XData Ransomware

XData Ransomware is a dangerous computer infection that may enter your computer accidentally. It belongs to a group of computer threats that tend to make computer systems redundant because they block users from accessing their files. The program does that by encrypting user’s files with a strong encryption algorithm, and unless the user has the unique decryption key. Needless to say, the criminals are in possession of this key, and they will not give it for free. However, rather than spending your money on this preposterous infection, you should remove XData Ransomware from the system, and then restore your files from a backup.

Of course, computer security experts maintain that everyone should back up their files not just because of such infections. There is always a chance that your hard drive could simply crash, but with ransomware infections being rampant lately, the importance of a file backup more than doubles. After all, most of the ransomware infections like XData Ransomware cannot be decrypted, so healthy copies of your files saved on some storage drive become vital. Unfortunately, not all users keep a file backup, and so they have no other choice but to give up on their files and simply focus on removing the infection.

Our research has revealed that this malicious program first appeared mid-May, 2017. Unlike quite a few other random infections, XData Ransomware is very active, and it infects around 150 systems every 24 hours. Although it is not clear how the malicious infection file spreads around, we can at least determine that the program seems to target specific regions because 95% of all infections have been reported in the Ukraine. There have also been a few reported cases in the United States, Germany, Estonia, and the Russian Federation.

We can only assume that XData Ransomware employs various distribution methods. Since we do not know the exact way the infection spreads, users should bear in mind the most popular ransomware distribution routes, and protect themselves from further infections. Ransomware programs tend to be distributed via spam email attachments when users are tricked into opening fake invoice documents and financial reports. Also, it is possible to get infected with a ransomware program while browsing vulnerable websites that usually host freeware applications. If you enter a site that has a lot of pop-ups, you have to keep your guard up because you can never know what could spring into your screen.

When XData Ransomware enters the target system, it employs the AES encryption algorithm to encrypt your files. As mentioned, it is virtually impossible to crack this algorithm unless you have the unique decryption key. All the affected files will be marked with an additional extension. For example, a cat.jpg filename after the encryption will look like cat.jpg.~xdata~. Unfortunately, there is no public decryption application that would allow you to recover the files locked by XData Ransomware. Therefore, this is where the presence of a file backup becomes very important.

When the encryption is complete, this program drops its ransom note into every folder that was affected by the encryption, and the note’s filename is HOW_CAN_I_DECRYPT_MY_FILES.txt. What’s more, the program also drops another file with the computer name and a unique ID into four different locations: Desktop, %HOMEDRIVE%, %APPDATA%, and %ALLUSERSPROFILE%. These files are there to help the infection identify the victim when it connects to its control and command center.

The criminals behind this infection tell the infected user to contact them via the given email addresses. It is not clear whether they really issue the decryption key once the ransom is paid, but you should know better than to pay these despicable people.

You will find the manual removal instructions for XData Ransomware right below this description. We would like to point out that manual removal for a ransomware could be quite complicated, so if you do not want to deal with it on your own, you can always invest in a powerful antispyware application that will do the job for you automatically, and you will not have to worry about other types of infections that could be plaguing your computer at the moment.

If you have more questions about your computer’s safety or ransomware infections in general, please do not hesitate to leave us a comment below.

How to Remove XData Ransomware

1. Delete the most recently launched executable file.
2. Press Win+R and type %AppData%. Click OK.
3. Delete the mssql.exe file from the directory.
4. Delete the ransom note from every affected folder.
5. Scan your computer with the SpyHunter free scanner.