Bud ransomware / virus (Virus Removal Guide) - Free Instructions

Bud virus Removal Guide

What is Bud ransomware virus?

Bud ransomware pretends to be WannaCry

The image of Bud ransomware

Bud virus is defined as a file-encrypting threat which impersonates WannaCry by using a similar ransom message.[1] Luckily, the virus does not seem to be elaborate as the latter threat. However, it targets Windows OS systems. After the encryption, the ransomware appends .bud extension to the affected data.

The malware demands 500 in euros which suggests that the developers target European countries. Besides constant targets: Germany[2] and the UK, other countries should be vigilant as well. At the moment, the activity of the malware is low. If you were lucky enough to get infected with the virus, remove Bud malware with the assistance of FortectIntego or Malwarebytes.

WannaCry still inspires wannabe hackers

Though since the outbreak of this menace has passed several months, the threat fuels up the imagination of hackers with less inferiors programming skills. On the other hand, psychological terror remains to be one of the key elements for cyber criminals.

Often they warn victims not to use any third-party software or tools for data recovery as it might lead to complete data corruption. In this regard, Bud ransomware developers use the same strategy.

They urge to transfer money as every hour some of the encrypted files will be deleted. In any case, there is no guarantee that users might retrieve their files after remitting the payment either.

Furthermore, since the malware is still under development, there are doubts that the decryption procedure might not be successful. Therefore, Bud malware removal might be a wiser decision. Bud virus ransom noteBud crypto-malware imitates WannaCry and demands 500 EUR in exchange to the decryption key

Distribution methods of file-encrypting threats

These distribution methods facilitate Bud hijack:

  • Spam emails
  • Trojans in infected sites
  • Corrupted browser extensions and apps

Though the first method still prevails among cyber criminals, the number of hackers, who tend to spread their malicious creations via malicious extensions, is increasing.

Besides the widely-escalated “the HoeflerText wasn’t found” alerts suggesting to install the malicious add-on, there are other versions: “The ArialText font was not found,” “The Roboto Condensed font was not found,” etc. Thus, in order to lower the risk of malware assault, do not open email attachments without verifying the sender and install malware elimination utility to lower the number of spam emails.

Delete Bud virus

Before you attempt data recovery, it is of high importance to remove Bud virus completely. If you cannot do it, in the normal mode, reboot the system in Safe Mode. Further instructions are displayed below. After you complete Bud malware removal, use backup copies[3] to restore data or check whether shadow volume copies are of any use.

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What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Fortect, try running SpyHunter 5.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.

Getting rid of Bud virus. Follow these steps

Manual removal using Safe Mode

Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.

Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking

Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment. 

Windows 7 / Vista / XP
  1. Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
  2. When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. – it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
  3. Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list. Windows 7/XP
Windows 10 / Windows 8
  1. Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
    Settings
  2. Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
    Update and security
  3. On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
  4. Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
  5. Click Restart now.
    Reboot
  6. Select Troubleshoot. Choose an option
  7. Go to Advanced options. Advanced options
  8. Select Startup Settings. Startup settings
  9. Press Restart.
  10. Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking. Enable safe mode

Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes

Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details.
    Open task manager
  3. Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
  4. Right-click and select Open file location.
    Open file location
  5. Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
    End task
  6. Delete the contents of the malicious folder.

Step 3. Check program Startup

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
  2. Go to Startup tab.
  3. Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
    Startup

Step 4. Delete virus files

Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:

  1. Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
    Disk cleanup
  2. Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
  3. Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:

    Temporary Internet Files
    Downloads
    Recycle Bin
    Temporary files

  4. Pick Clean up system files.
    Delete temp files
  5. You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):

    %AppData%
    %LocalAppData%
    %ProgramData%
    %WinDir%

After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.

Remove Bud using System Restore

In case the first method failed to grant you access to the security tool, make use of System Restore. Since this function reverts the system to the last auto-saved restore point, you may bypass certain malware intervention and, thus, launch the anti-spyware tool.

  • Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
    Windows 7 / Vista / XP
    1. Click Start Shutdown Restart OK.
    2. When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
    3. Select Command Prompt from the list Select 'Safe Mode with Command Prompt'

    Windows 10 / Windows 8
    1. Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
    2. Now select Troubleshoot Advanced options Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
    3. Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window. Select 'Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt'
  • Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
    1. Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter. Enter 'cd restore' without quotes and press 'Enter'
    2. Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again.. Enter 'rstrui.exe' without quotes and press 'Enter'
    3. When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of Bud. After doing that, click Next. When 'System Restore' window shows up, select 'Next' Select your restore point and click 'Next'
    4. Now click Yes to start system restore. Click 'Yes' and start system restore
    Once you restore your system to a previous date, download and scan your computer with FortectIntego and make sure that Bud removal is performed successfully.

Bonus: Recover your data

Guide which is presented above is supposed to help you remove Bud from your computer. To recover your encrypted files, we recommend using a detailed guide prepared by 2-spyware.com security experts.

If your files are encrypted by Bud, you can use several methods to restore them:

The benefits of Data Recovery Pro

If you did not back up your files, you might use this tool which is designed to restore damaged data.

  • 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 Bud ransomware;
  • Restore them.

What is Windows Previous Version function?

If System Restore was enabled, you might try to retrieve the automatically saved latest copies of your files, but note that it takes more time.

  • Find an encrypted file you need to restore and right-click on it;
  • Select “Properties” and go to “Previous versions” tab;
  • Here, check each of available copies of the file in “Folder versions”. You should select the version you want to recover and click “Restore”.

The usefulness of Shadow Explorer

There is no information taht Bud ransomware deletes shadow volume copies. Thus, it is likely that the program might recreate the copies of your files based on these copies.

  • Download Shadow Explorer (http://shadowexplorer.com/);
  • Follow a Shadow Explorer Setup Wizard and install this application on your computer;
  • Launch the program and go through the drop down menu on the top left corner to select the disk of your encrypted data. Check what folders are there;
  • Right-click on the folder you want to restore and select “Export”. You can also select where you want it to be stored.

Bud Decrypter

Since the malware is still new, there is no available decryption tool. Do not download the one promoted by the perpetrators as it may only make matters worse.

Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from Bud and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes

How to prevent from getting ransomware

Access your website securely from any location

When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.

If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.

 

Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks

While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.

Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection. 

 

About the author
Lucia Danes
Lucia Danes - Virus researcher

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