Emsisoft Decrypter for ZQ

ZQ Ransomware is a type of malware that is usually propagated via email attachments, fake downloads and pirated software. Once it makes its way into your system, it locks your data and provides an email address to contact for ransom. According to the IT security professionals that found it, it is believed to be in development and not that widespread due to its particularities.

As the name implies, Emsisoft Decrypter for ZQ is a tool dedicated to decrypting files that are hijacked by this ransomware, providing of course that you have a clean copy of the infected file.

As with other ransomware, ZQ locks most of your files using the RSA-1024 and Salsa20 algorithms and changes their extensions to the email address you should be sending the money to recover your data. It also created a ransom note where they inform you that your files are encrypted and you should write an email to [email protected] for further instructions.

According to the victims of ZQ, the hackers are likely to ask for a particular price in Bitcoin or other well-known cryptocurrency, usually a price between $500 and $1500. To intimidate users even more to pay the ransom, the malware deletes certain apps that can restore the disk images as well.

Similarly to other decryption tools released by Emsisoft, you need to have a file pair, one encrypted and one clean copy. The tool is designed to work with larger files, so for best results, the developer recommends you compare their sizes, as it cannot unlock more than the size of the original size.

Once you included the correct files, you need to allow Emsisoft Decrypter for ZQ to find the key. You should know that the reconstructed decryption details are displayed, but they are purely informational. Once you have the key, you should add all the locations with infected files and hit the “Decrypt” button to start the recovery process.