for decryption all files
After we send you instruction how to pay for decrypt and after payment you will receive a decryptor and instructions We can decrypt one file in quality the evidence that we have the decoder.
MOST IMPORTANT!!!
Do not contact other services that promise to decrypt your files, this is fraud on their part! They will buy a decoder from us, and you will pay more for his services. No one, except [email protected], will decrypt your files.
Only [email protected] can decrypt your files
Do not trust anyone besides [email protected]
Antivirus programs can delete this document and you can not contact us later.
Attempts to self-decrypting files will result in the loss of your data
Decoders ohter users are not compatible with your data, because each user’s unique encryption key
We recommend that all users abstain from communicating with the hackers and use our full .SEXY Virus removal guide below to recover their data and delete the active infections.
Remove .SEXY Virus and Restore PC
WARNING! Manual removal of the .SEXY 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
.SEXY 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 .SEXY 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 .SEXY 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.
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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”.
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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
