A1Lock ransomware virus. How to remove? (Uninstall guide)
A1Lock virus will encrypt your files and demand a ransom
A1Lock ransomware is a new Globe Imposter ransomware[1] version that uses .707 extension on encrypted files and creates a ransom note called RECOVER_FILES.html. The virus functions as an extortion tool that demands ransom in exchange for a data recovery software.
Once run, the malicious executable of the virus scan the entire computer system for target files. The malware has a list of file extensions that are main targets. Once the virus finds a file with a target extension, it corrupts the file using certain encryption algorithm. Once the A1Lock encrypts the file, it adds .707 extension after the original file extension to mark the file as corrupted one.
The last part of the attack involves the creation of the ransom note, also known as the file that holds data recovery instructions. The file contains victim’s personal ID and a link to a site that explains how to buy the decryptor. In order to access the website, the victim has to install a special browser called TOR.
The provided URL leads to a site that provides the helpme.zip file. The size of this file is 126.87kB. The file contains a decrypter, however, in order to access it, the victim has to pay 0.06 Bitcoin. At the moment of writing this post, the price of the decryptor was 152.22 US dollars. The ransom has to be transferred to a provided Bitcoin wallet address that collects payments from all A1Lock ransomware victims.
If you were attacked by this ransomware, we suggest you to clean your system from malicious files first. It is strongly recommended that you remove A1Lock virus ASAP. The removal can be completed using anti-malware program, and it won’t take you more than a half an hour to do it. Please, do not try to kill the virus manually because you can easily overlook some malicious files and leave the system with security vulnerabilities.
It is also important that you prepare your PC for A1Lock removal properly. To do it, we strongly recommend using instructions we made. These are given below the article.
Select 'Safe Mode with Networking'
Select 'Enable Safe Mode with Networking'
Select 'Safe Mode with Command Prompt'
Select 'Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt'
Enter 'cd restore' without quotes and press 'Enter'
Enter 'rstrui.exe' without quotes and press 'Enter'
When 'System Restore' window shows up, select 'Next'
Select your restore point and click 'Next'
Click 'Yes' and start system restore
Distribution of Globe Imposter malware
Globe Imposter viruses, including A1Lock, are mostly distributed via malspam (also known as malicious spam). Be extremely careful when opening emails sent by strangers or companies that you didn’t have any business with lately. If you suspect something strange, do not click on links or email attachments that came with the message.
Cyber criminals tend to attach .ZIP files to emails, and sometimes they protect these files with a password. In such case, the password will be listed in the message body. Do not attempt to open these archives and especially files inside of them, despite their legitimate-looking names.
Even if it sounds surprising to you, a document (Word[2] or Excel) CAN contain a virus, because it can contain a malicious script that connects to a certain domain and downloads ransomware from it.
The ransomware has already affected many computers worldwide, especially in France. If you are a citizen from this country, you might be interested in Lesvirus.fr website[3] that provides information about computer security in French language.
Remove A1Lock ransomware virus
Do not delay A1Lock removal because deleting this virus is the only available option if you want to continue using your computer safely. Typically, the ransomware hides its components from the victim; besides, it has an ability to download additional malware to the system, so you need to uninstall all malware at once ASAP. For that, we highly recommend using anti-malware software.
However, to remove A1Lock virus, you will need to make sure that it won’t attempt to interrupt you from doing so. For this reason, we strongly recommend rebooting your computer in Safe Mode with Networking and starting the removal process from there. You can find a detailed explanation of the removal procedure down below.
To remove A1Lock virus, follow these steps:
Remove A1Lock using Safe Mode with Networking
Remove the virus while in Safe Mode with Networking. Use these instructions to complete the task faster.
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Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Networking
Windows 7 / Vista / XP- Click Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
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Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list
Windows 10 / Windows 8- Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
- Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
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Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Networking in Startup Settings window.
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Step 2: Remove A1Lock
Log in to your infected account and start the browser. Download Reimage or other legitimate anti-spyware program. Update it before a full system scan and remove malicious files that belong to your ransomware and complete A1Lock removal.
If your ransomware is blocking Safe Mode with Networking, try further method.
Remove A1Lock using System Restore
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Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Windows 7 / Vista / XP- Click Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
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Select Command Prompt from the list
Windows 10 / Windows 8- Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
- Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
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Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window.
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Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
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Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
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Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again..
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When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of A1Lock. After doing that, click Next.
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Now click Yes to start system restore.
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Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
Bonus: Recover your data
Guide which is presented above is supposed to help you remove A1Lock from your computer. To recover your encrypted files, we recommend using a detailed guide prepared by 2-spyware.com security experts.Although it is not confirmed that Globe Imposter decrypter available now is capable of decrypting .707 file extension files, it is definitely worth a try. Therefore, we suggest getting the decrypter and using it on your encrypted files. If it doesn't work, try alternative methods listed below.
If your files are encrypted by A1Lock, you can use several methods to restore them:
Recommended tool: Data Recovery PRO
Data Recovery Pro is a recommended data recovery tool that may help you to restore corrupted data. To use it, you need to:
- Download Data Recovery Pro;
- Follow the steps of Data Recovery Setup and install the program on your computer;
- Launch it and scan your computer for files encrypted by A1Lock ransomware;
- Restore them.
Use Globe Imposter Decryptor
Globe Imposter Decryptor may help you to recover your files. We strongly recommend deleting the virus before you even download this tool to your computer.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from A1Lock and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as Reimage, Malwarebytes MalwarebytesCombo Cleaner or Plumbytes Anti-MalwareMalwarebytes Malwarebytes
About the author
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References
- ^ David Harley. Social engineering and ransomware. WeLiveSecurity. IT Security Site Covering the Latest News, Research, Cyber Threats and Malware Discoveries.
- ^ Bill Brenner. SophosLabs analysis: why the surge in Word docs hiding ransomware?. Naked Security. Computer Security News, Opinion, Advice.
- ^ LesVirus. LesVirus. Spyware, Malware Removal Guides in French language.