The aim of this ransomware-type virus is to extort the computer user by taking one’s personal data hostage. The malware encrypts files so that they could no longer be accessed by the user, causing extreme stress as relevant work, study files or personal memories become inaccessible. At this point, the criminals offer a solution – pay a ransom or lose the data forever.

The ransom note suggests purchasing a decryption tool

QQMT file extension virus creates notes dubbed _readme.txt and saves them in several computer folders with hopes that the user will notice them sooner. As the file name suggests, the user has to read the file in order to understand the intentions of the ransomware operators. It soon becomes clear, because the message briefly explains that all data was locked. There is no way to restore the data without the decryption software and unique key, which both are kept by the cybercriminals, according to the note. The _readme.txt file then elaborates the matter by stating that the victim can still recover files by purchasing these special decryption tools from the cybercriminals. According to the note, the initial price for the decryption tool and key is $980, however, if the victim writes an email to the crooks within 72 hours (3 days), they will slash the price in half, accepting $490 instead. One way or another, they will only accept cryptocurrency-based payments to remain untraceable. This is usually explained later via email after the victim contacts the criminals. The note provides two email addresses that can be used to get in touch with the perpetrators – support@bestyourmail.ch and datarestorehelp@airmail.cc. The attackers recommend attaching one sample of an encrypted file to the email, and explain that they will provide a decrypted file version in return. However, they may refuse the test decryption service if they will decide that the test file contains valuable information. FBI recommends ransomware victims to resist the pressure and avoid paying money to virtual extortionists. First of all, it doesn’t guarantee data recovery, second, it provides funds for further cybercrime operations. Finally, victims who already paid might be blackmailed continuously, since the attackers have a tendency to target submissive victims again.

Additional information for victims of this ransomware

Computer users who have experienced attack of this described virus should know that it typically arrives into the vulnerable computer together with information-stealing Trojans, namely VIDAR or AZORULT. Both are highly dangerous threats capable of capturing sensitive data such as browsing history, cookies, browser-saved passwords and also computer-related data, such as its name, hardware specifics and other details. Another interesting detail about this ransomware is that it is programmed to check the infected computer’s geolocation and avoid encrypting files in case the PC is located in one of the following countries: Russia, Ukraine, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kazachstan, or Uzbekistan. The virus may also delete Volume Shadow Copies from the system to prevent easy data recovery for the victim. Computer users who have detected this virus in their systems should strive to remove QQMT ransomware without a delay. The best approach to this issue would be booting the system in Safe Mode with Networking and running a genuine, up-to-date antivirus solution to remove all malware automatically. On top of that, we recommend downloading this tool – RESTORO (secure and official download link) to repair virus-damaged Windows OS files and improving overall computer’s performance.

Ransomware Summary

REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE See an example how files encrypted by this ransomware look like.

Ransomware distribution specifics

Ransomware-type viruses like QQMT are mainly distributed via rogue online websites offering pirated software downloads. Users unknowingly download them in hopes to install and activate paid software versions for free. Unfortunately, such attempts to bypass modern license check systems can only lead to severe malware attacks because cybercriminals prey for users trying to bypass software license key fees. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you only download software from official websites or confirmed partners to ensure that you get your hands on a genuine software copies only. Another common method used to spread ransomware is email spam. Cybercriminals attach malware-injected files to emails that are crafted to look like they were sent by a legitimate company or someone the victim knows. The attachments are usually named as invoices, order summaries, or similar so that they would appear as harmless files to the victim. To avoid getting deceived, users should treat every email with caution and especially those that weren’t awaited. On top of that, typical signs that show the sender might be a bad person are:

Unfamiliar or over generic greeting line, such as Dear customer;Grammar mistakes;Low-quality logos;Suspicious sender’s email address.

Victims of ransomware should also be careful with various online sources claiming they can decrypt your files, or that they have decryption tools that work. Stick with confirmed sources only. A general idea is that various cybersecurity companies create these tools, AV vendors usually have research centers and are capable of creating these tools, but do not trust unknown domains that appear out of nowhere. They can serve malware in disguise and you can end up infected for the second time.

Remove QQMT Ransomware Virus and Decrypt Your Files

You can remove QQMT ransomware virus and related computer malware using a robust antivirus solution. Before you begin, start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking first – this helps to neutralize malicious processes and other components belonging to malware that might try to interfere with your security software. Ensure you’re using a genuine antivirus copy only. Run a full system scan and remove detected threats, then download RESTORO to identify and repair virus damage to Windows OS files. Additional tips we’d like to share include these:

After QQMT ransomware removal, use data backups to restore your files. Or, you can try these tips explained in this guide for STOP/DJVU victims.Change all of the passwords used on the compromised computer.Report the cyber-attack incident to local law enforcement agency.

OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system: GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs. Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer. Read full review here. RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically. RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them. Read full review here.

Method 1. Enter Safe Mode with Networking

Before you try to remove QQMT Ransomware Virus virus, you must start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Below, we provide the easiest ways to boot PC in the said mode, but you can find additional ones in this in-depth tutorial on our website – How to Start Windows in Safe Mode. Also, if you prefer a video version of the tutorial, check our guide How to Start Windows in Safe Mode on Youtube. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users Now, you can search for and remove QQMT Ransomware Virus files. It is very hard to identify files and registry keys that belong to the ransomware virus, Besides, malware creators tend to rename and change them repeatedly. Therefore, the easiest way to uninstall such type of a computer virus is to use a reliable security program such as INTEGO Antivirus. For virus damage repair, consider using RESTORO.

Method 2. Use System Restore

In order to use System Restore, you must have a system restore point, created either manually or automatically. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users After restoring the system, we recommend scanning the system with antivirus or anti-malware software. In most cases, there won’t be any malware remains, but it never hurts to double-check. In addition, we highly recommend checking ransomware prevention guidelines provided by our experts in order to protect your PC against similar viruses in the future.

Alternative software recommendations

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Removing spyware and malware is one step towards cybersecurity. To protect yourself against ever-evolving threats, we strongly recommend purchasing a Premium version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which provides security based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Includes ransomware protection. See pricing options and protect yourself now.

System Mechanic Ultimate Defense If you’re looking for an all-in-one system maintenance suite that has 7 core components providing powerful real-time protection, on-demand malware removal, system optimization, data recovery, password manager, online privacy protection and secure driver wiping technology. Therefore, due to its wide-range of capabilities, System Mechanic Ultimate Defense deserves Geek’s Advice approval. Get it now for 50% off. You may also be interested in its full review.

Disclaimer. This site includes affiliate links. We may earn a small commission by recommending certain products, at no additional cost for you. We only choose quality software and services to recommend.

Decrypt QQMT files

Fix and open large QQMT files easily:

It is reported that STOP/DJVU ransomware versions encrypt only the beginning 150 KB of each file to ensure that the virus manages to affect all files on the system. In some cases, the malicious program might skip some files at all. That said, we recommend testing this method on several big (>1GB) files first.

STOP/DJVU decryption tool usage guide

STOP/DJVU ransomware versions are grouped into old and new variants. QQMT Ransomware Virus is considered the new STOP/DJVU variant, just like BPTO, ISWR, ISZA, BPSM, ZOUU, MBTF, ZNSM (find full list here). This means full data decryption is now possible only if you have been affected by offline encryption key. To decrypt your files, you will have to download Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP DJVU, a tool created and maintained by a genius security researcher Michael Gillespie. Note! Please do not spam the security researcher with questions whether he can recover your files encrypted with online key - it is not possible. In order to test the tool and see if it can decrypt QQMT files, follow the given tutorial.

Meanings of decryptor’s messages

The QQMT decryption tool might display several different messages after failed attempt to restore your files. You might receive one of the following messages: Error: Unable to decrypt file with ID: [example ID] This message typically means that there is no corresponding decryption key in the decryptor’s database. No key for New Variant online ID: [example ID]Notice: this ID appears to be an online ID, decryption is impossible This message informs that your files were encrypted with online key, meaning no one else has the same encryption/decryption key pair, therefore data recovery without paying the criminals is impossible. Result: No key for new variant offline ID: [example ID]This ID appears to be an offline ID. Decryption may be possible in the future. If you were informed that an offline key was used, but files could not be restored, it means that the offline decryption key isn’t available yet. However, receiving this message is extremely good news, meaning that it might be possible to restore your QQMT extension files in the future. It can take a few months until the decryption key gets found and uploaded to the decryptor. We recommend you to follow updates regarding the decryptable DJVU versions here. We strongly recommend backing up your encrypted data and waiting.

Victims of QQMT Ransomware Virus should report the Internet crime incident to the official government fraud and scam website according to their country:

In the United States, go to the On Guard Online website.In Australia, go to the SCAMwatch website.In Germany, go to the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik website.In Ireland, go to the An Garda Síochána website.In New Zealand, go to the Consumer Affairs Scams website.In the United Kingdom, go to the Action Fraud website.In Canada, go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.In India, go to Indian National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.In France, go to the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information.

If you can’t find an authority corresponding to your location on this list, we recommend using any search engine to look up “[your country name] report cyber crime”. This should lead you to the right authority website. We also recommend staying away from third-party crime report services that are often paid. It costs nothing to report Internet crime to official authorities. Another recommendation is to contact your country’s or region’s federal police or communications authority.