Active .paradise virus infections can be recovered using our in-depth guide on restoring your computer and data, read our article to learn more.
Manual Removal Guide
Recover .paradise Virus Files
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
How Does .paradise Virus Infiltrate the System?
A newly discovered computer threat called the .paradise virus or the Paradise ransomware has been reported to infect computer users worldwide. The hacker-operated attack wave uses a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) model of deloying the threat. This means that the virus is readily available on hacker underground markets for criminals worldwide.
The .paradise virus as a consequence can be customized to cause a variety of different actions when the threat is activated onto the target machines. An example is the inclusion of a Trojan module which can be used to both institute surveillance on the victims and steal valuable information. As a result of this the criminals can obtain information that identifies the targets resulting in the possibility to cause financial abuse and identity theft crimes.
Current .paradise virus sample have been found to communicate with remote command and control servers during the early stages of infection. This practice makes it possible to easily manage the infected machines from a centralized server. One of the advantages of distributing the .paradise virus in such a way is that it makes it possible for the operators to conduct a thorough overview of the compromised systems. If the attacks are made in an automated way then whole networks can be infected using the malware.
When all preliminary behavior is completed the ransomware engine is started. It starts to encrypt user and system files according to a built-in filelist that can be customized according to the prescribed victims. In the most popular case the hackers tend to target the most widely used file type extensions: documents, images, music, videos, databases, backups, configuration files and etc.
When the process is complete the ransomware renames the affected data according to a template based on the following items:id-[affiliate_id].[affiliate_email].paradise. An explanation for the fields is the following:
- id-[affiliate_id] ‒ This reveals the affiliate id of the hacker operators. By using the entry security experts can identify the scope of the succesful intrusions made by a single individual or a criminal collective.
- [affiliate_email] ‒ This field denotes the contact email addresss that is used by the hacker or criminal collective behind the attacks.
- paradise extension ‒ The extension denotes the family of related threats.
Once the files have been encrypted using a strong cipher they are renamed with the extension accordingly. A ransomware note is crafted in a #DECRYPT MY FILES#.txt. Along with an image (created in a desk.bmp file) it reads the following message:
[WHAT HAPPENED] Your important files produced on this computer have been encrypted due a security problem
If you want to restore them, write us to the e-mail: [email protected]
You have to pay for decryption in Bitcoins. The price depends on how fast you write to us.
After payment we will send you the decryption tool that will decrypt all your files.
[FREE DECRYPTION AS GUARANTEE] Before paying you can send to us up to 3 files for free decryption.
Please note that files must NOT contain valuable information and their total size must be less than 1Mb
[HOW TO OBTAIN BITCOINS] The easiest way to buy bitcoin is LocalBitcoins site.
You have to register, click Buy bitcoins and select the seller by payment method and price
https://localbitcoins.com/buy_bitcoins
[ATTENTION] Do not rename encrypted files
Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss
If you not write on e-mail in 36 hours – your key has been deleted and you cant decrypt your files
The hackers attempt to blackmail the victims by stating that they have to pay them for the “decryption” file. In order to gain their trust they offer a free decryption of 3 small files. The users should know that the money is requested through the Bitcoin digital crypto currency where the transactions cannot be traced down to an individual or a company. As soon as the money is wired the criminals usually provide bogus keys that do not work or do not reply to the victims at all.
This is the reason why we recommend all users hit by the .paradise virus to utilize a quality anti-spyware solution that is able to remove active infections. When this is done a professional data recovery can restore the affected files.
Infection Flow of .paradise Virus
One of the first large-scale attack waves were reported to have occured in the beginning of September 2017. The ongoing campaigns target users across the world, catering mainly to English-speaking targets. At the moment the security experts are not able to narrow the distribution methods to a single tactic. It appears that the hacker operators use a combination of the most popular ways to spread the .paradise virus.
Email spam messages are one of the primary methods that are applied to ransomare of this type. The hackers behind the malware use template messages and social engineering tricks to manipulate the into infecting themselves.
- File Attachments ‒ The .paradise virus payload files can be distributed directly as file attachments.
- Hyperlinks ‒ Links to the .paradise virus or other software that contains the malicious code can be inserted into the messages.
Infected software installers are another source of .paradise virus infections. They are legitimate copies of software downloaded from their vendors that have been customized by the criminals to include the malware code. Once this is done they are uploaded to hacker-controlled sites and P2P networks like BitTorrent. Depending on the case the targets may be able to evade delivery by unchecking certain checkboxes.
Browser hijackers can also be used by the criminals to spread the .paradise virus by redirecting to the malware samples or to the hacker-controlled sites. They constitute fake browser plugins that are usually spread on the official plugin repositories.
Follow our in-depth removal guide to remove the threat and protect yourself from future attacks as well.
Remove .paradise Virus and Restore Data
WARNING! Manual removal of .paradise 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
.paradise – 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
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 .paradise Virus Files
WARNING! All files and objects associated with .paradise 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.
DOWNLOAD .paradise Virus Removal ToolSpyHunter 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
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
