How to remove TellYouThePass Ransomware and decrypt .locked files

What is TellYouThePass Ransomware

TellYouThePass is a type of ransomware that first emerged in 2019. It is known for encrypting files on infected systems and demanding a ransom for their decryption. This ransomware has seen a resurgence, particularly in exploiting vulnerabilities such as the Apache Log4j and more recently, a critical PHP vulnerability (CVE-2024-4577). The ransomware targets both Windows and Linux operating systems and has been rewritten in Golang to facilitate cross-platform attacks. Once TellYouThePass encrypts files on an infected system, it appends the .locked extension to the filenames. For example, a file named document.docx would be renamed to document.docx.locked. TellYouThePass ransomware uses a combination of RSA-1024 and AES-256 cryptographic algorithms to encrypt files. This combination ensures that the encryption is robust and difficult to break without the decryption key. After encrypting the files, TellYouThePass creates a ransom note named README.html in each affected directory. This note contains instructions for the victim on how to pay the ransom, typically in Bitcoin, and how to contact the attackers to receive the decryption tool. The note warns victims not to rename the encrypted files or attempt to decrypt them using other tools, as this could result in permanent data loss.

Currently, there are no publicly available decryption tools that can decrypt files encrypted by TellYouThePass without the decryption key. The ransomware’s use of strong encryption algorithms (RSA-1024 and AES-256) makes it nearly impossible to decrypt the files without the key provided by the attackers. While there are no free decryption tools available, some specialized data recovery companies claim to have developed proprietary technologies capable of decrypting files encrypted by TellYouThePass. These companies, such as Digital Recovery and RansomHunter, offer services to recover encrypted data without paying the ransom. They use advanced techniques and tools to attempt decryption and data recovery. Users can also try good file recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery Professional.

How TellYouThePass Ransomware infects computers

TellYouThePass ransomware employs various methods to infiltrate systems:

Exploiting Vulnerabilities: The ransomware exploits known vulnerabilities in software, such as the Log4j vulnerability and the recent PHP vulnerability (CVE-2024-4577) . These vulnerabilities allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on the target systems.
Phishing and Spam Campaigns: Attackers use phishing emails and spam campaigns to trick users into downloading and executing malicious attachments or clicking on malicious links .
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Attacks: The ransomware can also spread through RDP-based assaults, where attackers gain unauthorized access to systems via weak or compromised RDP credentials .
Fileless Malware: In some cases, TellYouThePass uses fileless malware that operates entirely in memory, making it harder to detect and remove.

1. Download TellYouThePass Ransomware Removal Tool
2. Get decryption tool for .locked files
3. Recover encrypted files with Stellar Data Recovery Professional
4. Restore encrypted files with Windows Previous Versions
5. Restore files with Shadow Explorer
6. How to protect from threats like TellYouThePass Ransomware

TellYouThePass Ransomware files:


README.html
{randomname}.exe


TellYouThePass Ransomware registry keys:

no information

How to decrypt and restore .locked files

Use automated decryptors

Download Kaspersky RakhniDecryptor

Use the following tool from Kaspersky called Rakhni Decryptor, that can decrypt .locked files. Download it here:

Download RakhniDecryptor

There is no purpose to pay the ransom because there is no guarantee you will receive the key, but you will put your bank credentials at risk.

Dr.Web Rescue Pack

Famous antivirus vendor Dr. Web provides free decryption service for the owners of its products: Dr.Web Security Space or Dr.Web Enterprise Security Suite. Other users can ask for help in the decryption of .locked files by uploading samples to Dr. Web Ransomware Decryption Service. Analyzing files will be performed free of charge and if files are decryptable, all you need to do is purchase a 2-year license of Dr.Web Security Space worth $120 or less. Otherwise, you don’t have to pay.

If you are infected with TellYouThePass Ransomware and removed from your computer, you can try to decrypt your files. Antivirus vendors and individuals create free decryptors for some crypto-lockers. To attempt to decrypt them manually, you can do the following:

Use Stellar Data Recovery Professional to restore .locked files

1. Download Stellar Data Recovery Professional.
2. Click Recover Data button.
3. Select the type of files you want to restore and click Next button.
4. Choose the location where you would like to restore files from and click Scan button.
5. Preview found files, choose ones you will restore and click Recover.

Download Stellar Data Recovery Professional

Using Windows Previous Versions option:

1. Right-click on infected file and choose Properties.
2. Select Previous Versions tab.
3. Choose a particular version of the file and click Copy.
4. To restore the selected file and replace the existing one, click on the Restore button.
5. In case there are no items in the list, choose an alternative method.

Using Shadow Explorer:

1. Download Shadow Explorer program.
2. Run it, and you will see a screen listing of all the drives and the dates that shadow copy was created.
3. Select the drive and date that you want to restore from.
4. Right-click on a folder name and select Export.
5. In case there are no other dates in the list, choose an alternative method.

If you are using Dropbox:

1. Login to the Dropbox website and go to the folder that contains encrypted files.
2. Right-click on the encrypted file and select Previous Versions.
3. Select the version of the file you wish to restore and click on the Restore button.

How to protect computer from viruses, like TellYouThePass Ransomware, in future

1. Get special anti-ransomware software

Use ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware

Famous antivirus brand ZoneAlarm by Check Point released a comprehensive tool, that will help you with active anti-ransomware protection, as an additional shield to your current protection. The tool provides Zero-Day protection against ransomware and allows you to recover files. ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware is compatible with all other antiviruses, firewalls, and security software except ZoneAlarm Extreme (already shipped with ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware) or Check Point Endpoint products. The killer features of this application are: automatic file recovery, overwrite protection that instantly and automatically recovers any encrypted files, file protection that detects and blocks even unknown encryptors.

Download ZoneAlarm Anti-Ransomware

2. Back up your files

As an additional way to save your files, we recommend online backup. Local storage, such as hard drives, SSDs, flash drives, or remote network storage can be instantly infected by the virus once plugged in or connected to. TellYouThePass Ransomware uses some techniques to exploit this. One of the best services and programs for easy automatic online backup is iDrive. It has the most profitable terms and a simple interface. You can read more about iDrive cloud backup and storage here.

3. Do not open spam e-mails and protect your mailbox

Malicious attachments to spam or phishing e-mails are the most popular method of ransomware distribution. Using spam filters and creating anti-spam rules is good practice. One of the world leaders in anti-spam protection is MailWasher Pro. It works with various desktop applications and provides a very high level of anti-spam protection.

Download MailWasher Pro