What is Waffle Ransomware?
Waffle Ransomware is a new danger that does not give you too much time to recover from the shock of the possibility of losing your personal files to encryption. If you do not transfer the demanded fee within 24 hours, you can say goodbye to your files. What you also need to know is that even if you pay, there is little chance that you will actually get the unique decryption key that is needed for you to be able to recover your files. The only possible way for you to restore your files is to have a recent backup saved in cloud storage or on a portable hard disk. The good news is that this dangerous infection does not lock your screen and block your main system processes either so it is not that difficult to eliminate it. If you would like to use your computer again, you must remove Waffle Ransomware immediately after you have been hit. Please read our full report on this malicious program so that you can avoid similar attacks in the future and the possible catastrophe of losing your files.
Where does Waffle Ransomware come from?
When you are hit by such a severe threat, it is most likely that you have received and opened a spam e-mail. This spam either has a malicious attachment or a link in its body that points to a file storage place. But why would anyone download such a file? Well, the truth is that these cyber criminals know how to fool their victims. They use subject matters that would make even more experienced users want to open this mail and check out the attached file. How is this possible? Would you not want to see the content of an e-mail that claims that you have an unpaid invoice that is way overdue or that your credit card details could not be processed for an online flight booking? These criminals may use topics that you would be curious to figure out how they relate to you. This is why victims open these spam mails.
However, when you open such a spam, you may not actually find any useful information other than instructions to download and view the attached file, which is supposed to have all the information and details you may need. And, this is why you would probably click to view this file, which can pose as an image of an alleged invoice. Unfortunately, you will not be any wiser when you run this attachment because it simply activates this vicious program and the encryption starts up in no time. This also means that you will not have enough time to react and delete Waffle Ransomware from your computer without having your files damaged. No wonder why prevention is so important when it comes to ransomware attacks.
How does Waffle Ransomware work?
This ransomware does not attack all your hard disk. It targets the following directories mainly: %USERPROFILE%\Desktop, %USERPROFILE%\Documents, %USERPROFILE%\My Pictures, %USERPROFILE%\My Music, and %USERPROFILE%\My Videos. So if you do not really store your photos, audios, videos, and documents in these folders, chances are your files are safe and not encrypted. We have also found that this malware infection does not encrypt files with ".exe", ".dll", ".ini", and ".waffle" extensions. When a file is encoded, it gets a ".waffle" extension. After the damage is done, you will see the ransom note window on your screen.
This note is quite simple and looks like the work of a newbie in the ransomware business. This window has a waffle for the background and red letters, which are a bit hard to read. You are told that your files "has" been encrypted and that you have to pay $50 in Bitcoins to the given wallet address. This note is written in broken English as you can see, which is usually a sign that your attackers are not native speakers. In fact, a lot of these ransomware attacks come Russia or the Ukraine. You have 24 hours to transfer the money or your decryption key will be deleted and you will lose your files for good. The truth is that we see little chance that you would get your key anyway. Experience shows that only in a few cases do criminals deliver the key. If you want to use your computer again, we advise you to act now and remove Waffle Ransomware from your system.
How do I delete Waffle Ransomware?
If you feel up to the task, you can use our manual instructions below to eliminate this dangerous ransomware program. Keep in mind that this may be the most severe threat on your computer but probably not the only one. So after you remove Waffle Ransomware, we also recommend that you scan your system with a reliable online malware scanner to identify all possible threats. Or, better yet, install a reliable anti-malware program like SpyHunter and let it protect your computer automatically from all current and future infections.
Remove Waffle Ransomware from Windows
- Simultaneously press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on the malicious process to select it.
- Right-click on the process and choose Properties.
- Check the Location field and remember the malicious .exe file location.
- Press Cancel or OK.
- Press End task.
- Exit Task Manager.
- Press Win+E.
- Locate the malicious executable and delete it.
- Empty your Recycle Bin and reboot your PC.
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