CryptoTorLocker2015 virus: what it is and how to remove it
CryptoTorLocker2015 is a dangerous ransomware that was enabled to encrypt people's files and then ask to make a payment for their decryption. At the moment of writing, this threat is capable of infecting each of Windows OS, including Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista and older versions.
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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CryptoTorLocker2015 virus: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Ransom note | A message left on the computer; the text is quoted in full below |
| Contact | Not recorded in our earlier report |
| Encrypted file extension | Not recorded in our earlier report |
| Decryptor | No free decryptor is known for this variant; check No More Ransom (nomoreransom.org) for updates |
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 8 more facts
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Name | CryptoTorLocker2015 virus |
| Type | File-encrypting ransomware |
| Symptoms | An unknown program in Installed apps and a ransom note left in folders |
| Evidence | One write-up by a security site; no sample analysed yet |
| Free decryptor | No free decryptor is known (checked 7 October 2026) |
| First seen | 26 April 2021 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Traces of CryptoTorLocker2015 virus you can check
- Note file:
the ransom note
How CryptoTorLocker2015 virus behaves
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
What is CryptoTorLocker2015?
CryptoTorLocker2015 is a dangerous ransomware that was enabled to encrypt people's files and then ask to make a payment for their decryption.
At the moment of writing, this threat is capable of infecting each of Windows OS, including Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista and older versions. Besides, just like Cryptowall, Cryptolocker, CTB Locker, Critroni and similar ransomwares, it can also affect Android OS, so if you have such device beware of that and download a reputable anti-spyware that could prevent infiltration of this ransomware.
Believe us, it's very hard to notice that. In fact, it's almots impossible because there are lots of techniques that are used for spreading CryptoTorLocker2015 around. Nevertheless, it becomes obvious that computer was affected by this threat as soon as you try to open any of your encrypted files.
Instead of the file, victim starts seeing a warning message that informs him/her about the encryption of files and then asks to pay 0.5 Bitcoins in exchange for their decryption:
Warning: No matter that it seems that this is almost the only method that can be used for recovering the connection to files, you should never pay this fine because you can't be sure that this will return your files to you.
For that we highly recommend you to try such programs as R-Studio or Photorec. Of course, you should also be capable of recovering your files if you have been performing backups or if you have been keeping the copies of your important files in Google Drive, Dropbox, Flickr and other solutions.
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
How can CryptoTorLocker2015 infect my computer?
CryptoTorLocker2015 is spread via various techniques, including spam, illegal websites, etc., so you should be very careful with suspicious mails and sites that are filled with questionable content.
The easiest way to prevent infiltration of this ransomware is to install a reputable anti-spyware that could spot this threat before it enters computer and encrypts your important files. Besides, you should also keep in mind that one of the mostly spread method, which is used for promoting CryptoTorLocker2015 around, relies on fake alerts.
These alerts are set to inform people about missing updates for Java, Flash Player, FLV Player and similar programs. In fact, we have already mentioned these alerts when we were talking about the distribution of adware, browser hijackers and other viruses.
If you want to avoid them, you should use only official websites when trying to update such programs as Java or Flash Player because such alerts as "Your Java is out of date" or "you must update your FLV Player to see this video" can easily lead you to the infiltration of CryptoTorLocker2015 virus. If it gets inside its target PC system, it encrypts these files:
- : 3fr
- accdb
- ai
- arw
- bay
- cdr
- cer
- cr2
- crt
- crw
- dbf
- dcr
- der
- dng
- doc
- docm
- docx
- dwg
- dxf
- dxg
- eps
- erf
- indd
- jpe
- jpg
- kdc
- mdb
- mdf
- mef
- mrw
- nef
- nrw
- odb
- odm
- odp
- ods
- odt
- orf
- p12
- p7b
- p7c
- pdd
- pef
- pem
- pfx
- ppt
- pptm
- pptx
- psd
- pst
- ptx
- r3d
- raf
- raw
- rtf
- rw2
- rwl
- srf
- srw
- wb2
- wpd
- wps
- xlk
- xls
- xlsb
- xlsm
- xlsx
As you can see, there are lots of popular extensions among them, such as doc, odt, xls and similar. If you want to protect your important data, the first thing that you should think about is its immunity.
For that we highly recommend performing system backups or saving your important files in Google Drive or similar solutions. If you believe that CryptoTorLocker2015 has already affected your computer, you should perform these steps below ASAP.
The CryptoTorLocker2015 virus ransom note
Your important files encryption produced on this computer: photos, videos, documents, etc. Here is a complete list of encrypted files, and you can personally verify this.
Encryption was produced using a unique public key RSA-2048 generated for this computer. To decrypt files you need to obtain the private key.
The single copy of the private key, which will allow you to decrypt the files, located on a secret server on the Internet; the server will destroy the key after a time specified in this window. After that, nobody and never will be able to restore files..
To obtain the private key for this computer, which will automatically decrypt files, you need to pay 100 USD/ 100 EUR/ similar amount in another currency.
Click next to select the method of payment and the currency.
ANY ATTEMPT TO REMOVE OR DAMAGE THIS SOFTWARE WILL LEAD TO THE IMMEDIATE DESTRUCTION OF THE PRIVATE KEY BY SERVER.
(...)
How to remove CryptoTorLocker2015 virus
Tools you'll need
All of these are free except where noted. Download them on a clean device if the infected PC is offline.
- A USB stick: to keep the ransom note, two or three encrypted files and screenshots off the infected PC.
- Microsoft Defender Offline: built into Windows 11 and Windows 10; scans before Windows starts, so running malware cannot hide.
- Microsoft Safety Scanner: a second, portable scanner with current signatures; each download works for 10 days.
- ID Ransomware: identifies the family from the note and one encrypted file and says whether a decryptor exists.
- No More Ransom: the free decryptors from police and security companies; check it again every few months.
- Fortect (optional): scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. The free scan is in the box above.
How to remove CryptoTorLocker2015 virus and get your files back
Work in this order.
Disconnecting comes first, removal comes before any restore, and nothing here asks you to contact the attackers.
Step 1: Disconnect the PC and unplug backup drives
Unplug the network cable or turn off Wi-Fi, and disconnect USB drives, external disks and network shares, so CryptoTorLocker2015 virus cannot reach more files. Pause OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox sync, because synced folders upload the encrypted copies over the good ones.
Leave the PC on but offline while you read the next steps, since a restart can let the ransomware run again. This applies to Windows 11 and Windows 10 alike.
Windows 11: turn off Wi-Fi to take the PC offline. Full procedure with screenshots: Ransomware: first steps, finding a decryptor and recovering files
Step 2: Save the ransom note and identify the family
The name of the family decides whether a free decryptor can help. Copy the ransom note and two small encrypted files to a USB stick, and check them on another device with ID Ransomware or Crypto Sheriff.
Note the extension added to the files, the contact address and the victim ID shown in the note. Keep the originals on the Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC untouched.
Windows 11: the ransom note and encrypted files to copy for identification. Full procedure with screenshots: Ransomware: first steps, finding a decryptor and recovering files
Step 3: Check for a free decryptor
Our last check found that for CryptoTorLocker2015 virus, no free decryptor is known (checked 7 October 2026). Look again yourself in the No More Ransom list and the free decryptor pages of Emsisoft, Avast and Kaspersky, which add new families every year.
A decryptor needs the ransomware gone first, or it encrypts the files again. Keep at least one copy of the encrypted files on an external drive, even if no tool works yet.
Full procedure with screenshots: Ransomware: first steps, finding a decryptor and recovering files
Step 4: Remove the ransomware before you restore or decrypt
Removing CryptoTorLocker2015 virus does not bring the files back, but it has to come first. Start with Defender's Full scan, then the offline scan from the same Scan options page, which checks the disk before Windows loads.
If the scan cannot start, use Safe Mode with Networking. Delete the ransom notes only after you have saved a copy, because removal tools sometimes leave them behind on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Step 5: Look for shadow copies of the files
Windows keeps shadow copies for restore points and backups, and some ransomware fails to delete them.
vssadmin list shadowsin an administrator Command Prompt tells you at once whether any exist.If they do, right-click the folder that held your files, open Properties > Previous Versions, select a version from before the attack, and click Open to check it before you Restore or copy the files out. Windows 11 and Windows 10 both have the tab.
Windows 11: vssadmin list shadows shows whether shadow copies exist. Full procedure with screenshots: Ransomware: first steps, finding a decryptor and recovering files
Step 6: Restore the files from a backup or recover deleted originals
A backup made before the attack is the surest way back. Connect it only once the PC is clean, then restore from File History, Windows Backup, OneDrive's Restore your OneDrive or your own external copies.
Without a backup, try file recovery: the originals that CryptoTorLocker2015 virus deleted may still be on the disk until something overwrites them. Install nothing new on the drive you want to recover from on the Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.
Full procedure with screenshots: Recover deleted files (Recycle Bin, backups, OneDrive) On uGetFix
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
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
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- 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.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
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:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
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:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- 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).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- 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.
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
How to remove CryptoTorLocker2015 virus?
If you have just discovered "HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt" file in your directories, it means that your PC was infected by CryptoTorLocker2015.
Please, do NOT pay a fine because this doesn't guarantee that you will receive a key required for files' decryption! In order to remove CryptoLocker from the system, try using these instructions that are given below.
We highly recommend thinking about the prevention of such infections. For that you can use previously mentioned programs. Besides, don't forget to think about the immunity of your files and backup. For that you can use USB external hard drives, CDs, DVDs, or simply rely on online backups, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Flickr and other solutions.
Report it and recover your files
Report it
Report the attack even if you do not expect the files back: insurers and banks ask for the report number, and police use the contacts in the note to link cases.
- United States
- FBI IC3 · FTC ReportFraud
- United Kingdom
- Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) · NCSC
- Australia
- ReportCyber (ASD)
- EU countries
- Europol: national reporting sites
Give the victim ID, the note and the date the files were encrypted. A business that holds personal data may also have to notify its data protection authority, in the EU within 72 hours.
Backups: the 3-2-1 rule
Keep three copies of files that matter, on two kinds of storage, with one copy offline or off-site.
A disk that stays plugged in is reached by malware like CryptoTorLocker2015 virus together with the PC; one you connect only for the backup is not.
On Windows 11, File History keeps versions on an external drive, and OneDrive keeps earlier versions of synced files. Before restoring anything, make sure the PC no longer shows cryptoTorLocker2015 virus in the list of installed apps.
Setting it up step by step: 3-2-1 backups on Windows 11 and 10.
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online.
One of the basic means to add a layer of security - choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features.
However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful VPN - it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable.
Family photos, work documents, school projects - these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur:
- power cuts
- Blue Screen of Death errors
- hardware failures
- crypto-malware attack
- even accidental deletion
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
Questions about CryptoTorLocker2015 virus
Is there a free CryptoTorLocker2015 virus decryptor?
We last checked on 7 October 2026, and for CryptoTorLocker2015 virus no free decryptor is known. We check No More Ransom, which collects free tools from police and security companies, and the decryptor pages of the major antivirus vendors. A working decryptor exists only when the encryption has a flaw or the keys were leaked or seized.
Ignore sites and videos that offer a "CryptoTorLocker2015 virus decryptor" for download or for a fee: these are usually scams or malware. Real decryptors are free and come from known security companies or law enforcement. Keep the encrypted files in case a tool appears later.
Are ransomware recovery services legitimate?
Some are, but read the offer carefully. Genuine data-recovery firms recover deleted originals from disks or rebuild damaged files, and they say so. Others promise to "decrypt any ransomware" for a fixed price, which is impossible without the key; they quietly pay the attackers and keep a margin, sometimes without telling the victim.
Be especially careful with services that contact you after you post about the attack online. Ask for references, a written method and a no-result-no-fee clause, and check the free tools on No More Ransom first.
Should I pay the ransom?
We advise against it, and so do the FBI, Europol and national cyber agencies. Payment does not guarantee a working tool: some attackers never reply, some tools damage files, and some variants have no decryptor at all. Paying also funds further attacks and can make you a target again.
Before considering payment, try every recovery option in this guide and report the attack. Companies must involve their legal adviser and insurer, because payments to sanctioned groups can be illegal. If files are truly irreplaceable, store the encrypted copies and wait; decryptors sometimes appear later.
How did CryptoTorLocker2015 virus get on my computer?
The way CryptoTorLocker2015 virus spreads has not been documented yet, so look at your own recent activity. On home PCs, ransomware most often comes with cracked programs, game cheats, key generators and fake updates, or with an e-mail attachment that was opened. On business networks, attackers usually log in through Remote Desktop with a stolen or guessed password.
Think back to what was downloaded or installed in the days before cryptoTorLocker2015 virus in the list of installed apps, and check the Downloads folder and Installed apps sorted by date. Keep anything suspicious for your report, but do not run it again.
Did CryptoTorLocker2015 virus steal my files or passwords?
We do not know yet. Nothing published so far shows data theft by CryptoTorLocker2015 virus, but the only confirmed sign is cryptoTorLocker2015 virus in the list of installed apps, which says nothing about what happened before. Many current ransomware attacks copy files or run a password stealer first, so it is wise to act as if they did.
From a clean device, change the passwords that were saved in the browsers on this PC, starting with e-mail and banking, sign out of all sessions and turn on two-step verification. Watch bank statements and account activity for the next few weeks.
Is CryptoTorLocker2015 virus the same as other ransomware with a similar name?
Not necessarily. Ransomware names come from the file extension, the note or a word in the code, so unrelated families often end up with similar names, and one family can appear under several names. The difference matters: a decryptor or advice for one family does not fit another and can damage files.
Compare the ending added to your files and the exact name of the note with the summary table at the top of this guide, then upload the note and one encrypted file to ID Ransomware from a clean device. If the result names another family, follow the guide for that family instead.
What does the ransom note tell me about the ransomware?
Quite a lot. The file name the ransom note, the wording, the contact addresses and the format of the personal ID are typical for each family. Uploading the note together with one encrypted file to ID Ransomware or No More Ransom's Crypto Sheriff usually names the family within seconds.
That name decides your options: some families have free decryptors, some can be partially recovered, and some cannot be decrypted at all. The note's claims about stolen data should be taken seriously but not at face value.
How do I open my .docx, .jpg and other files locked by CryptoTorLocker2015?
You cannot open locked files normally while they stay encrypted, and renaming them will not help. Our earlier report did not record the extension that CryptoTorLocker2015 adds, so check one locked file name and the ransom note for it.
No free decryptor is known for this variant; check No More Ransom (nomoreransom.org) for updates. Do not rename the files, change the extension or edit them, because that can make recovery harder. Copy the locked files to an external drive before you clean the system, so a decryptor released later still has them.
Will Fortect remove CryptoTorLocker2015 virus?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For CryptoTorLocker2015 virus, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- CISA: StopRansomware (read October 7, 2026)
- No More Ransom (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 7, 2026)