This case documents the successful restoration of a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 database after an attack by the .roxaew ransomware. Despite the encryption of the server files, the core database structures remained recoverable through advanced block-level extraction.

Client & Data Information

• Client Name: Confidential
• Data Type: SQL Server 2008 R2 Database (.MDF / .LDF)
• Data Capacity: 3.5 GB
• Ransomware Extension: .roxaew

Incident Summary

The client’s server suffered a targeted virus attack, resulting in all system files being encrypted with the .roxaew extension. This rendered the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system unusable as the underlying SQL 2008 R2 database was corrupted and inaccessible.

The recovery task focused on bypassing the ransomware encryption to extract the raw data tables and records directly from the corrupted database files.

Technical Analysis

Following a deep-sector analysis of the infected storage, several key findings were identified:

• High Metadata Integrity: Although the file headers were modified by the .roxaew virus, the internal data pages showed high integrity.
• Extractable Blocks: The encryption pattern of the .roxaew variant allowed for the identification of non-encrypted data fragments.
• Compatibility: Using the Excellent SQL Database Recovery Tool, it was determined that a full reconstruction of the relational schema was possible without a decryption key.

Recovery Solution

The recovery strategy involved bypassing the encrypted file wrapper and performing a block-level reconstruction. By rebuilding the encrypted blocks and correcting the database pointers, we were able to export the data into a clean, healthy SQL environment. This method ensures the data is “clean” and safe to reintroduce to the production network.

Recovery Process

• Ransomware Behavior Analysis: Evaluation of the .roxaew encryption depth to identify recoverable data segments.
• Encrypted Block Reconstruction: Utilizing specialized tools to repair and rebuild the encrypted segments within the .MDF file.
• Data Extraction: Performing a deep scan to extract tables, stored procedures, and triggers from the corrupted file.
• Database Migration & Mounting: Restoring the extracted data into a new SQL 2008 R2 instance for validation.
• ERP Integration Test: Verifying that the restored database is fully compatible with the client’s ERP software.

Recovery Results

• Recovery Integrity: 100%
• Recovered Files: SQL Server 2008 R2 Primary Data Files
• System Status: Fully restored; database is directly usable by the ERP system.
• Total Recovery Time: 2 Hours

Expert Reminder: Important data must be backed up frequently to off-site or immutable storage. In the event of a .roxaew infection, avoid running “chkdsk” or attempting DIY decryption, as this may permanently damage the database blocks.