AXI ransomware removal

AXI ransomware belongs to the notorious Dharma ransomware family. It’s file-encrypting malware that essentially takes your files for hostage and demands money for their recovery. The ransomware can be identified by the .[axitrun2@tutanota.com].AXI file extension added to encrypted files.

 

Dharma malware family has released a lot of ransomware versions, and the newest one is AXI. They all add different extensions to encrypted files, which is how you can recognize which one you’re dealing with. This ransomware is known as AXI because it adds .[axitrun2@tutanota.com].AXI to encrypted files. So if you notice that you cannot open your files and they have that extensions, they have been encrypted. The ransomware has essentially taken them for hostage, and you will not be able to open them unless you first run them through a decryptor. However, unfortunately, the only people with a working decryptor are the people behind this ransomware. The cyber crooks operating this ransomware will try to sell it to you, as explained in the pop-up ransom note it shows once it’s done encrypting files. The price for the decryptor is not specified, but a couple of thousand dollars is pretty standard for ransomware infections.

Whether you choose to pay the ransom or not is you decision but you should be aware of the risks that come with paying. First of all, you should keep in mind that you are dealing with cyber criminals. They are unlikely to feel obligated to help you recover files, even if you pay. A lot of ransomware victims paid but did not receive anything in return, and you should be aware that this could happen in your case as well. Furthermore, the reason ransomware is so common is partly because users keep paying the ransom. Ransomware has become an incredibly profitable business, and if victims continue to pay, it will only get worse.

Unfortunately, when ransomware encrypts files, backup is usually the only free way to recover files. If you do have backup, you should have no issue recovering files, provided you first delete AXI ransomware from your computer. However, if backup is not an option for you, there’s not much else you can do. You can back up the encrypted files and wait for a potential decryptor to become available. Malware researchers are sometimes able to release free decryptors, but it’s not always possible. However, if one was to be released, you would be able to find it on NoMoreRansom.

Users’ bad browsing habits can often lead to a ransomware infection

When it comes to malware, users usually allow it to enter themselves. Users’ bad browsing habits can often lead to an infection, particularly things like pirating via torrents, opening unsolicited email attachments, and not installing important updates.

One of the most common ways users pick up ransomware is by opening email attachments without double-checking. If your email address has ever been leaked, you probably receive spam on a regular basis. A lot of spam may come with malicious email attachments, which if opened would initiate malware. When dealing with unsolicited emails with attachments, the first thing you need to check is the sender’s email address. If it looks random, it’s probably spam. Even if it looks legitimate, you should still double check that it belongs to whomever the sender claims to be. Malspam also usually has plenty of noticeable grammar and spelling mistakes. Malicious emails are usually made to seem like they’re official correspondence, but grammar and spelling mistakes are an immediate giveaway. But the best way to tell whether you are dealing with malspam is to scan that attachment with anti-virus software or VirusTotal.

It’s also very easy to pick up malware by using torrents. Torrent sites are notoriously badly regulated, which allows cyber criminals to easily upload malware disguised as a popular movie, TV show, game or software. All kinds of malware hide in torrents, especially in ones for popular content, such as episodes for shows like Game of Thrones.

Lastly, installing updates on a regular basis is very important. Updates patch known vulnerabilities that can be used by malware to get in, so installing them on time is essential. It’s best to turn on automatic updates, when possible.

What does AXI ransomware do?

The ransomware will start encrypting files as soon as it is initiated. It will target personal files, primarily documents, photos and videos. You will know which files have been encrypted by the .[axitrun2@tutanota.com].AXI file extension added to encrypted files. Your assigned ID will also be part of the extension. For example, text.txt would become text.txt.your unique ID.[axitrun2@tutanota.com].AXI. All files with this extension will not be openable, unless you use a specific decryptor to recover them.

The ransomware will drop a FILES ENCRYPTED.txt ransom note, as well show a pop-up one. The text ransom note has very little information, only a contact email address. The pop-up note has more details but only slightly. It contains two contact email addresses, axitrun2@tutanota.com and axitrun2@cock.li, as well as shows your assigned ID. It does not specify the ransom sum, but does explain that you need to send an email to the shown address with your ID. If you were to contact them, you would receive instructions on how to recover files. But as we mentioned above, paying the ransom is quite risky because you will likely be asked to pay a lot of money, and there’s a chance you will lose it since you are dealing with cyber criminals.

Backing up files is one of the best things you can do to avoid becoming a victim of ransomware. Regularly back up your files, and store them separately from your computer.

How to remove AXI ransomware

When it comes to AXI ransomware removal, you need to use anti-virus software. If you try to delete AXI ransomware manually, you may end up causing more damage. Only when the ransomware is no longer present should you try to access backup to start recovering files. Unfortunately for those without backup, deleting the ransomware does not mean files will be automatically decrypted.