NeZha EXPOSED: .NeZha Files, README.TXT, and a 24-Hour Leak Clock

You open Documents the way you did yesterday. The first photo should still be 1.jpg. The vacation shot should still be vacation.jpg. The invoice should still be invoice-2026.pdf. The tax sheet should still be taxes.xlsx. Instead every familiar name has a long second ending tacked on, a brace, a string of letters and digits, then .NeZha. 1.jpg is now 1.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha.

Then you notice a small text file you did not create. It is sitting in the same folder, as if it has always belonged there. It is called README.TXT. README sounds like help. TXT sounds like paperwork Windows already knows how to open.

That is the trap, not a glitch.

This page is for the hour those names appear. It is not a miracle key. It is a map of the trap, so the note does not become your incident plan.

Overview

NeZha ransomware locks the files first. Then it keeps the old name and the old type, and hangs a victim ID in braces plus .NeZha on the end. Then it drops README.TXT and talks like a recovery desk and a leak desk at the same time. The note is a storefront. It shouts YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED. It says documents, photos, databases, and other important files are locked. It says you cannot decrypt them yourself. It says the only method is to purchase a unique private key. It says only they can give you that key and only they can recover your files. It offers one free test file that must not be valuable. It tells you to write NeZhadecryption@mailum.com. It lists a reserved mailbox, NeZhadecryption@cyberfear.com. It leaves YOUR PERSONAL ID as a dash. It warns you not to rename. It warns you not to use third-party software, or you may lose data, pay a higher price, or walk into a scam. It claims they have been in your network for a long time and that most of your information is already on their server. It gives you 24 hours. After that, it says the data will be sold or made public. It threatens a 2nd part if you waste time. There is no printed wallet. There is no Session ID. There is no onion. There is no victim $ figure. This page will not invent those blanks.

If you are staring at a pile of names like 1.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha and that text note, you are in a ransom incident, not a broken disk and not a Windows pop-up. The folder is the evidence. The note is a checkout. Stay with the folder, not with the script.

The first tell is the rename. In the sample used for this page, 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha. That is the documented sample. Do not invent a new ID to make the listing look complete. vacation.jpg becomes vacation.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha. invoice-2026.pdf becomes invoice-2026.pdf.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha. taxes.xlsx becomes taxes.xlsx.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha. family.mp4 becomes family.mp4.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha. You can still read what the file used to be. You cannot open it. Windows may call the type a NEZHA File and offer a useless “choose an app” box. An app cannot talk locked bytes back into a JPEG.

The second tell is the note. After the files are locked, the malware drops README.TXT into the same folders. README wants the first click after the panic. TXT wants Notepad, not a browser. Put them together and the first English you can still read after the photos break is a sales flyer that also claims a leak. The flyer is meant to be opened. It is not meant to be trusted.

The body of that sample is a shop with a short script. YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED. Your files, documents, photos, databases and other important files are encrypted. You are not able to decrypt it by yourself. The only method of recovering files is to purchase an unique private key. Only we can give you this key and only we can recover your files. To be sure we have the decryptor and it works you can send an email to NeZhadecryption@mailum.com and decrypt one file for free. But this file should be of not valuable. Do you really want to restore your files. Write to email: NeZhadecryption@mailum.com. Reserved email: NeZhadecryption@cyberfear.com. YOUR PERSONAL ID: -. Attention. Do not rename encrypted files. Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss. Decryption of your files with the help of third parties may cause increased price, they add their fee to ours, or you can become a victim of a scam. We have been in your network for a long time. We know everything about your company. Most of your information has already been downloaded to our server. We recommend you do not waste your time. If you do not want, we start 2nd part. You have 24 hours to contact us. Otherwise, your data will be sold or made public.

That is the whole costume. There is no printed wallet. There is no printed Session ID. There is no onion. There is no victim $ figure. The PERSONAL ID line is a dash. The note does not need extra theater. A locked folder plus two inboxes plus a one-file test plus a 24 hour leak clock is already a shop. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. There is no reason to mail those inboxes today because a text file told you to. There is no reason to pay a $ amount someone later invents.

The .{ID}.NeZha name is the first warning

Most lockers pick an extension so you notice the change in seconds. NeZha uses a victim ID in braces, then .NeZha. That is why 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha, and why invoice-2026.pdf becomes invoice-2026.pdf.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha. The extra cruelty is how readable the listing stays. You do not have to decode anything. You can still see the photo. You can still see the invoice year. You can still see the word taxes. The familiar words are still in the folder. The files are not familiar anymore.

Do not treat that readable name as a fix. Do not strip .NeZha off the end and expect Photos or a PDF reader to open the file. Do not strip the braces and the ID and hope Windows “remembers” the type. Do not run a bulk “extension fixer” you found in an ad. The name is a label. The lock is in the content. Editing the label can make a later trusted tool have a harder time matching the file to what it was. Leave the locked copies as they are until you have a clean machine and a plan that does not start in a criminal inbox.

The extra ending also does advertising. Anyone who sees 1.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha next to README.TXT can pretend they already have your case. A later fake helper will quote the .NeZha ending back to you as if that were expertise. The extension is public. It is sitting in the folder. Quoting it proves nothing except that they can read a listing. Do not invent a new victim ID because a comment said every case needs a fresh one. The documented sample used for this page is 1.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha. Keep that sample as that sample. If the machine in front of you shows a different ID in the braces, leave that ID alone too. Do not “correct” it to match this page.

README.TXT is a sales floor, not a help file

The ransom note is a plain text file with a name that sounds like documentation. README.TXT wants the first click after the panic. Plenty of real software drops a README. This one uses that habit against you. It is meant to be the first English you can still read when the photos will not open.

Double-clicking it opens Notepad. That is why a panicked first click feels like opening the help page. It is not help. It is the demand, written so it looks official enough to follow. The filename is built to look like paperwork. README. A .TXT ending Windows already trusts. Capitals so it does not hide in a mixed listing. Paperwork is easier to obey than a threat.

Keep the file on disk. Then close it. Do not treat it as a set of steps you should follow. Do not tidy the filename. Do not rename it to lowercase so it looks neater. Do not shorten it to “the readme” when you write the incident down. Copy README.TXT the way you would copy a serial off a stolen laptop. That string is how a responder matches this locker. It is not a coupon you redeem by mailing NeZhadecryption@mailum.com.

If the same text is sitting in more than one folder, that is normal for this family. Lockers drop the same page in many places so you cannot miss it. Finding five copies is not five incidents. It is one incident with a loud flyer. Keep one clean copy as evidence. You do not need to open every copy. You do not need to compare them in mail to those inboxes.

YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED is a shout, not a diagnosis

The first line of the sample is not a diagnosis. It is a headline. YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED does the same job a fake breaking-news banner does on a supplement page. It names the disaster in capital letters so the rest of the flyer feels like the only adult in the room. You are supposed to stop thinking and start obeying.

The shout is also a brand. Later search ads will quote it. Later “helpers” will paste it so they sound close to your folder. Anyone can copy a headline. Copying YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED does not mean they can reverse 1.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha. It means they read the same note you did, or they read a screenshot of it.

The next sentences stack the loss. Documents. Photos. Databases. Other important files. That list is meant to make you inventory the damage in your head before you have even reached the mailbox. It is still attacker copy. Naming the file types does not prove they still have a key. It does not prove they will send one if you attach a “not valuable” sample. It does not prove a 24 hour fuse is a court date.

This is NeZha the locker, not a dashboard and not a folktale

The name is a problem because the web already uses Nezha for other things. A Chinese folktale hero is named Nezha. A server monitoring panel is also named Nezha. This strain is NeZha ransomware. It is the locker that appends .{ID}.NeZha, drops README.TXT, and points you at NeZhadecryption@mailum.com and the reserved mailbox NeZhadecryption@cyberfear.com. It is not a myth. It is not an ops dashboard. It is not a “you have been selected” overlay that wants a card number. Those other pages can wait. The folder in front of you cannot.

If a search result talks about installing an agent, a Prometheus chart, or a Linux server panel, you are reading a different Nezha. If a result talks about a deity with a fire-tipped spear, you are reading a different Nezha. If a result talks about 1.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha and README.TXT, you are in the right incident. Do not mix the three. A helper who starts from a dashboard guide and then asks you to mail both inboxes is not close to your case. They are standing in the wrong doorway on purpose.

Keep the locker name as an identifier, not as a shopping label. NeZha is how responders group this extension and this note. It is not a coupon. It is not a reason to buy a “NeZha decryptor” from the first ad. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. Until a trusted project publishes one, treat any site that says “we already have the NeZha key” as a second sales pitch.

How The Attack Works

The shop is simple once you stop reading it as a rescue. Lock the files. Brand the names with a victim ID and .NeZha. Drop a README that shouts ENCRYPTED. Say only they hold a unique private key. Offer one free test file that must not be valuable. Point the scared person at NeZhadecryption@mailum.com and keep NeZhadecryption@cyberfear.com in reserve. Leave YOUR PERSONAL ID as a dash. Claim a long stay in the network and a copy of the company already sitting on their server. Light a 24 hour fuse. Threaten a sale, a public leak, and a 2nd part. Ban renaming. Ban third-party tools. Then wait for someone else to sell the missing wallet, Session ID, onion, or $ figure.

1. The lock keeps the old name so you recognize the loss

NeZha encrypts the files it wants as leverage, then appends a victim ID in braces and .NeZha. That is why 1.jpg is still readable as 1.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha, and why invoice-2026.pdf is still readable as invoice-2026.pdf.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha. The operators want you to inventory the damage in seconds. They want you to see the photo, the invoice, the tax sheet, and the family video in one glance. A coded filename can confuse you. A readable filename makes you feel the theft.

If only one folder looks wrong, do not assume the rest of the disk is safe. Ransomware walks trees. It hits Documents, Desktop, Pictures, Downloads, and any drive letter it can reach. Double-clicking a renamed file does not bring the photo back. The thumbnail may already look broken. A PDF reader may ask for a document that is still sitting in the same folder, only the bytes inside are no longer a document. That broken open is the first proof. The second proof is the extra ending. Together they are enough. You do not need to mail those inboxes to confirm what you are looking at. 0% of those pixels will turn back into a vacation shot because you picked a different app.

2. README.TXT turns a break-in into a ticket

Once the names are branded, the malware needs a voice. README.TXT is that voice. It sits in the same folders as the locked files so the first sort puts help next to harm. On many machines a capital README is the thing you click because it looks like the only file that still speaks English. The body is built to finish before a relative walks into the room. Encrypted. Unique private key. Only we. One free file, not valuable. Write mailum. Reserved cyberfear. PERSONAL ID blank. Do not rename. Do not use third parties. We already copied the company. 24 hours. Sold or made public. 2nd part. Each beat closes a door.

Notice what the note does not give you. It does not give you a company, a refund policy, or a way to prove the other side will ever send a key. It does not print a wallet. It does not print a Session ID. It does not print an onion. It does not print a victim $ figure. It prints a dash where a personal ID should be. It gives you a tone that says this is already decided. That tone is the product. Read the file as a sales flyer. Then close it. Keep it on disk.

3. Unique private key and “only we” close every other aisle

The note says you are not able to decrypt it by yourself. The only method of recovering files is to purchase an unique private key. Only we can give you this key and only we can recover your files. Famous helplessness plus a price tag, with the $ amount left off so you have to write first. That stack is meant to end the conversation you have not even started. Unique sounds like math you cannot beat at the kitchen table. Only we sounds like there is no other desk. Together they try to keep you calm enough, or ashamed enough, to follow the next line.

You do not need to argue cryptography with a README. You do not need to argue whether a “unique” key even exists on their side. You need to stop treating the file as a technician. Leave the locked names as they are. Leave README.TXT where it is. The unique-key line is part of the pitch. It is not a recovery procedure. A trusted public decryptor, if one ever appears for this strain, does not arrive as a scare paragraph inside that flyer. It arrives on an official project page that already existed before your incident.

4. Two inboxes, one reserved, are the door they want you to walk through

The recovery step in the sample is mail. Write to NeZhadecryption@mailum.com. Reserved email: NeZhadecryption@cyberfear.com. Two addresses look simple, like a real office with a spare desk. They are still doors they own. A calm handle does not make the first one honest. It only gives them an account to abandon if it burns. A reserved handle does not make a safer desk. A reserved handle is how they keep you in the queue when the first mailbox dies, fills, or gets flagged. Two strings also give copycats two things to recite.

Do not write those inboxes. Do not create a throwaway “just to see.” Do not send a screenshot of Explorer to prove the lock. They already chose the extension. They already chose the note name. If someone later says they will “talk to NeZha for you” through those same addresses, that is a broker pitch. Brokers need you in the same funnel. You do not owe them a seat. Report the incident through official desks. Let counsel decide if contact is ever required for a specific legal reason. That decision is not yours to make from the Documents folder at midnight.

Keep both addresses as identifiers in the incident record. Then leave them unused. Do not smear a mail host into this story as if a real support desk lived behind the note. mailum.com and cyberfear.com are attacker mail in this costume, not companies you should call. The mechanism is impersonation-shaped mail, not a vendor with a refund button. Reciting both inboxes is not a 1% proof they hold a key. It is proof they can read.

5. YOUR PERSONAL ID is a blank on purpose

The note prints YOUR PERSONAL ID: – and stops. Empty fields look like a broken template. They are useful to the shop anyway. A blank makes you hunt. Hunting is how you land on a copycat who offers to fill the blank. Hunting is how you paste a string from a stranger into a subject line and hit send. The published sample left that field as a dash. Leave it as a dash. Do not complete a personal ID the flyer did not give you. Do not copy A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E from the filename into that line because it “looks like an ID.” The filename ID and the note ID are not a puzzle you are supposed to solve. This page will not invent that string, and you should not either.

A later email that suddenly contains an ID, a wallet, a Session handle, or an onion is not a missing piece you were owed. It is a new ask. Treat it as a new ask. Do not type it anywhere except an incident record. Do not “correct” a blank dash because a writeup used this sample. If the machine in front of you shows a filled ID, keep what is on that disk. Do not overwrite it with the dash from this page, and do not overwrite this page’s dash with a guess.

6. One not-valuable file is how they confirm a live victim

The flyer offers to decrypt one file for free, to prove they have a decryptor and it works. Then it adds the catch. This file should be of not valuable. That is bait, not kindness. A demo that unlocks a junk PDF does not prove they will unlock vacation.jpg after a payment. Anyone who already locked the disk can unlock a file they picked. Sending that one file is how they get a sample, a live inbox, and a victim who is already in the habit of obeying.

Do not send the demo. Do not pick “unimportant” files to attach. Do not send 1.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha because it is “only a test photo.” Do not send a blank text file to see if they answer. The offer is the hook. Keep it as a line in the evidence. Do not redeem it. 0% of that mail is a warranty. A free decrypt that requires you to write first is still checkout.

If you already sent a file before you found this page, stop there. Do not send a second file because they asked for a “better” sample. Do not send proof of payment. Do not send a screenshot of Explorer to prove the lock. They already chose the extension. They already chose the note name. A photo of README.TXT sitting next to invoice-2026.pdf with that long ID does not make you a verified customer. It makes you a person still following the flyer.

7. 24 hours then sold or made public is a fuse, not a clock

The note says you have 24 hours to contact them. Otherwise, your data will be sold or made public. That pair is theater. A 24 hour fuse is short enough to skip sleep, skip counsel, and skip a second opinion. A leak-or-sale line is there so the fuse feels personal. A locked photo is already bad. A public dump is how they make you write before anyone else walks into the room.

Do not treat 24 hours as a real clock you must meet. Do not set a phone alarm because a text file said to. Do not stay up to “beat” a deadline printed by the people who locked the files. Do not invent a later deadline because a forum post said “they always wait two days.” The printed fuse is theirs. Your job, in their script, is to panic before breakfast. A relative, an insurer, or an incident lead can still talk on a phone after hour twenty four. The people who locked the files do not get to own the clock.

There is no printed $ amount on the sample used for this page, and this page will not invent one. A clock without a price is still a checkout trick. You are supposed to feel that waiting is already a mistake. You are supposed to write tonight so the mystery figure does not jump, and so the “sold or made public” line does not come true in your head. The CISA StopRansomware Guide is blunt about this kind of squeeze. Paying does not ensure the files come back, does not ensure the systems are clean, and does not ensure anyone on the other side keeps a promise.

8. We have been in your network is a leak story, not a briefing

The flyer says they have been in your network for a long time. It says they know everything about your company. It says most of your information has already been downloaded to their server. Then it tells you not to waste time, or they start 2nd part. That is a privacy scare sitting on top of a file lock. It is meant to make the 24 hour clock feel like the second half of a raid you already lost.

Treat the dwell-time and download lines as pressure, not as a completed inventory of your life. The note cannot see a drive that was never plugged in. The note cannot see a cloud copy you never mounted on this machine. The note wants you to believe the copy is already gone so you stop looking and start writing. Do not send a “please do not leak” message to NeZhadecryption@mailum.com. Do not send a photo of yourself to prove you are scared. Do not attach internal org charts “so they know you are serious.” Printing a leak is the product. Proving it is optional.

The 2nd part line is the same squeeze in uglier English. It does not define the second part. It does not have to. Your imagination will finish the sentence. Do not finish it for them in mail. Do not ask what the 2nd part is. Asking is still checkout. Keep the line as evidence that this costume uses a leak clock. Then leave the mailbox alone.

9. Attention bans keep you in their shop

The note stacks three bans under Attention. Do not rename encrypted files. Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss. Decryption with the help of third parties may cause increased price, they add their fee, or you can become a victim of a scam. The first ban is useful if you read it as leave the labels alone. The second ban is useful if you read it as skip random ads. The third ban is a wall. It tells you that any adult who is not them will raise the price or commit fraud. That is how a scared person ends up writing the only remaining addresses.

You can honor the useful half without doing their job. Leave .NeZha names as they are. Skip mystery apps. Skip strangers who want a deposit to “talk to the crew.” Then skip both inboxes too. Those four refusals belong together. A trusted public decryptor, if one ever appears for this strain, does not arrive as a scare paragraph inside README.TXT. The note wants you afraid of every option that is not a payment. Fear of corruption is how they keep you from even looking.

Do not “test” the scare by editing a copy of invoice-2026.pdf.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha in a hex editor because a forum said to. Do not run a cracked repair tool that asks you to disable security. The warning on the note is not a lab result. It is a sales paragraph. Keep the files as they are. That is enough. You do not need their permission to wait.

10. Third parties will sell a NeZha conversation

After a ransomware incident, search results fill up with companies that say they can decrypt NeZha or “all .NeZha files.” Some of those shops are ordinary overpriced consultants. Plenty are a second scam. They will quote README.TXT so they sound close to the case. They will mention 24 hours. They will mention the leak-or-sale line. They will mention NeZhadecryption@mailum.com and NeZhadecryption@cyberfear.com as if they already called the original crew. They will ask for a sample file, a remote-access session, or a deposit.

A demo that “unlocks one file” is not proof they can unlock the photo. Anyone can open one junk file they control. Anyone can send you a chat ID that makes a window appear. A chat window is not Photos opening vacation.jpg again. If a later message skips the original inboxes and asks for coin over ordinary mail, that is still the same market, or a copycat standing in the same doorway. Do not answer. Do not help them fill a wallet, a Session ID, or an onion the public copy left blank on purpose.

A real public decryptor, when one exists, shows up on an official project page that already existed before your incident. It does not need a 24 hour reply. It does not need both attacker inboxes. If the pitch is “we can decrypt, pay us first,” you are still in the market the ransomware created. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. Until a trusted project publishes one, treat any site that says “we already have the NeZha key” as a second sales pitch.

Watch the name mix in those pitches. Helpers who only say Nezha the dashboard, or Nezha the folktale, are often recycling the wrong page. Helpers who cannot tell a locked .NeZha folder from a server panel are not close to this disk. Quote the note name back to them and stop. If they change the subject, they were never matching your folder. Reciting both inboxes is not expertise. It is reading.

11. Payment and mailing those inboxes close nothing

Paying a stranger for a private key is not a guarantee. The people who send the note can take the money and disappear. They can send a string that only makes a decryptor show an error. They can come back later and lock the same machine again. A mail thread makes that outcome easier, not harder. You cannot leave a review on a criminal inbox. You cannot enforce a 24 hour promise they printed themselves.

Mailing NeZhadecryption@mailum.com or the reserved NeZhadecryption@cyberfear.com is the free version of the same dead end. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. Starting a thread does not rebuild a JPEG. It only keeps you in their story while the rest of the disk still needs a real plan. Paying a $ amount they never printed in the original note is still a payment to the people who locked family.mp4.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha. It still funds the next copy of the same locker. It still does not produce a warranty.

If this is a company machine, tell counsel and your incident lead. If this is a home PC, tell the people whose files lived on it. Change passwords from a clean device. Watch bank and email alerts. Opening those inboxes again is not useful work. It is the checkout, even when the PERSONAL ID line is a dash and the 24 hour line is still counting in your head.

What To Do

Do not email NeZhadecryption@mailum.com. Do not email the reserved NeZhadecryption@cyberfear.com. Do not send a test file, valuable or not. Do not treat 24 hours as a real clock you must meet. Do not invent a wallet, a Session ID, an onion, or a victim $ figure to finish README.TXT. Do not pay. If you already sent a message before you found this page, stop there. Do not pay a deposit to “hold the original price” for anyone who quotes the flyer. This is NeZha the locker, not a server dashboard and not a folktale.

• STEP 1: Use Rkill to terminate suspicious programs.
• STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes to remove for Ransomware and Unwanted Programs
• STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to remove Trojans and other Malware
• STEP 4: Use AdwCleaner to remove Malicious Browser Extensions and Adware
• STEP 5: Perform a final check with ESET Online Scanner
• STEP 6: Restore the files encrypted by ransomware

STEP 1: Use Rkill to terminate suspicious programs.

In this first step, we will download and run Rkill to terminate suspicious programs that may be running on your computer.

RKill is a program that was developed at BleepingComputer.com that attempts to terminate known malware processes so that your normal security software can then run and clean your computer of infections. When RKill runs it will kill malware processes and then removes incorrect executable associations and fixes policies that stop us from using certain tools.

1. Download Rkill.

   You can download RKill to your computer from the below link. When at the download page, click on the Download Now button labeled iExplore.exe. We are downloading a renamed version of Rkill (iExplore.exe) because some malware will not allow processes to run unless they have a certain filename.

   

   RKILL DOWNLOAD LINK
   (The above link will open a new page from where you can download Rkill)

2. Run RKill.

   After downloading, double-click the iExplore.exe icon to kill malicious processes. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.
   The program may take some time to search for and end various malware programs.

   

   When it is finished, the black window will close automatically and a log file will open. Do not restart your computer. Proceed to the next step in this guide.

STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes to remove Ransomware and Unwanted Programs

In this second step, we will install Malwarebytes to scan and remove any infections, adware, or potentially unwanted programs that may be present on your computer.

Malwarebytes is one of the most popular and trusted anti-malware tools for Windows — and it’s completely free for removing infections. It catches threats that many antivirus programs miss, including adware, browser hijackers, and trojans. Follow the steps below to scan and clean your PC in just a few minutes.

1. Download Malwarebytes

   Click the button below to download the latest version of Malwarebytes for Windows from the official source. The free version is all you need — it will scan your computer and remove adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious software at no cost.

   

   DOWNLOAD MALWAREBYTES FOR WINDOWS (FREE)
   
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Install Malwarebytes

   When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the MBSetup file. If Windows shows a User Account Control pop-up, click “Yes” to allow the installation.

   

3. Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes

   The setup wizard will walk you through a few quick screens:

   • Choose where you’re installing the program — “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer” — then click Next.

     

   • Malwarebytes will now install on your device. This usually takes under a minute.

     

   • When installation is complete, the “Welcome to Malwarebytes” screen will open automatically.

     

   • On the final screen, click Open Malwarebytes to launch the program.

     

4. Enable “Scan for Rootkits”

   Before scanning, turn on rootkit detection so Malwarebytes can find even the most hidden threats. Click the Settings gear icon on the left side of the screen.

   

   In the settings menu, find “Scan for rootkits” and click the toggle so it turns blue.

   

   Done? Click “Dashboard” in the left pane to return to the main screen.

5. Start the Scan

   Click the blue Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its virus database and start checking your computer for malware.

   

6. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   The scan checks your entire system for browser hijackers and other malicious programs, so it can take several minutes. Feel free to do something else — just check back occasionally to see the progress.

   

7. Quarantine the Detected Threats

   When the scan is done, you’ll see a list of everything Malwarebytes found — malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. Click the “Quarantine” button to remove all of them at once.

   

   Malwarebytes will now remove the malicious files and registry entries and move them safely into quarantine.

   

8. Restart Your Computer

   Some threats can only be fully removed after a reboot. If Malwarebytes asks you to restart, click Yes. Once you’re logged back in, your PC is clean and you can continue with the next steps in this guide.

   

STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to remove Rootkits and other Malware

In this third step, while the computer is in normal back, we will download and run a scan with HitmanPro to remove Trojans, rootkits, and other malicious programs.

HitmanPro is a second-opinion scanner — it’s designed to catch what your main antivirus might have missed. Instead of relying on a single detection engine, it checks the behavior of files in the locations where malware usually hides. Anything suspicious gets sent to the cloud, where it’s analyzed by two of the best antivirus engines available: Bitdefender and Kaspersky.

Good news: scanning is completely free, with no limits. You only need a license when it’s time to remove what was found — and even then, you can activate a free one-time 30-day trial to clean your PC at no cost. (A full license is $24.95 per year for 1 PC.)

1. Download HitmanPro

   Click the button below to download HitmanPro. Remember — the scan is free, so you have nothing to lose by checking your PC.

   DOWNLOAD HITMANPRO (FREE SCAN)
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Install HitmanPro

   When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the file: “hitmanpro.exe” on 32-bit Windows, or “hitmanpro_x64.exe” on 64-bit Windows.

   

   If a User Account Control pop-up asks whether HitmanPro can make changes to your device, click “Yes” to continue.

   

3. Follow the On-Screen Prompts

   On the HitmanPro start screen, click “Next” to begin the system scan. No lengthy setup required — it goes straight to work.

   

   

4. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   HitmanPro will now check your computer for malicious programs. This usually takes just a few minutes thanks to its cloud-based scanning.
   

5. Review the Results and Click “Next”

   When the scan is done, HitmanPro will show you everything it found. Click “Next” to remove the detected threats.

   

6. Click “Activate Free License”

   To remove the malicious files, click the “Activate free license” button. This starts your free 30-day trial — no payment details needed — and unlocks the full cleanup.
   

   When the removal is complete, HitmanPro will show a summary of everything it cleaned. Click Next, then click Reboot if prompted. If there’s no reboot prompt, just click Close — your PC is clean.

STEP 4: Use AdwCleaner to remove Malicious Browser Extensions and Adware

In this next step, we will use AdwCleaner to remove malicious browser policies and unwanted browser extensions from your computer.

AdwCleaner is a free on-demand scanner that specializes in adware, browser hijackers, and unwanted toolbars — the exact threats that mainstream antivirus programs often miss. It also includes tools that repair the damage malware leaves behind, like hijacked browser settings and malicious policies. It’s a quick scan that’s well worth running.

1. Download AdwCleaner

   Click the button below to download AdwCleaner — it’s free, portable, and requires no installation.

   

   DOWNLOAD ADWCLEANER (FREE)
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Run AdwCleaner

   Open your Downloads folder and double-click the file named “adwcleaner_x.x.x.exe“. There’s no installation — the program starts right away.
   

   If Windows asks whether you want to allow AdwCleaner to run, click “Yes“. When the license agreement appears, click I agree to continue.

   

3. Enable “Reset Chrome policies”

   This setting removes malicious browser policies — a trick malware uses to lock your browser settings so you can’t change them back. Click “Settings” on the left side of the window, then turn on “Reset Chrome policies“.

   

4. Start the Scan

   Click “Dashboard” on the left side of the window, then click the “Scan” button.

   

5. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   AdwCleaner will now check your computer for adware and other malware. This usually takes only a few minutes — it’s one of the fastest scanners around.

   

6. Quarantine the Detected Threats

   When the scan finishes, AdwCleaner will list everything it found. Click the “Quarantine” button to remove all the malicious items at once.

   

7. Click “Continue” to Finish the Cleanup

   Save any open work first — AdwCleaner needs to close your open programs before it can clean. When you’re ready, click the “Continue” button.
   

   AdwCleaner will now delete all detected malware from your computer. If it asks you to restart your PC, allow it — your computer will be clean when you log back in.

STEP 5: Perform a final check with ESET Online Scanner

This final step involves installing and running a scan with ESET Online Scanner to check for any additional malicious programs that may be installed on the computer..

ESET Online Scanner is a free second-opinion scanner that performs a deep, full-system check for viruses, trojans, rootkits, and other malware. We use it as the final step because it’s thorough — if anything slipped past the previous scans, ESET will find it. A clean result here means your computer is malware-free.

1. Download ESET Online Scanner

   Click the button below to download ESET Online Scanner.

   

   DOWNLOAD ESET ONLINE SCANNER (FREE)
   (The link opens in a new page where your download will start)

2. Run the Installer

   When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click “esetonlinescanner.exe“.
   

3. Install ESET Online Scanner

   On the start screen, select your language from the drop-down menu and click Get started.

   

   On the Terms of use screen, click Accept.
   

   Choose your preferences for the Customer Experience Improvement Program and the Detection feedback system (either choice is fine), then click Continue.
   

4. Start a Full Scan

   Click Full Scan — this checks your entire computer, not just the common hiding spots.

   

   Select Enable for Detection of Potentially Unwanted Applications — this lets ESET catch adware and bundled junk programs, not just viruses. Then click Start scan.

   

5. Wait for the Scan to Finish

   ESET will now check every file on your computer. Because it’s a full scan, this can take a while — often an hour or more, depending on how much data you have. Leave it running in the background and check on it from time to time.

   

6. Review the Results

   When the scan completes, the Found and resolved detections screen appears. Any threats found were automatically cleaned and quarantined — there’s nothing extra you need to do. Click View detailed results if you want to see exactly what was removed.
   

   If ESET found nothing — congratulations, your computer has passed the final check and is malware-free.

STEP 6: Restore the files encrypted by ransomware

Unfortunately, in most cases, it’s not possible to recover the files encrypted by this ransomware virus because the private key which is needed to unlock the encrypted files is only available through the attackers. However, below we’ve listed three options you can use to try and recover your files.

Option 1: Search a decryption tool for this ransomware

The cybersecurity community is constantly working to create ransomware decryption tools, so you can try to search these sites for updates:

• https://id-ransomware.malwarehunterteam.com/
• https://decrypter.emsisoft.com/
• https://noransom.kaspersky.com/
• https://www.avast.com/ransomware-decryption-tools

Option 2: Use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free to recover the encrypted files

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free can restore files and repair corrupted files with simple clicks. Its powerful scanning algorithms can identify and retrieve huge file type library, including all of the popular video files, audio files, photos, and document formats.
While the free version only allows you to recover 2 GB of data, this can be helpful to see if the recovery is possible and restore back the most important files from your computer.

1. Download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free.

   You can download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free by clicking the link below.

   

   EASEUS DATA RECOVERY WIZARD FREE DOWNLOAD LINK
   (The above link will open a new page from where you can download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard)

2. Double-click on the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free setup file.

   When EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free has finished downloading, double-click on the setup file to install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard on your computer. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.

   

   You may be presented with a User Account Control pop-up asking if you want to allow EaseUS to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free installation.

3. Follow the on-screen prompts to install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.

   When the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard installation begins, click on the “Install Now” as seen in the image below.
   

   When your EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard installation completes, click the “Start Now” button to start the program.
   

4. Select a location to start recovering the encrypted files.

   Choose the drive or folder where you are the encrypted files that you want to recover and click “Scan“.
   

5. Wait for the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard scan to complete.

   EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will now scan your computer files that can be restored. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
   

6. Find the files you want to recover.

   When the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard scan is finished scanning it will show a screen that displays the files that can be recovered. This tool can recover a lot of data, use the “Filter” button to quickly filter specific file types and find the files that you want to recover.
   

   Click the “Preview” button or double-click on a file for a full preview.
   

7. Select your files and click “Recover”.

   Finally, select the the files you want to recover and click “Recover“.
   
   Choose a safe location to save all the files.
   
   The free version only allow you to recover 2 GB of data, however, this will allow you to recover the most important files and see if EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can correctly recover them.
   

Option 3: Try to restore your files with ShadowExplorer

This ransomware will attempt to delete all shadow copies when you first start any executable on your computer after becoming infected. Thankfully, the infection is not always able to remove the shadow copies, so you should continue to try restoring your files using this method.

1. Download ShadowExplorer.

   You can download ShadowExplorer from the below link.

   SHADOW EXPLORER DOWNLOAD LINK
   (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “ShadowExplorer”)

2. Install ShadowExplorer.

   Double-click on the ShadowExplorer-x.x-setup file to start the installation process, then follow the on-screen promts to install this program.
   

3. Select snapshot date.

   Open ShadowExplorer and then from the top bar select the drive where the files that you want to save are located, then select from the snapshot available one previous to this infection.

   

4. Export the files that you want to recover.

   Once you have found a copy of the original file or folder, right-click on it and the select “Export”. A window will prompt you where you want to save the file or folder.
   

Keep every .NeZha name exactly as it is. Do not bulk-rename 1.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha back to 1.jpg, or invoice-2026.pdf.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha back to a normal PDF, or vacation.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha back to a photo, or taxes.xlsx.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha back to a spreadsheet, or family.mp4.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha back to a video. Stripping the extra ending is not a repair. It can make a later trusted tool worse, not better. The original name is already sitting in front of the ID and .NeZha. You do not need to edit it to know what you lost. Leave whatever ID you actually have. Do not “correct” it to A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E because a writeup used that sample. Leave the PERSONAL ID dash alone. Do not fill it from the filename.

Keep README.TXT with the locked files, and keep at least one .NeZha sample next to it. Do not “clean up” every copy of the note. Do not fill a wallet so the flyer looks complete. Do not invent a Session ID or an onion. The blanks, or the extra text on your disk, are part of how you prove this was this strain and not a different locker that only sounds similar. Keep the contact marks as identifiers: NeZhadecryption@mailum.com, reserved NeZhadecryption@cyberfear.com, the YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED line, the unique private key line, the one-file test that must not be valuable, the blank PERSONAL ID, the 24 hour fuse, and the sold-or-made-public threat. Those artifacts are evidence. They are not instructions you should carry out.

Do not email NeZhadecryption@mailum.com. Do not email NeZhadecryption@cyberfear.com. Do not ask a friend to write them “just to see.” A pair of calm addresses is still the people who locked the files. If a later message quotes README.TXT and offers “the real ID,” that is still the same shop. If a later message skips the original inboxes and asks for coin over a different address, that is still the same shop, or a copycat standing in the same doorway.

Do not send the one-file demo. Do not treat 24 hours as a clock you must meet. Do not pay. If someone claims they can already decrypt NeZha files for a fee because they can recite YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED and both inboxes, they are selling a report, not a key. If they mention a server panel or a folktale as proof they “already called the crew,” they mixed the wrong Nezha with a locker. This is NeZha ransomware, not a dashboard. Do not answer. Do not complete their checkout. Do not help them fix the flyer.

If Windows still offers to pick an app for the .NeZha type, decline it. There is no player for that ending.

The Bottom Line

NeZha ransomware is a locker with a readable filename, a README that shouts ENCRYPTED, and a checkout that names two inboxes and leaves the personal ID blank. It keeps the old name and appends a victim ID plus .NeZha. In the sample used for this page, 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.{A15EF2AD-5BC3-D5DC-D6C1-539CA114597E}.NeZha. The note is README.TXT. It claims only they hold a unique private key, offers one free test file that must not be valuable, claims a long stay in the network and a copy already on their server, gives you 24 hours, then threatens a sale, a public leak, and a 2nd part. It tells you to write NeZhadecryption@mailum.com. It lists a reserved mailbox, NeZhadecryption@cyberfear.com. The sample leaves YOUR PERSONAL ID as a dash. This page will not invent a wallet, a Session ID, an onion, or a victim $ figure. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. This is not a server dashboard. This is not a folktale. mailum.com and cyberfear.com are attacker mail, not companies to smear.

Do not email NeZhadecryption@mailum.com. Do not email NeZhadecryption@cyberfear.com. Do not send a test file. Do not treat 24 hours as a real clock. Do not pay. Do not rename the pile in bulk. Keep README.TXT and a .NeZha sample. If you take one sentence with you, take this. A folder of names ending in .{ID}.NeZha, plus README.TXT and those two inboxes, is ransomware on the first sighting. It is NeZha the locker, not a dashboard. Treat it that way before anyone offers to fill the blank ID line.