Analysis: .TIBX file infected by ransomware
1️⃣ What is a .TIBX file?
- .TIBX is the file extension used by Acronis True Image 2021 and later.
- These files are full or incremental backups, containing multiple files and metadata that are compressed and encrypted by default with Acronis.
- They can be stored on:
- external drives,
- NAS devices,
- network servers,
- Acronis Cloud (depending on configuration).
2️⃣ Symptoms of a .TIBX file affected by ransomware
When ransomware targets a system containing Acronis backups:- Extension renaming
- .TIBX may become .TIBX.[ransomware_name], for example .TIBX.lockbit or .TIBX.anubis.
- Inaccessibility
- Files can no longer be opened by Acronis True Image.
- Attempting to open the file results in: “corrupted or unreadable file”.
- SCREENSHOT
- Visible encryption
- The binary content is completely altered.
- Internal metadata is corrupted.
- Possible propagation
- If the ransomware has network access, it may affect multiple .TIBX files on NAS devices or shared servers.
3️⃣ Impact on data recovery
Recovering a .TIBX file affected by ransomware is very delicate for several reasons:| Factor | Impact |
| Acronis encryption | Files are already password-protected. Without this password, recovery is nearly impossible. |
| Ransomware encryption | If the ransomware encrypts the file as well, it becomes doubly inaccessible. |
| Proprietary format | .TIBX is a proprietary format. Standard recovery tools (Recuva, R-Studio) cannot rebuild the internal data. |
| Partial corruption | Some ransomware truncate files or overwrite internal blocks. Even if the file still exists, it may be unusable. |
| Chained backups | Incremental .TIBX files depend on previous ones; if one file in the chain is lost, the entire series may become unusable. |
⚠️ Consequence:
Full recovery depends heavily on file integrity and the availability of passwords. 4️⃣Best practices after an attack
To maximize recovery chances:- Do not attempt to open or write to the disk containing the .TIBX files.
- Isolate the disk to prevent ransomware propagation.
- Send the files to a specialist in post-ransomware data recovery.
Conclusion
- Les fichiers .TIBX sont extrêmement sensibles aux ransomwares car ils contiennent des sauvegardes critiques.
- Symptômes principaux : renommage d’extension, impossibilité d’ouverture, fichiers corrompus.
- Impact sur la récupération : élevé, surtout si le fichier est chiffré ou corrompu par le ransomware.
- Temps de récupération : 24h à plusieurs jours selon taille, intégrité et outils utilisés.