What Is BBBW Malware? How to Remove It and Restore Your Data
Do files on your computer feature a .BBBW extension that prevents you from opening them? You might also have found a text document in infected folders stating that your files have been encrypted and that you should purchase a decryption tool to restore access to your data.
If so, your device has been infected with BBBW ransomware, and cybercriminals have encrypted your files. So how does this ransomware variant work? Is it worth paying ransom to decrypt your files? Do you have any other options besides paying the ransom?
How the BBBW Ransomware Works
The BBBW malware is a ransomware variant that infects a user’s computer and encrypts almost any file format it can access. Consequently, all the infected files are given an additional .BBBW extension, which makes them impossible to open.
For example, “audio.mp3” will become “audio.mp3.bbbw”, and the same applies to all infected files on your computer. Aside from changing a file’s format, the cybercriminals behind the virus also add a text document to the infected folder.
The text document states that the user’s data has been encrypted with a key that cannot be decrypted by any other means. Criminals claim the only way to decrypt your data is to pay a high price for a decryption tool, which acts as a ransom that they want to extract from their victims.
To gain the victim’s confidence, they suggest sending any one of the infected files, which they offer to decrypt. Victims are directed to two or more email addresses where they can contact the criminals.
The scammers use an urgency clause in the text that states that if the victim contacts them within a specific timeframe, they will provide a 50% discount for the decryption tool. A good question to ask is: Is paying a ransom worth it?
That’s a big NO! Even if you pay the ransom, there is no guarantee that they will give you the decryption tool. Even if they do, you will serve as one of their sponsors, and they will use your money to trap other users. Thus, paying ransom for your data harms others as well.
If you have been infected, what should you do next?
What to Do If Your PC Is Infected by BBBW Ransomeware
How you deal with BBBW ransomware infection depends on whether or not you have a data backup. Below we have explained what you should do in both scenarios:
1. Do You Have a Backup of Your Data? Restore It
Infecting important data with malware is the only weakness on which scammers rely to exploit users. Therefore, if you have a backup of your data, you can quickly restore files from the backup without paying a ransom.
Nonetheless, you should clean your computer of all viruses before restoring your backup; otherwise, your backup itself may become infected. So,
Instead, follow these steps (if applicable):
If you don’t have any backups, would you still be able to cope with the malware? Yes, here’s how.
2. Don’t Have a Backup? Decrypt the Files If You Can
If your device has been infected with BBBW ransomware but you do not have a backup, the only way to recover your files is by decrypting them.
Since the BBBW virus belongs to the STOP/DJVU family of ransomware infections, you must use decryption tools that can decrypt files affected by this variant.
After testingdifferent ransomware decryptors, our research led us to conclude that Emsisoft’s decryptor for STOP/DJVU is the best decryptor for removing infected files with the BBBW variant.
Follow the steps below to decrypt files using the Emsisoft decryptor for STOP/DJVU:
If the tool successfully decrypts your files, we recommend you create a backup of your data and store it online. Afterward, follow the same steps mentioned in the previous section, i.e., boot into Safe Mode, run a malware scan, restore and reset the OS, and restore files from backup.
This will ensure that your OS is completely clean of malware, preventing your files from becoming infected in the future.
Note that Emsisoft’s decryptor doesn’t always succeed in decrypting files, and when that happens, it displays one of the following errors:
Don’t Pay Ransom to BBBW Malware Scammers
Hopefully, you now better understand BBBW malware and how to safely restore your files from backup without paying scammers. Moreover, if you don’t have a backup of your files, you’re able to utilize decryption tools to decrypt the infected files.
Learn the best methods to decrypt your files and folders on Windows 10.
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