Problem Virus (. Problem Files of Ransomware) — How to Remove Virus?

What is known about the Problemvirus?

Problem appends its specific .problem extension to the title of each encoded file. For example, an image named “photo.jpg” will be renamed to “photo.jpg.problem”. Just like the Excel table with the name “table.xlsx” will be changed to “table.xlsx.problem”, and so on.

The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to buy the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can get this decrypting software after contacting , through email. That is basically the scheme of the malefaction.

The note coming in package with the Problem ransomware states the following:

Hello, all files has been encrypted.
 
Send your ID: 6xxxxxxxxx3 to  and  as fast as possible.
 
!IMPORTANT!
 
Don\'t try to restore files by yourself, because after it we cant guarantee that decryptor will work correctly.
 
Also don\'t waste time making a decision. We don\'t keep decryption keys forever.
 
Waiting for your reply.

In the picture below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Problem looks like. Each filename has the “.problem” extension appended to it.

How did Problem ransomware end up on my PC?

Nowadays, there are three most exploited methods for tamperers to have the Problem virus acting in your system. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer networks.

If you access your inbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services providers, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose “from” field is unknown to you, beware of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a malicious file enclosed in them. Therefore, it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with letters like these.

Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan horse model². A Trojan is an object that infiltrates into your machine disguised as something different. For example, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some software. However, what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful program that encodes your data. As the update package can have any name and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the resource of the stuff you’re downloading. The best thing is to trust the software developers’ official websites.

As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like torrent trackers or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. You can never know what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy websites. Also, it is a good idea to scan the directory containing the downloaded items with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is complete.