ViiperWaRe Ransomware

ViiperWaRe Ransomware seems to be an unfinished malicious program whose test run has been infecting unsuspecting users. There are several signs that tell us that this ransomware is not yet fully functional. Yet, if it managed to infiltrate your computer, it obviously raises some system security questions that you can learn from to be able to protect your computer more effectively next time. Although this version is totally capable of encrypting your personal files to hit you hard, it only does so in one particular folder that may not even be there on your computer. Yes, this also means that your files should be safe and untouched by this threat; however, this may change in the near future if a new version comes out. In any case, we would never advise you to pay the demanded ransom fee after a ransomware attack because it would be like supporting cybercrime, let alone the fact that it is unlikely that you will get the decryption key to be able to recover your files. We advise you to remove ViiperWaRe Ransomware immediately after it displays its ransom note. But first, let us tell you what we have found out about this not-yet-so-dangerous malware infection.

Do you consider yourself a cautious computer user? Do you open questionable e-mails any time? Well, if this infection has managed to slither onto your system, it is a clear sign that you must have opened a spam e-mail. What's more, you did not just open this spam but also downloaded its disguised attachment to view it. The latter is the worst because this is how you can actually initiate this malicious attack. This ransomware can pose as a document, an image, or a .zip archive, and this spam tries to trick you into wanting to view it as soon as possible. Please note that, this time, it is possible for you to remove ViiperWaRe Ransomware from your system without losing your precious files to encryption. However, in most other ransomware attack cases, it could only be done at the price of possibly losing your files unless you make regular backups.

It is also important to mention yet another possibility for cyber crooks to spread such a ransomware so that you can more effectively protect your PC. Criminals can set up webpages with Exploit Kits, which means that the moment such a page is loaded in your browser, a malicious Java or Flash script is triggered to drop the infection. These kits can however only attack you this way if your browsers and your drivers (Flash and Java) are not up-to-date. Thus, it is obvious that you need to update all your programs to avoid such horrible threats. Of course, it is also important that you refrain from clicking on corrupt third-party content to avoid possible redirection to such malicious pages.

Our research indicates that this malware infection was based on the well-known Hidden Tear Ransomware, which was originally designed as an educational project and is an open-source program that hackers started to use as a good base for their malicious programs. This ransomware is most likely in a trial phase right now since it only attacks "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\test" folder, which is mostly used by malware researchers for testing malware. If you do not have such a folder on your desktop, your files may be intact. You can easily check whether any of your files have been affected by this threat since the encrypted files have a ".viiper" extension, which you can search for in your File Explorer.

This ransomware places a text file ("READ_IT.txt") in all the folders where files have been encrypted. This file does not really contain any useful information apart from telling you that your files have been locked. On the other hand, the ransom note window that is displayed after the attack, does tell you in more details what you have to do to get your files back. These criminals demand only 20 euros from you to get the decryption key, which usually points to Eastern European hackers, most likely from one of the former Soviet countries. The good news is that it will not cost you a cent to delete ViiperWaRe Ransomware from your computer because these rookie villains actually left the decryption key on your system, which you can use to decrypt your files if any has been affected. Then, you can easily remove ViiperWaRe Ransomware.

If you follow our instructions below, you can surely eliminate this threat from your PC. Hopefully, you see now why it is so important to try to prevent such malicious attacks from happening. A finished ransomware with full functioning could cause severe devastation if you are not prepared or you do not have a backup. We recommend that you install a reliable anti-malware program (e.g., SpyHunter) if you want to efficiently defend your PC and your files stored on your system.

Remove ViiperWaRe Ransomware from Windows

1. Open the File Explorer by tapping Win+E.
2. Locate the "%USERPROFILE%/Documents/decrpt.dll" file and open it in Notepad.
3. Copy the decryption key and paste it in the ransom note window in the assigned field.
4. Click "Decrypt my Files".
5. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc simultaneously to bring up the Task Manager.
6. Click on the malicious process and press End task.
7. Close the Task Manager.
8. Open the File Explorer again.
9. Scan all the default download locations (%USERPROFILE%\Desktop, %USERPROFILE%\Downloads, and %TEMP%) for suspicious executable files and delete them.
10. Delete all the ransom note files in the affected folders.
11. Empty your Recycle Bin and reboot your system.