Gash Virus

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*Gash is a variant of Stop/DJVU. Source of claim SH can remove it.

Gash

Gash is a threat from the Ransomware type which can encrypt your files. Gash will display a ransom-demanding message the moment it completes the file-encryption.

Gash
The Gash ransomware will leave a _readme.txt file with instructions

We assume that you come to this site because you have mysteriously been infected with this threat, and are now seeking a method to remove it. If so, in the following article, we will clarify how this malware operates, how it spreads, and what you can do to get rid of it, and decrypt your files. We have included a guide below that will help you through the entire process of removing Gash from your device, and potentially restoring the targeted files through alternative means.

The Gash virus

The Gash virus is created to extort money from its victims. The Gash virus will keep your files locked unless you pay a ransom.

Gash
The Gash virus will encrypt your files

Since you are here, we’ll presume you’ve seen a strange ransom notification on your screen saying that you’ve got to pay a certain amount of money to get back the access to your secretly encrypted files. Such a notification can be quite a stressful one, not only because it typically comes out of the blue, but also because, sometimes, the consequences of the attacks of viruses such as Gash, Qore, Qopz can prove to be irreversible.

Ransomware is a type of software designed to break into your computer, encrypt all the files on it, and then ask you to pay money for the decryption key. This is a very widespread criminal practice, and there have even been reported cases of people paying the required ransom out of fear, only to realize that they are never going to get the decryption key, or their files back.

A better course of action in case you have been infected, however, is to not let the hackers scare you into giving them your money. Instead, security experts advise that you explore alternative methods that may help you to remove the infection, and possibly, to recover your data by other means. Our removal guide below also offers you suggestions on file-recovery, as well as a trusted Gash removal tool that can help you clean your computer from the Ransomware’s traces.

The .Gash file encryption

The .Gash file encryption is what prevents you from accessing your files. The .Gash file encryption can be bypassed if you have external data backups.

That’s why one of the first things that we will suggest you do once you remove the infection from your system is to look for backup copies of your most important data. You can check your external hard drives, pen drives, your cloud storage, or your email. Our file-recovery steps may also help you extract some backup copies from the system. So, do give them a try before you even consider the ransom payment as an option. Of course, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to recover everything with alternative methods, but we believe that sending your money to the hackers behind the ransomware will only encourage them to blackmail you more.

SUMMARY:

NameGash
TypeRansomware
Danger LevelHigh (Ransomware is by far the worst threat you can encounter)
Data Recovery ToolNot Available
Detection Tool

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*Gash is a variant of Stop/DJVU. Source of claim SH can remove it.

Remove Gash Ransomware


Step1

Restarting your computer is required for the next steps. Hence, to avoid losing this removal guide, we recommend that you save it as a bookmark in your browser and reload it as soon as the PC reboots.

You should also reboot your computer in Safe Mode to limit the number of processes and applications that are running on the computer down to the most basic ones, and then return to this page for the remaining steps.

As soon as the computer has restarted in Safe Mode, go to the Windows Search bar, type msconfig, and press Enter. Then click the tab at the top that reads “Startup“:

msconfig_opt

In case that Gash has added dangerous startup items to the list, be sure to uncheck their checkmarks and then click the OK button to save your changes. This will disable the startup entries that are related to the infection.

Step2

WARNING! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!

*Gash is a variant of Stop/DJVU. Source of claim SH can remove it.

Then, open the Task Manager (CTRL + SHIFT + ESC) and click on the Processes Tab to see whether there are any active malicious processes running in the background:

If you spot a process that looks suspicious, open the File Location of that process by right-clicking on it. This will allow you to see the files of that process.

malware-start-taskbar

Once you see them, use the free virus scanner below to check the files for malware:

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    Scan results that show even a single file as potentially harmful suggest that the process in question is infected. In such a case, the next step should be to stop the running process and remove the malicious files from the File Location.

    Step3

    In the third step, press and hold the Start Key and R together to open a Run window. Inside that window, copy the line below and click OK:

    notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts

    As soon as you do this, the Hosts file will open in Notepad. Scroll down in the text until you see Localhost. Keep an eye for malicious IP addresses like those on the sample image below, and if you detect any, let us know in the comments at the end of this page.

    hosts_opt (1)
    Step4

    *Gash is a variant of Stop/DJVU. Source of claim SH can remove it.

    The most difficult part of removing Gash is identifying and removing any dangerous Registry entries that the ransomware may have created.

    Please note that, unless you are an experienced user, you should avoid making any changes to the Registry and instead use a professional removal application (such as the one suggested on this page) to remove dangerous files from your computer.

    The Registry Editor may be accessed by typing Regedit in the Windows search bar and pressing Enter.

    Next, when the Editor opens, press CTRL and F simultaneously and carefully write the name of the malware into the Find box. Search the Registry for entries with that name, and if any are found, they should be deleted since they may be associated with the infection.

    After you clean the Registry Editor and close it, we recommend that you check out a few additional places on your computer where harmful files may be hiding. Using the Windows Search Field, type each of the lines below and look for items that were added around the time that ransomware was installed:

    1. %AppData%
    2. %LocalAppData%
    3. %ProgramData%
    4. %WinDir%
    5. %Temp%

    Don’t forget to remove the content of the Temp folder and inspect the rest of the directories for suspicious subfolders or files.

    Step5

    How to Decrypt Gash files

    Recovering from a ransomware attack requires careful consideration of the specific variant of ransomware that has infected you and the strategies and techniques that will be required to remove it. The variant of the ransomware may be identified by the extensions it adds to the files it has encrypted. If Gash is the variation that has infected your machine, below you will find a tool that may help you recover your data. 

    The first step in decrypting ransomware-encrypted data is to make sure that the infection has been totally removed from your computer first. That’s why we recommend that you carefully remove Gash with the help of the manual instructions above or use professional anti-virus software, or an online virus scanner, to scan the system for hidden threats.

    New Djvu Ransomware

    A new variant of the Djvu Ransomware called STOP Djvu is threatening users globally. Files encrypted with that variant end with .Gash, making it easy to distinguish between this and other variants of the same malware. Even though it may be very difficult to decode data encoded with this new variant, there is still hope if an offline key has been used for the encryption of the files. What is more, there is a decryption program that you may give a try to get your data back. To download the decryptor, on your computer, just open the link below and click the Download button.

    https://www.emsisoft.com/ransomware-decryption-tools/stop-djvu

    The process of decryption

    To open the decryptor file, make sure that you run it as administrator and press the Yes button. Next, take a moment to read the license agreement and the brief set of instructions shown on the screen before proceeding. In the following step, click the Decrypt button to decrypt your data. Please note that the tool may fail to decrypt files encrypted using unknown offline keys or files encrypted online.  

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    About the author

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    Lidia Howler

    Lidia is a web content creator with years of experience in the cyber-security sector. She helps readers with articles on malware removal and online security. Her strive for simplicity and well-researched information provides users with easy-to-follow It-related tips and step-by-step tutorials.

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