Do you know what OhNo Ransomware is?
OhNo Ransomware can infiltrate your system without your knowledge and push you to transfer a certain amount of ransom fee for the decryption of your personal files that have been taken hostage supposedly. Well, our researchers say that you may be in the luck this time. It is usually a mismatch to talk about "luck" when it comes to ransomware infections because the more matching term would be "nightmare" most of the time. However, this particular malicious threat seems to crash at some point, which stops it from executing its main task, i.e., encryption. But since we have found that this version does not really seem popular and well-spread, it is possible that it has been a trial run and the authors of this malicious program are working hard on the finished product to hit victims hard next time and destroy their files for good unless they pay up in time. This scenario is totally possible but we cannot confirm it obviously. All we know right now is that you should remove OhNo Ransomware from your system as soon as possible and make sure that your PC is protected against similar dangerous threats.
Our experience shows that most ransomware programs are distributed via spamming campaigns. Our researchers have confirmed that this malware infection also uses this channel to infect unsuspecting computer users. This ransomware can pose as an image or a document attachment, and you are led to believe that it is of utmost importance that you download it and see it for yourself. This attached file is supposed to have vital information for you regarding an unsettled invoice, an unpaid speeding ticket, changes with your Internet provider, mysterious transactions in your bank account, and the like. Most people would be curious to see the details and these cyber criminals know this exactly. This is why the body of such a spam mail does not really contain any further information but mostly point to the attachment for the user to see as soon as possible. Please remember that when you run this attached file, you actually infect your system with this ransomware. In a normal case it would mean that the devastation is unavoidable and you could not delete OhNo Ransomware without losing your files at the same time. Thanks to the "god of software" this version does not seem to destroy your files.
OhNo Ransomware screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
As we have mentioned, the moment when you run this malicious file, which has a totally random name, it is supposed to launch its attack targeting your photos and documents. However, for some reason this ransomware seems to crash at one point and the encryption does not take place; at least, in the case of the sample we were testing. This does not mean that there cannot be or will not be properly working versions on the web. This malware infection does not seem to lock your screen by replacing it with its image or full-screen ransom note. It simply displays a pop-up error message window that contains the ransom note. This note tells you that all your documents, downloads, and desktop has been encrypted and you have to transfer 2 Moneros (XMR), which is yet another cryptocurrency that currently would be around 240 US dollars, to a provided XMR address. This is yet another difference to most ransomware infections apart from not encrypting files since Bitcoin is the usual cryptocurrency used by the majority of these malicious threats. The silver lining here is that you do not need to panic as your files may not have been encrypted at all. You can easily check that since the working version of this ransomware should leave obvious marks behind in the form of an ".ohno" extension added to the encrypted files. We never encourage anyone to pay ransom fees however low or high they may be. This would be tantamount to supporting cybercrime. We can only recommend that you remove OhNo Ransomware as fast as you can.
Although ransomware programs are probably the most dangerous type of malware infections that can damage all your files, it is usually quite easy to eliminate them. Some even delete themselves upon accomplishment. In this case, you simply need to be able to identify the random-name .exe file you have saved recently and delete it. Of course, it is possible that you will find several such files and we advise you to bin them all after careful research. Please use our instructions below if you need help. However, if you wish to be safe in your virtual world at all times, you should consider installing a trustworthy malware removal application, such as SpyHunter.
How to remove OhNo Ransomware from Windows
- Tap Win+E.
- Scan your default download folders as well as your set download folders for suspicious .exe files that have a random name.
- Delete every file that you find suspicious.
- Empty your Recycle Bin and reboot your system.
In non-techie terms:
OhNo Ransomware is a new malicious threat that can show up on your computer without your noticing it and pretend to encrypt your files to extort money from you for the decryption key. Nevertheless, our researchers have found that the version that is spreading right now does not work fully and therefore it is possible that it does not even encrypt your personal files (photos and documents). This is certainly good news but not the fact that you let this vicious program on board. This ransomware mostly spreads via spamming campaigns and could be just the beginning since it does not seem to be distributed in big numbers just yet. This could be a sign that it is simply a test run and a more dangerous version could be coming soon. In any case, it is essential that you are well-prepared for such an attack and save regular backups onto a removable drive or to cloud storage. We recommend that you take this threat seriously even if your files have not been encrypted this time. In fact, you should remove OhNo Ransomware immediately to restore your security in your virtual world. If you want to keep your PC clean, you should start using a reliable anti-malware program.