Relatively recently, the latest pest appeared on the Internet - the XTBL encryption virus. For many users, it has become a real headache. The fact is that in essence it is a ransomware program, which is not so easy to deal with. But let's see what can be done and what actions to take are highly discouraged.
What is the XTBL virus?
There is no need to explain to anyone that computer viruses exist. There are hundreds of thousands of them today. But one of the most global problems was the recent appearance of an XTBL virus that remotely encrypts data on a user's computer terminal.
To be frank, many IT giants like Kaspersky Lab or ESET were simply not ready for such an epidemic, because they had never encountered anything like this before.
Of course, in the virus signature database of any corporation that develops antivirus software, there are many patterns that can be used to track down suspicious files and malicious codes, but as it turns out, this is notalways helps.
A similar situation was observed when a well-known and sensational virus called “I Love You” appeared, which simply deleted multimedia content from infected computers. The XTBL ransomware virus acts in a similar way and is a rather unusual modification of a Trojan combined with extortion of funds.
How does a virus enter the system?
As far as penetration into the system is concerned, several important aspects can be noted here. The fact is that a virus with the XTBL extension does not manifest itself as such. Most often, the threat comes in the form of an email with zip or.scr attachments (the standard Windows screensaver file extension).
Based on this, we can advise you never to open attachments containing such files, even if they come from a reliable source. As a last resort, if you have a regular antivirus scanner installed, you just need to check it for threats before opening the attachment.
What do the effects of the virus look like?
The consequences, alas, are extremely sad. If the user has "caught" such an infection, you need to be extremely careful.
The virus itself remotely encrypts user files on a computer (most often it concerns photos or music) by renaming names into a set of letters and numbers and using the.xtbl extension.
But that's not all. After the encryption process is completed, the user receives a system message stating that the files on the computer have been encrypted. In order to get the so-called file decryptor after the XTBL virus, the user is offered to pay a tidy sum (usually around 5000 rubles) and send the code to email addresses like deshifro[email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].
As it is already clear, you should not do this. As a result, you can just spend money, and get absolutely nothing in return (in fact, this is what happens).
Independent attempts to get rid of the virus
Unfortunately, the technology used by the virus with the XTBL extension has not yet been thoroughly studied, so there is no need to talk about any active actions.
The trouble is different: an independent attempt to rename infected files or change the extension only leads to the fact that all information will be deleted immediately. For example, you tried to change a file like 12345y8758ab9gs5764.xtbl, which used to be a photo. After renaming, of course, the Enter key is pressed to confirm the completion of the operation. The file is immediately deleted, no matter what, and not in the "Recycle Bin", but from the hard drive without the possibility of recovery. The use of specialized data recovery utilities also does not guarantee a positive result.
Antivirus utilities
It's not easy with antiviruses either. Today there is a real threat posed by the XTBL virus. How to decrypt data after itimpact, no one knows yet. Note that even Kaspersky Lab specialists honestly admitted that they currently do not have an effective means to combat this unexpected threat.
Although in some respects the XTBL virus behaves like an ordinary Trojan, its action differs in many respects from the standard scheme. Even an attempt to search for a virus file in the system with a standard scanner or in manual mode, as well as subsequent deletion, only leads to the fact that the virus creates its own copy, disguising itself as system or user files. In this case, finding it on a computer becomes just a Sisyphean task. Moreover, the virus itself contains protection against such interference.
Online Scan
As far as online decryption is concerned, only one thing can be said: at the moment, none of the developers have absolutely no means for this. So, if you are offered to use the services of some web resource, you can be sure that this is a complete scam.
In the priority of creating an antidote for all IT giants, this problem is a top priority. But it's not all bad.
Is it possible to find a file decryptor after the XTBL virus?
As it is already clear, today at least some more or less working means of protecting against this virus does not exist in nature. However, you can try to prevent the actions he takes.
So, for example, if the beginning of the encryption process is noticed, it can be quickly completed in the process tree using the standardTask Manager.
There may be another situation when an XTBL virus is already present on the computer terminal. How to remove it? This can only be done using a standard antivirus (but by no means manually), although this action is not a guarantee that the user will get rid of this pest.
If all else fails
In extreme cases, if nothing helps at all, you can use programs such as Rescue Disc with antivirus software to remove the Trojan. We are not talking about decryption now. At least, you can at least remove the XTBL virus in a still, so to speak, unlaunched form before Windows starts, using utilities such as Rescue Disc.
You can remove the pest itself. If the matter concerns the consequences of exposure to the Trojan, alas, nothing can be done yet. Apparently, the XTBL virus belongs to a new generation of pests for which a cure has not yet been created, although all efforts are directed precisely at this.
According to the latest information, the developers of Kaspersky Lab's anti-virus software announced that in the near future a means of combating the newly-minted computer pest will be found. Well, ordinary users can only wait and hope that the new drug will be as effective as possible.
Conclusion
Finally, it should be said that, unlike standard encryption methods, this virus does not use algorithms like AES. That is why decrypt data after exposure to a virusturns out to be as difficult a task as during the Second World War, the messages of the German Navy, using Enigma encryption technology.
But don't despair. It seems that a solution to this problem will be found in the near future. The main thing here is not to panic, do not turn off the computer and do not rename files. It is better to wait for the official release of the anti-virus solution, otherwise you can just ruin everything yourself.
