Thor ransomware / virus (Removal Instructions) - updated Nov 2016

What is Thor ransomware virus?

How dangerous is Thor file virus?

Thor ransomware is cypto-type malware which hails from an infamous family of Locky ransomware. Together with this threat, security researchers discovered Perl ransomware, .Shit file extension virus and Odin virus. Thor is not just an ordinary member of this group of viruses because it can encrypt files with over 400 different file extensions. To make victim’s files useless, it uses a combination of RSA and AES ciphers that distort the structure of every file and scramble the filename by adding .thor file extension to them. As a result, you can easily notice the fact that your computer is hijacked by this ransomware. Of course, the affected files are not available for a free use – to start using them again you are required to pay a ransom of 0.5 bitcoin. This version of Thor virus uses two files to “inform” its victim about the encryption of his or hers files and a need to pay a special payment. Documents that are supposed to reveal that are presented as _WHAT_is.html and _WHAT_is.bmp. What is even worse is that this virus is programmed to continue the scan of the system. Once it discovers new files added to it, it initiates another encryption process, so there is no doubt that you must initiate Thor removal on your computer as soon as you find one of its encrypted files. For that, use FortectIntego.

The aim of Thor ransomware is to make files inaccessible and force the victim to pay the ransom. This virus asks for approximately 0.50 Bitcoin to set victim’s files free, and this sum equals to 330 US dollars. The ransom notes that Thor virus leaves on the compromised system explain to the victim how to download Tor browser, which is needed in order to access the ransom payment site. The payment site asks to enter the personal ID, which is presented in the ransom note or to enter any encrypted file name. If your files have been compromised by this ransomware, you have two options – send your money to cyber criminals and wait until they provide the decryption software (unlikely to happen) or remove Thor virus using the anti-malware tool and restore your files from a backup. If you do not have a backup, we are afraid that there is no way to restore corrupted data, but you can still try some of the data recovery techniques described below this post.

Infiltration techniques used by this ransomware

Each version of Locky virus uses quite similar methods to infiltrate victim’s computers. Some of them are delivered via malicious emails, others infect target computers with the help of exploit kits, and others spread via malware-laden ads. Thor ransomware typically arrives in a form of .vbs, .dll, .zip, .js, .hta or .doc file, and can be executed unwillingly. It is not surprising, considering that such files do not look suspicious at all. Unfortunately, unprotected computers cannot fight against ransomware attack, so they get infected. As we have mentioned before, there is no way to revert damage that ransomware viruses do, unless the victim has data backup stored on an external storage device. To protect your files, you can use external hard drives, USB sticks and similar solutions. If you want to use online back up solutions, such as cloud services, make sure they are disconnected all the time to protect your data from the entire loss. In case of infiltration, make sure you remove Thor virus from your computer and then use your backup to restore encrypted files.

Update on Thor file virus distribution

According to the latest reports, Thor virus spreads as a misleading email message titled as Budget or Budget forecast. It has Zip attachment added to it which seems like an excel file with the budget-themed name. Later, you can see that the attachment is, in fact, the .vbs file that seeks to infect you with Thor ransomware or other versions of Locky. The body of the message asks you to double check the file added to it. However, you should be careful with such emails, especially if they come from people you are not familiar with. Besides, we should warn you about the latest scam used to promote Locky ransomware several days ago because there is a huge chance that scammers will start using it for the distribution of Thor malware. In this case, they are trying to trick their victims into believing that the alleged U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) account manager detected illegal operations in their bank account. However, after looking closer at this message it seems obvious that it is filled with grammar or typo mistakes. Please, make sure you contact your bank and its representatives before clicking the infected file added to such message. If you can see this warning on your computer’s desktop, you are infected. In this case, please, proceed to Thor removal process:

!!! IMPORTANT INFORMATION !!!

All of your files are encrypted with RSA-2048 and AES-128 ciphers.
More information about the RSA and AES can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSA_(cryptosystem)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Encryption_Standard
Decrypting of your files is only possible with the private key and decrypt program, All which is on our secret server.
To receive your private key follow one of the links:
1.http://….
2.http://….
If all of this addresses are not available, follow these steps:

1. Download and install Tor Browser: https://….
2. After a successful installation, run the browser and wait for initialization.
3. Type in the address bar:
4. Follow the instructions on the site.
!!! Your personal identification ID: !!!

Removal methods of Thor virus

If your PC is already infected with this ransomware, you must remove Thor virus entirely because it can try to encrypt your newest files and files that are kept on the network. To do that, you should use reliable anti-malware tool after updating. If you do not have any security software on your computer, you should choose one of those that are given below. To restore your files without a backup, we highly recommend following “Data recovery” steps that are provided below the Thor removal steps. Please, do NOT think about paying the ransom because that’s how you can lead yourself to the risk of losing your files AND the money. Keep in mind that people who you are dealing with are hackers. They will do anything to increase their income.