LockBeast EXPOSED: .lockbeast Files, README.TXT, and a Session Inbox

You open Documents the way you did yesterday. The first photo should still be 1.jpg. The second shot should still be 2.png. The installer leftover should still be 3.exe. The invoice should still be invoice.pdf. Instead every familiar name has a victim ID and a second ending tacked on. 1.jpg is now 1.jpg.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast. 2.png is now 2.png.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast. 3.exe is now 3.exe.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast.

Then you notice a text file you did not create. It sits in the same folder, as if it has always belonged there. It is called README.TXT. README sounds like documentation. TXT sounds like a file 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

LockBeast ransomware locks the files first. Then it keeps the old name and the old type, hangs a victim ID in braces, and stamps .lockbeast 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 AND CONDIDENTIAL DATA HAS BEEN STOLEN. CONDIDENTIAL is their spelling. It says documents, databases, source codes, and other important files are inaccessible. It claims military standard encryption algorigthms, another spelling they printed, that cannot be broken without a special key. It says some data was copied to their servers. It lists transactions, customer names, contact details, document numbers, card numbers in your casino, and balances. It says if you refuse to deal, they will post the pile on their blog. It says the group is not politically motivated and they just love money. It offers a five-step negotiation. It tells you to write, send a personal decryption id, look at stolen data, unlock 1 test file, negotiate a ransom price, pay, then receive a decryptor, deletion logs, and a technical report. YOUR PERSONAL ID is printed as a dash. Contact is Session and Tox. It warns you not to rename files and not to try third-party tools. It gives you 7 days. It prints no wallet. It prints no onion. It prints no victim $ figure. This page will not invent those blanks.

If you are staring at a pile of names that end in a victim ID plus .lockbeast, 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. Stay away from anyone who wants to talk to LockBeast for you as if this were a ticket desk.

The first tell is the rename. In the sample used for this page, 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast. 2.png becomes 2.png.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast. 3.exe becomes 3.exe.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast. You can still read what the file used to be. You cannot open it. Windows may call the type a LOCKBEAST File and offer a useless “choose an app” box. An app cannot talk locked bytes back into a JPEG. Do not invent a second ID because a later helper shows a different brace string. The ID in that sample is the one on this page. Yours may differ. The ending .lockbeast is the brand.

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, a window Windows already trusts. Put them together and the first English you can still read after the photos break is a sales page 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 broken English on purpose. YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED AND CONDIDENTIAL DATA HAS BEEN STOLEN. All your documents, databases, source codes and other important files are now inaccessible. They are protected by military standard encryption algorigthms that cannot be broken without a special key. In addition, some of your data has been copied and is on our servers. The stolen data contains information about transactions made in your applications, personal data of your customers, including full names, contact details, document numbers, their card numbers in your casino and their balance. If you refuse to deal with us, we will publicly post your confidential information on our blog. Our group is not politically motivated, we just love money like all people. Instead of paying huge fines, getting sued by employees and customers, you can simply write to us and negotiate a deal. How our negotiations with you will proceed. 1. You contact us at the contacts listed below and send us your personal decryption id. 2. We will show you what data we stole from you and decrypt 1 test file of your choice so you know that all your files are recoverable. 3. We will negotiate a ransom price with you and you pay it. 4. We give you a decryptor for your data, as well as logs of secure deletion all your data. 5. We give you a technical report on how your network was infiltrated. YOUR PERSONAL ID: -. OUR CONTACTS. 1. SESSION. Download Session Messenger. Our Session ID: 0528d01425626aa9727970af4010c22f5ec5c3c1e7cd21cbecc762b88deb83d03c. 2. TOX MESSENGER. Download Tox. Our Tox ID: D29B1DD9540EFCC4A04F893B438956A0354A66A31277B65125E7C4BF2E092607338C93FDE53D. 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. If you do not contact us within 7 days, we will post your sensitive data on our blog and report the leak to your partners, customers, employees, as well as to regulators and the media.

That is the whole costume. There is no printed wallet. There is no printed onion. There is no victim $ figure. The personal ID line is a dash. The note does not need extra theater. A locked folder plus a Session inbox plus a Tox spare plus a 1-file test plus a 7-day leak clock is already a shop. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. There is no reason to add those messenger IDs today because a text file told you to. There is no reason to pay a $ amount someone later invents.

The victim ID plus .lockbeast is the first warning

Most lockers pick an extension so you notice the change in seconds. LockBeast uses a victim ID in braces, then .lockbeast. That is why 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast, and why 2.png becomes 2.png.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast, and why 3.exe becomes 3.exe.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast. 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 second shot. You can still see the leftover installer. 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 .lockbeast off the end and expect Photos or a PDF reader to open the file. Do not delete the brace block because it looks like junk. 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 Session chat.

The extra ending also does advertising. Anyone who sees 1.jpg.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast next to README.TXT can pretend they already have your case. A later fake helper will quote the .lockbeast 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 locker needs a fresh one. The sample used for this page printed {ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}. Keep the published sample as the published sample.

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. Paperwork is easier to obey than a threat. The body even uses an Attention list, the way a real installer might warn you not to close a window.

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 convert it to a PDF “for the record” and then delete the original. 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 adding 0528d01425626aa9727970af4010c22f5ec5c3c1e7cd21cbecc762b88deb83d03c in Session or D29B1DD9540EFCC4A04F893B438956A0354A66A31277B65125E7C4BF2E092607338C93FDE53D in Tox.

If the same page is sitting in more than one folder, that is normal for this family. Lockers drop the same flyer 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 a Session window.

YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED AND CONDIDENTIAL DATA HAS BEEN STOLEN is a shout, not a lab report

The note opens in all caps. YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED AND CONDIDENTIAL DATA HAS BEEN STOLEN. Caps are not a finding. Caps are a shove. You are supposed to stop thinking and start obeying. CONDIDENTIAL is not a lab word. It is a typo doing a job. The next lines say the files are inaccessible and protected by military standard encryption algorigthms that cannot be broken without a special key. That is the product pitch in two sentences. There is no company. There is no refund policy. There is no way to prove the other side will ever send a key. There is only a key they claim to hold.

The shout is also a brand. Later search ads will quote it. Later helpers will paste YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED AND CONDIDENTIAL DATA HAS BEEN STOLEN so they sound close to your folder. Anyone can copy a headline, including the misspelling. Copying those words does not mean they can reverse a locked photo. It means they read the same note you did, or they read a screenshot of it.

The leak half of the shout is the second shove. Stolen data. Casino cards. Customer balances. A blog they say they will fill if you stay quiet. Even if you do not run a casino, the script still talks like you do. The costume is built for a business that fears a regulator and a customer list at the same time. A home PC can still get the same flyer. The words do not prove they have your pile. The words prove they want you afraid enough to write first.

The Session inbox is attacker chat, not support

The printed Session contact is 0528d01425626aa9727970af4010c22f5ec5c3c1e7cd21cbecc762b88deb83d03c. The note tells you to download Session Messenger and add that ID. Session is a real messenger. The ID is not a Session help desk. It is a door they own, on an account they can delete, with a thread they can screenshot and reuse. A calm chat window would feel like a ticket. This chat is not a ticket. It is how a locked photo becomes a negotiation.

Do not add that ID. Do not open a fresh Session account just to see if the form works. Do not send a test file to prove you are a real victim. Do not paste a folder listing into a new message. That string belongs to the people who locked the files. Writing it is the product. A later helper who says they already added the LockBeast Session box has not proven a relationship. They read the same flyer. Reciting 0528d01425626aa9727970af4010c22f5ec5c3c1e7cd21cbecc762b88deb83d03c is not a decryptor. It is proof they can copy. Keep the ID as an identifier in the incident record. Then leave it unused.

Do not review-bomb Session. Do not call a Session help desk and demand they unlock LockBeast files. Session support did not encrypt the folder. Session support cannot decrypt .lockbeast. The ID is an account someone registered. It is not the company. The mechanism is an attacker-controlled Session inbox, dressed as a recovery desk. It is impersonation-shaped chat, not a vendor you can call.

The Tox ID is the spare door, not a safer desk

The printed Tox contact is D29B1DD9540EFCC4A04F893B438956A0354A66A31277B65125E7C4BF2E092607338C93FDE53D. Two messengers look like a real office with a backup desk. They are still doors they own. Tox is a real messenger. The ID is not a Tox security ticket. A second handle does not make a safer conversation. A second handle makes the shop harder to miss, and it gives copycats two strings to recite.

Do not add that Tox ID. Do not install Tox “just to see.” Do not send the same test file to both apps because the note listed two. Two IDs are still the people who locked the files. Do not review-bomb Tox. Do not treat tox.chat as a shop that lost your photos. Name the mechanism and stop. Attacker IDs on consumer messengers. Not a vendor. Not a country.

The casino leak story and the 7-day clock are the squeeze

The note claims stolen transactions, customer personal data, document numbers, card numbers in your casino, and balances. It says a public blog post is waiting if you refuse. It says partners, customers, employees, regulators, and the media will hear about it if you stay quiet for 7 days. That is a lot of theater for a text file. Theater is the point. A leak story turns a locked folder into a reputation emergency. A 7-day line turns the emergency into a clock they own.

Do not treat the casino sentence as proof you run a casino. Do not treat the regulator sentence as a filing you missed. The flyer talks like a business even when the machine is a home PC. Keep those lines as identifiers. Then refuse the clock. 7 days is not a service level. 7 days is a shove. A later helper who says the price jumps after day 7 is reciting the same shove. There is no printed $ amount on the sample used for this page, so there is no official jump to beat.

The blank personal ID and the 1-file test are the checkout

The note tells you to send your personal decryption id. Then it prints YOUR PERSONAL ID: – and leaves the value as a dash. That blank is not a puzzle you should complete. It is how this sample actually looks. This page will not invent a victim ID to finish the line. Do not mint a string because a comment said every locker needs one. Do not copy an ID from a screenshot of a different locker. Do not type the dash into a Session subject as if the punctuation were a code.

If your own copy on disk still shows a string on that line, treat it as evidence for a report, not as a ticket you redeem by adding those messenger IDs. Keep whatever is actually printed. Leave the published sample as a dash, because that is how the published sample arrived. A later helper who fills the blank for you is not doing you a favor. They are finishing the checkout form.

Offering to decrypt 1 test file of your choice is how they make the shop feel testable. Together with the Session ID and the Tox ID, that line turns a locked folder into a relationship. Relationships are how payments happen. You do not need that relationship. You need the folder left intact and a plan that does not start in their chat. Do not attach unimportant files. Do not pick the smallest PNG as a demo. Do not send 1.jpg.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast because it looks like a throwaway. A 1-file test is still a sample of your disk in their hands, plus proof that this victim follows instructions.

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 .lockbeast. Drop a readme that shouts YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED AND CONDIDENTIAL DATA HAS BEEN STOLEN. Claim military standard encryption. Claim a stolen customer pile, including casino cards. Offer a five-step deal. Ask for a personal decryption id, then leave the ID as a dash. Offer 1 test file. Promise a ransom price after you write. Promise a decryptor, deletion logs, and a technical report after you pay. Point the scared person at Session ID 0528d01425626aa9727970af4010c22f5ec5c3c1e7cd21cbecc762b88deb83d03c and Tox ID D29B1DD9540EFCC4A04F893B438956A0354A66A31277B65125E7C4BF2E092607338C93FDE53D. Light a 7-day fuse. Then wait for someone else to sell the missing wallet, the missing onion, and the missing $ figure.

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

LockBeast encrypts the files it wants as leverage, then appends a victim ID and .lockbeast. That is why 1.jpg is still readable as 1.jpg.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast, and why 2.png is still readable as 2.png.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast, and why 3.exe is still readable as 3.exe.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast. The operators want you to inventory the damage in seconds. They want you to see the photo, the second shot, and the leftover installer 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 add those messenger IDs 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 text file named 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. Stolen. Military standard. Casino cards. Love money. Write us. Personal ID. 1 test file. Negotiate a price. Pay. Decryptor. Deletion logs. Technical report. Session. Tox. 7 days. 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 an onion. It does not print a victim $ figure. It prints a dash where the 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. CONDIDENTIAL DATA HAS BEEN STOLEN is meant to end the argument

After the encrypt shout, the note rests on a leak. Stolen transactions. Customer names. Document numbers. Card numbers in your casino. Balances. A blog. Regulators. The media. Famous panic plus a shove are meant to end the conversation you have not even started. Encrypted sounds like math you cannot beat at the kitchen table. Stolen sounds like you already failed. Together they try to keep you calm enough, or ashamed enough, to follow the next line.

You do not need to argue spelling with a text file. You do not need to argue whether your password was long enough. You need to stop treating the file as a technician. Leave the locked names as they are. Leave README.TXT where it is. The warning printed in that note is part of the pitch. It is not a recovery procedure.

4. Military standard encryption is a costume, not a lab sheet

The sample says the files are protected by military standard encryption algorigthms that cannot be broken without a special key. Military standard is a scare phrase. Algorigthms is their spelling. Neither one is a reason to believe a Session chat is the only aisle left. Plenty of lockers shout a famous algorithm name. This one shouts a vibe. A vibe is cheaper to print than a proof.

Some of the caution that follows is real in a narrow sense. Random unlockers and bulk renames are a bad idea. The note does not say that because it cares about your photos. It says do not rename encrypted files, and do not try third-party software, because a scared person who still believes a local tool might work is a person who has not written yet. The warning is a push toward both messenger IDs.

5. The Session ID is the door they want you to walk through

The recovery step in the sample is chat. OUR CONTACTS. 1. SESSION. Download Session Messenger. Our Session ID: 0528d01425626aa9727970af4010c22f5ec5c3c1e7cd21cbecc762b88deb83d03c. A long hex string looks technical, like a case number a real desk would issue. It is still a door they own. A calm messenger name does not make the first one honest. It only gives them an account to abandon if it burns.

Do not add that ID. 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 LockBeast for you through that same Session string, 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.

6. Tox is the spare handle, not a second opinion

OUR CONTACTS. 2. TOX MESSENGER. Download Tox. Our Tox ID: D29B1DD9540EFCC4A04F893B438956A0354A66A31277B65125E7C4BF2E092607338C93FDE53D. Two consumer messengers look like a real office with a backup address. They are still the same shop. The spare handle exists so a filter, a ban, or a tired first attempt does not end the sale. If Session feels blocked, Tox is waiting. If Tox feels strange, Session is waiting. That is not customer care. That is a funnel with two mouths.

Do not add the Tox ID because the Session one felt too long. Do not add both “to be safe.” Safe is the word they want you to use while you walk in. Keep both strings as identifiers. Leave both unused. A later helper who offers to add them for you is standing in the same doorway.

7. 7 days is a clock they own

If you do not contact us within 7 days, we will post your sensitive data on our blog and report the leak to your partners, customers, employees, as well as to regulators and the media. That sentence is built to keep you awake. Partners. Customers. Employees. Regulators. Media. Five audiences in one breath. A person who believes all five are already waiting is a person who writes before breakfast.

Do not stay up to beat a deadline printed by the people who locked the photos. Do not invent a $ figure because a forum post claimed every LockBeast victim pays the same by day 6. The sample left the price unprinted. Leave it unprinted. A relative, an insurer, or an incident lead can still talk on a phone. The people who locked the files do not get a seat in that call. 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. Show stolen data plus 1 test file confirms a live victim

Step 2 in their list is the demo. We will show you what data we stole from you and decrypt 1 test file of your choice so you know that all your files are recoverable. Together with the two messenger IDs, that line turns a locked folder into a relationship. You do not need that relationship. You need the folder left intact and a plan that does not start in their chat.

Do not attach files they would call unimportant. Do not pick the smallest photo as a demo. Do not send three junk PDFs because the note said 1 test file of your choice. A demo that unlocks one file is not proof they can unlock the vacation shot. Anyone can open junk they already control. Anyone can send you back a picture you sent them. Opening that Session inbox is not useful work. It is the checkout. A later helper who asks for the same one file so they can talk to the crew is standing in the same doorway.

9. Negotiate a ransom price is checkout

The note does not print a $ amount. It says they will negotiate a ransom price with you and you pay it. After that, they promise a decryptor, logs of secure deletion, and a technical report on how the network was infiltrated. That sequence is the whole store. Write. Demo. Price. Pay. Tool. Report. There is no printed wallet on the sample used for this page, and this page will not invent one. A missing price is still a checkout trick. You are supposed to write first so they can name a number once they know you are live.

Do not treat a later price as a discount you earned by being polite. Do not treat deletion logs as a receipt. Do not treat a technical report as incident response. Those extras are costumes. They make a criminal chat look like a vendor closeout. A $1 “good faith” send is still a payment. It still tells them this victim pays. It still funds the next copy of the same locker. It still does not produce a warranty.

10. We just love money is the honesty they want you to trust

The sample says the group is not politically motivated. We just love money like all people. Instead of paying huge fines, getting sued by employees and customers, you can simply write to us and negotiate a deal. That is a sales closer dressed as candor. Love money is supposed to sound safer than ideology. Huge fines is supposed to sound more expensive than their unprinted price. A person who believes they are choosing the cheaper aisle is already in the shop.

You do not owe a criminal inbox a negotiation because they claimed to be practical. You do not owe them a Session hello because they claimed they are not political. Keep the line as an identifier. Then refuse the deal. A later helper who repeats we just love money as proof they know the crew has only proven they can read.

11. Third parties will sell a LockBeast conversation

After a ransomware incident, search results fill up with companies that say they can decrypt LockBeast or all .lockbeast 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 YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED AND CONDIDENTIAL DATA HAS BEEN STOLEN. They will mention a 1-file test. They will mention 0528d01425626aa9727970af4010c22f5ec5c3c1e7cd21cbecc762b88deb83d03c and D29B1DD9540EFCC4A04F893B438956A0354A66A31277B65125E7C4BF2E092607338C93FDE53D 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 junk files they control. Anyone can send you a chat ID that makes a window appear. A chat window is not Photos opening 1.jpg again. If a later message skips the original IDs 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, an onion, or a victim $ figure 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 Session inbox. It does not need Tox. 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 LockBeast key as a second sales pitch. Reciting both messenger IDs is not a 1% proof they hold a key. It is proof they can read.

12. Payment and adding those IDs 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 Session thread or a Tox thread makes that outcome easier, not harder. You cannot leave a review on a criminal inbox. You cannot leave a review on a Session ID.

Adding 0528d01425626aa9727970af4010c22f5ec5c3c1e7cd21cbecc762b88deb83d03c is the free version of the same dead end. Adding D29B1DD9540EFCC4A04F893B438956A0354A66A31277B65125E7C4BF2E092607338C93FDE53D is the spare version. 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 1.jpg.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast. 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 messenger IDs again is not useful work. It is the checkout, even when the ID line is a dash and the price is still unassigned.

What To Do

Do not add the Session ID 0528d01425626aa9727970af4010c22f5ec5c3c1e7cd21cbecc762b88deb83d03c. Do not add the Tox ID D29B1DD9540EFCC4A04F893B438956A0354A66A31277B65125E7C4BF2E092607338C93FDE53D. Do not write both because the note listed two. Those are not Session support. They are not a Tox help desk. Do not send a 1-file test. Do not invent an ID, a wallet, 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.

• 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 .lockbeast name exactly as it is. Do not bulk-rename 1.jpg.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast back to 1.jpg, or 2.png.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast back to 2.png, or 3.exe.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast back to a normal program. Do not strip the brace ID because it looks ugly. 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 victim ID and .lockbeast. You do not need to edit it to know what you lost. Leave the personal ID line alone. Do not correct a dash because a writeup used that sample.

Keep README.TXT with the locked files, and keep at least one .lockbeast sample next to it. Do not clean up every copy of the note. Do not fill a dash so the flyer looks complete. Do not invent a wallet, an onion, or a victim $ figure. 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. Those artifacts are evidence. They are not instructions you should carry out.

Do not pay. Do not ask a friend to write them just to see. 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 note and asks for coin over a different address, that is still the same shop, or a copycat standing in the same doorway. If someone claims they can already decrypt LockBeast files for a fee because they can recite YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED AND CONDIDENTIAL DATA HAS BEEN STOLEN, they are selling a report, not a key. 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 .lockbeast type, decline it. There is no player for that ending.

The Bottom Line

LockBeast ransomware is a locker with a readable filename, a readme that shouts YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED AND CONDIDENTIAL DATA HAS BEEN STOLEN, and a checkout that names Session and Tox. It keeps the old name, stamps a victim ID, and appends .lockbeast. In the sample used for this page, 1.jpg becomes 1.jpg.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast. 2.png becomes 2.png.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast. 3.exe becomes 3.exe.{ED08A034-A9A0-4195-3CC2-81B2521AD6B5}.lockbeast. The note is README.TXT. It claims military standard encryption, a stolen customer pile including casino cards, a 1-file test, a negotiated ransom price, deletion logs, and a technical report. It tells you to contact Session ID 0528d01425626aa9727970af4010c22f5ec5c3c1e7cd21cbecc762b88deb83d03c and Tox ID D29B1DD9540EFCC4A04F893B438956A0354A66A31277B65125E7C4BF2E092607338C93FDE53D. It gives you 7 days. It prints YOUR PERSONAL ID as a dash. It prints no wallet, no onion, and no victim $ figure, and this page will not invent those. There is no public free decryptor known for this strain. Those two messenger IDs are attacker inboxes. They are not Session support. They are not a Tox help desk.

Do not add that Session ID. Do not add that Tox ID. Do not send a 1-file test. Do not pay. Do not rename the pile in bulk. Keep README.TXT and a .lockbeast sample. If you take one sentence with you, take this. A folder of names ending in a victim ID plus .lockbeast, plus README.TXT and those two messenger inboxes, is ransomware on the first sighting. Treat it that way before anyone offers to fill the dash on the personal ID line.