If you cannot open your images, documents, or files and they have a .[jerd@420blaze.it].jron extension, then your computer is infected with the JRON ransomware.
The JRON Ransomware is a malicious program that encrypts the personal documents found on the victim’s computer with the “.[jerd@420blaze.it].jron” extension, then displays a message which offers to decrypt the data if payment in Bitcoin is made.
What is the JRON ransomware?
JRON is a file-encrypting ransomware infection that restricts access to data (documents, images, videos) by encrypting files with the “.[jerd@420blaze.it].jron” extension. It then attempts to extort money from victims by asking for “ransom”, in the form of Bitcoin cryptocurrency, in exchange for access to data.
The JRON ransomware will scan your computer for images, videos, and important productivity documents and files such as .doc, .docx, .xls, .pdf. When these files are detected, the ransomware will encrypt them and change their extension to “.[jerd@420blaze.it].jron”, so that you are no longer able to open them.
Once the JRON ransomware has encrypted the files on your computer, it will display a ransom note and instructions on how to contact the authors of this ransomware.
This is the ransom note that the JRON ransomware will show to its victims:
All your files have been encrypted!
Don’t worry, you can return all your files!
If you want to restore them, write to the mail: ronrivest@airmail.cc (roneast@tuta.io) YOUR ID
If you have not answered by mail within 12 hours, write to us by another mail:ronivest@tutanota.com
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qTOX chat download link:
https://tox.chat/download.html
qTOX chat ID: 67BFA5C82CA08CDD82A2DC14C2A521EA 4FF73E387CF79121B60450808F81395E51807A493878
Free decryption as guarantee:
Before paying you can send us up to 3 files for free decryption. The total size of files must be less than 3Mb (non archived), and files should not contain valuable information. (databases,backups, large excel sheets, etc.)
How to obtain Bitcoins:
The easiest way to buy bitcoins is LocalBitcoins site. You have to register, click ‘Buy bitcoins’, and select the seller by payment method and price.
https://localbitcoins.com/buy_bitcoins
Also you can find other places to buy Bitcoins and beginners guide here:
http://www.coindesk.com/information/how-can-i-buy-bitcoins/
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 our) or you can become a victim of a scam.
Unfortunately, it is not currently possible to decrypt the files encrypted by the JRON ransomware. It may, though, be possible in the future if the decryption keys are recovered from the cybercriminals’ servers. Therefore, if you do not plan on paying the ransom, it is advised that you make an image of the encrypted drives so that you can possibly decrypt them in the future.
How did the JRON ransomware get on my computer?
The JRON ransomware is distributed via spam email containing infected attachments, fake software cracks, or by exploiting vulnerabilities in the operating system and installed programs.
Here’s how the JRON ransomware might get on your computer:
- Spam emails: Cybercriminals spam out an email, with forged header information, tricking you into believing that it is from a shipping company like DHL or FedEx. The email tells you that they tried to deliver a package to you, but failed for some reason. Sometimes the emails claim to be notifications of a shipment you have made. Either way, you can’t resist being curious as to what the email is referring to – and open the attached file (or click on a link inside the email). And with that, your computer is infected with the JRON ransomware.
Be alert for people trying to trick you. Whether it’s your email, phone, messenger, or other applications, always be alert and on guard for someone trying to trick you into clicking on links or replying to messages. Remember that it’s easy to spoof phone numbers, so a familiar name or number doesn’t make messages more trustworthy. - Cracks and keygens: The JRON ransomware is distributed using fake software cracks or through free programs you download off of the Internet.
Avoid using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing programs, keygens, cracks, and other pirated software that can often compromise your data, privacy, or both. - Exploits: The JRON ransomware was also observed attacking victims by exploiting vulnerabilities in the program installed on the computer or the operating system itself. Commonly exploited software includes the operating system itself, browsers, Microsoft Office, and third-party applications.
Keep your operating system and apps up to date. Whenever an update is released for your device, download and install it right away. These updates often include security fixes, vulnerability patches, and other necessary maintenance.
Remove the JRON ransomware and recover the files
It’s important to understand that by starting the removal process you risk losing your files, as we cannot guarantee that you will be able to recover them. Your files may be permanently compromised when trying to remove this infection or trying to recover the encrypted documents.
We cannot be held responsible for losing your files or documents during this removal process.
It’s recommended to create a backup image of the encrypted drives or files before proceeding with the malware removal instructions so that you can restore them if the decryption keys are recovered from the cybercriminals’ servers. To create a backup for your encrypted files or drives, you can use EaseUS Todo Backup Free.
Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubts at any point, stop and ask for our assistance.
- STEP 1: Start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking
- STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes to remove JRON ransomware
- STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to scan for Trojans and other malware
- STEP 4: Double-check for malware infections with ESET Online Scanner
- STEP 5: Restore the files encrypted by the JRON ransomware
STEP 1: Start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking
In this first step, we will start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking to prevent JRON malicious drivers and services from loading at Windows start-up. We’re using Safe mode because it starts Windows in a basic state, using a limited set of files and drivers.
- Press Windows logo key + I on your keyboard to open Settings. If that doesn’t work, right-click on the Start button, then select Settings. In the right window, click on Recovery.
- Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.
Now that you are in Windows Recovery Environment, you will follow these steps to take you to safe mode:
- On the Choose an option screen, select “Troubleshoot“.
- On the “Troubleshoot” screen, click the “Advanced Options” button.
- On the “Advanced Options” page, click the “Startup Settings” option.
- On the “Startup Settings” page, click the “Restart”.
- After your device restarts, you’ll see a list of options. Select option 5 from the list or press F5 to enter Safe Mode with Networking.
- While your computer is running in Safe Mode with Networking, we will need to download, install and run a scan with Malwarebytes (explained in Step 2).
- Press the Windows logo key + I on your keyboard to open Settings. If that doesn’t work, select the Start button, then select Settings.
- When the Windows Settings window opens, select Update & Security, then click on Recovery.
- Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.
Now that you are in Windows Recovery Environment, you will follow these steps to take you to safe mode:
- On the Choose an option screen, select “Troubleshoot“.
- On the “Troubleshoot” screen, click the “Advanced Options” button.
- On the “Advanced Options” page, click the “Startup Settings” option. In Windows 8, this option is labeled “Windows Startup Settings” instead.
- On the “Startup Settings” page, click the “Restart”.
- After your device restarts, you’ll see a list of options. Select option 5 from the list or press F5 to enter Safe Mode with Networking.
- While your computer is running in Safe Mode with Networking, we will need to download, install and run a scan with Malwarebytes (explained in Step 2).
- Remove all floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs from your computer, and then restart your computer.
- When the computer starts you will see your computer’s hardware being listed. When you see this information start to press the F8 key repeatedly until you are presented with the Advanced Boot Options.
- In the Advanced Boot Options screen, use the arrow keys to highlight Safe Mode with Networking and then press Enter.
- While your computer is running in Safe Mode with Networking, we will need to download, install and run a scan with Malwarebytes (explained in Step 2). In some cases, victims may have issues while trying to start the computer in Safe Mode with Networking, if this happens, you can try to scan your computer with Malwarebytes in normal mode.
STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes to remove JRON ransomware
While the computer is in Safe Mode with Networking, we will download, install and run a system scan with Malwarebytes.
Malwarebytes stands out as one of the leading and widely-used anti-malware solutions for Windows, and for good reason. It effectively eradicates various types of malware that other programs often overlook, all at no cost to you. When it comes to disinfecting an infected device, Malwarebytes has consistently been a free and indispensable tool in the battle against malware. We highly recommend it for maintaining a clean and secure system.
Download Malwarebytes for Windows
You can download Malwarebytes by clicking the link below.
MALWAREBYTES FOR WINDOWS DOWNLOAD LINK
(The above link will open a new page from where you can download Malwarebytes)-
Install Malwarebytes
After the download is complete, locate the MBSetup file, typically found in your Downloads folder. Double-click on the MBSetup file to begin the installation of Malwarebytes on your computer. If a User Account Control pop-up appears, click “Yes” to continue the Malwarebytes installation.
Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes
When the Malwarebytes installation begins, the setup wizard will guide you through the process.
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You’ll first be prompted to choose the type of computer you’re installing the program on—select either “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer” as appropriate, then click on Next.
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Malwarebytes will now begin the installation process on your device.
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When the Malwarebytes installation is complete, the program will automatically open to the “Welcome to Malwarebytes” screen.
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On the final screen, simply click on the Open Malwarebytes option to start the program.
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Enable “Rootkit scanning”.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start, and you will see the main screen as shown below. To maximize Malwarebytes’ ability to detect malware and unwanted programs, we need to enable rootkit scanning. Click on the “Settings” gear icon located on the left of the screen to access the general settings section.
In the settings menu, enable the “Scan for rootkits” option by clicking the toggle switch until it turns blue.
Now that you have enabled rootkit scanning, click on the “Dashboard” button in the left pane to get back to the main screen.
Perform a Scan with Malwarebytes.
To start a scan, click the Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its antivirus database and begin scanning your computer for malicious programs.
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Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will now scan your computer for browser hijackers and other malicious programs. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
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Quarantine detected malware
Once the Malwarebytes scan is complete, it will display a list of detected malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. To effectively remove these threats, click the “Quarantine” button.
Malwarebytes will now delete all of the files and registry keys and add them to the program’s quarantine.
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Restart your computer.
When removing files, Malwarebytes may require a reboot to fully eliminate some threats. If you see a message indicating that a reboot is needed, please allow it. Once your computer has restarted and you are logged back in, you can continue with the remaining steps.
When the malware removal process is complete, your computer should start in normal mode (if not, simply restart your device to exit Safe Mode) and continue with the rest of the instructions. We do recommend that you run another scan with Malwarebytes once you’re in Normal mode to make sure all the malicious files were removed.
STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to scan for Trojans 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 the JRON ransomware and other malicious programs.
HitmanPro is a second-opinion scanner that takes a unique cloud-based approach to malware scanning. HitmanPro scans the behavior of active files and also files in locations where malware normally resides for suspicious activity. If it finds a suspicious file that’s not already known, HitmanPro sends it to its clouds to be scanned by two of the best antivirus engines today, which are Bitdefender and Kaspersky.
Although HitmanPro is shareware and costs $24.95 for 1 year on 1 PC, there is no limit on scanning. The limitation only kicks in when there is a need to remove or quarantine detected malware by HitmanPro on your system and by then, you can activate the one-time 30-days trial to enable the cleanup.
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Download HitmanPro.
You can download HitmanPro by clicking the link below.
HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK
(The above link will open a new web page from where you can download HitmanPro) -
Install HitmanPro.
When HitmanPro has finished downloading, double-click on “hitmanpro.exe” (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or “hitmanpro_x64.exe” (for 64-bit versions of Windows) to install this program 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 HitmanPro to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
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Follow the on-screen prompts.
When HitmanPro starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below. Click on the “Next” button to perform a system scan.
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Wait for the HitmanPro scan to complete.
HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for malicious programs.
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Click on “Next”.
When HitmanPro has finished the scan, it will display a list of all the malware that it has found. Click on the “Next” button to have HitmanPro remove the detected items.
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Click on “Activate free license”.
HitmanPro may now require to activate the free 30-days trial to remove the malicious files. To do this, click on the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
When the malware removal process is complete, it will display a screen that shows the status of the various programs that were removed. At this screen, you should click on the Next button and then if prompted you should click on the Reboot button. If HitmanPro does not prompt you to reboot, please just click on the Close button.
STEP 4: Double-check for malicious programs with ESET Online Scanner
In this fourth step, we run a scan with ESET Online Scanner to remove any leftover files from the JRON ransomware and other malicious programs.
ESET Online Scanner is a free second-opinion scanner, designed to rescue your computer from malware (viruses, trojans, rootkits, etc.) that have infected your computer despite all the security measures you have taken (such as anti-virus software, firewalls, etc.).
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Download ESET Online Scanner.
You can download ESET Online Scanner by clicking the link below.
ESET ONLINE SCANNER DOWNLOAD LINK
(The above link will open a new web page from where you can download ESET Online Scanner) -
Double-click on esetonlinescanner.exe to run the installer.
When ESET Online Scanner has finished downloading, double-click on “esetonlinescanner.exe” to install it program on your computer. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.
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Install ESET Online Scanner.
When ESET Online Scanner starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below. Select your desired language from the drop-down menu and click Get started.
In the Terms of use screen, click Accept.
Select your preference for the Customer Experience Improvement Program and the Detection feedback system and click Continue.
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Start a Full Scan with ESET Online Scanner
Click on Full Scan to perform an in-depth inspection of the entire computer.
Select Enable for Detection of Potentially Unwanted Applications, then click Start scan.
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Wait for the ESET Online Scanner scan to finish.
ESET Online Scanner will now begin to scan your computer for malware. This process can take quite a while, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
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ESET Online Scanner will automatically remove the malicious files.
At the end of the scan, the Found and resolved detections screen will be displayed. You can click View detailed results to view specific information. Detected threats are automatically cleaned and quarantined.
STEP 5: Restore the files encrypted by the JRON 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.
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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) -
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.
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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.
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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“.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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”) -
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.
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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.
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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.
Your computer should now be free of the JRON ransomware infection and other malware.
If your current antivirus allowed this malicious program on your computer, you may want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future.
If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
- Run a computer scan with Emsisoft Emergency Kit
- Ask for help in our Malware Removal Assistance for Windows forum.