An infection with the dangerous .basslock Virus leads to serious security issues. Victims can restore and protect their computers by following our complete removal guide.
Remove .basslock Virus and Restore PC
Manual Removal Guide
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Distribution of .basslock Virus
The .basslock Virus is a new virus which has been sighted in a limited attack campaign. At the moment the security researchers cannot determine the primary infection strategy. We presume that the most widely used tactics are going to be employed.
Among them are the email messages created in an automated way and sent to large lists of potential victims. The .basslock Virus can be directly attached to the messages. This is one of the easiest way for the criminals to attempt the infection. However a lot of email hosting providers usually capture the signatures of the virus and as such discard such messages or label them as dangerous or spam. Other infection methods related to this one is the option of inserting hyperlinks in the body content of the messages. The links are usually labeled as leading to a familiar website or a file of user interest. Redirects can redirect to hacker-controlled sites, infected payloads or other instances that can lead to an .basslock Virus infection.
The computer criminals behind the malware can create malicious sites or download portals which distribute malware of different kinds, including the .basslock Virus. A popular option is the use of infected documents which may be of different types ‒ spreadsheets, rich text documents, presentations and databases. They are modified to initiate the virus once the built-in scripts are run. Usually when the files are opened a notification will ask the users to run the macros (scripts). If this is done the infection follows.
The hacker-controlled sites are specialist portals that have been created either manually or automatically by the criminals behind the .basslock Virus. They can either directly distribute the threat by initiating various scripts or automated operations or link to such instances. Redirects are usually caused by email interaction, ad networks or other browsing activity. However one of the main sources is the availability of browser hijackers. They are malicious addons made for the most popular web browsers ‒ Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, Microsoft Edge and Safari. Once installed they not only infect the users with the malware, but also redirect the victims to a hacker-controlled site. Depending on the configuration the browser hijackers can also steal sensitive information such as any stored passwords, account credentials, history, bookmarks, form data and settings.
Impact of .basslock Virus
The .basslock virus is a Hidden Tear strain which has been identified in a new attack campaign. At the moment the captured samples showcase only a base engine that can be further updated in the future. The Hidden Tear malware family is one of the most popular hacker tools as its source code is entirely open-source.
Its malware engine is entirely modular and can be easily modified based on the target victims. Examples include the following components:
- Additional Malware Delivery ‒ The .basslock virus can be used to introduce other threats to the compromised machines as well.
- Trojan Component ‒ Future .basslock virus samples can include a Trojan module that gives the hackers the ability to spy on the users activities in real time, as well as record their mouse movement and keystrokes.
- Code Execution ‒ The hackers can program the .basslock virus to execute various malware code on the compromised machines either automatically upon infection or when certain conditions are met.
- System Changes ‒ Any changes made to the machines can result in performance issues, application failure or the inability to start certain functions.
- Persistent Installation ‒ The .basslock virus can be installed in a way which counters manual user removal attempts.
Hidden Tear variants are known to execute their processes according to the built-in algorithms. If instructed the infected computers can execute additional commands as commanded by the hackers. Once all prerequisite conditions are met the ransomware process is started. Like other similar threats it uses a built-in list of target file type extensions. In most cases the most widely used files are targeted, the list includes the following data: archives, images, videos, documents, configuration files and backups. All processsed files are renamed using the .basslock extension.
The ransomware note is written in a file called BASS File Encryption Service Notice.txt which contains the following message:
File Recovery Notice by BitchASS File Encryption System (BASS-FES)
Your files have been successfully encrypted and backuped in the cloud storage by BASS File Encryption System.
If you want to recover your files, please send 1 BTC to the following adress:
18Cgi9ADqH9NsG6zqW2xEh7wl6dQM6Rvix
If you sent 1 BTC to the adress, email at [email protected] with your Bitcoin adress.
Depending on the version a ransomware note can be created which features generic messages blackmailing the victims to pay a Bitcoin ransomware fee. We recommend that all users abstain from communicating with the hackers and use our full .basslock Virus removal guide below to recover their data and delete the active infections.
Remove .basslock Virus and Restore PC
WARNING! Manual removal of the .basslock Virus requires being familiar with system files and registries. Removing important data accidentally can lead to permanent system damage. If you don’t feel comfortable with manual instructions, download a powerful anti-malware tool that will scan your system for malware and clean it safely for you.
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.basslock Virus – Manual Removal Steps
Start the PC in Safe Mode with Network
This will isolate all files and objects created by the ransomware so they will be removed efficiently. The steps bellow are applicable to all Windows versions.
1. Hit the WIN Key + R
2. A Run window will appear. In it, write msconfig and then press Enter
3. A Configuration box shall appear. In it Choose the tab named Boot
4. Mark Safe Boot option and then go to Network under it to tick it too
5. Apply -> OK
Remove from Windows
Here’s a way to remove the program. This method will work regardless if you’re on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP. Simply selecting the program and pressing delete won’t work, as it’ll leave a lot of small files. That’s bad because these leftovers can linger on and cause all sorts of problems. The best way to delete a program is to uninstall it. Here’s how you can do that:
1. Hold the “Windows” button (It’s between CTRL and Alt on most keyboards) and press “R”. You’ll see a pop-up window.
2. In the textbox, type “appwiz.cpl”, then press“ Enter ”.
3. The “Programs and features” menu should now appear. It’s a list of all the programs installed on the PC. Here you can find the program, select it, and press “Uninstall“.
Remove Virus From Your Browser
Before resetting your browser’s settings, you should know that this action will wipe out all your recorded usernames, passwords, and other types of data. Make sure to save them in some way.
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1. Start Mozilla Firefox. In the upper right corner, click on the Open menu icon and select “Add-ons“.
2. Inside the Add-ons Manager select “Extensions“. Search the list of extensions for suspicious entries. If you find any, select them and click “Remove“.
3. Click again on the Open menu icon, then click “Options“.
4. In the Options window, under “General” tab, click “Restore to Default“.
5. Select “Search” in the left menu, mark the unknown search engine and press “Remove”.
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1. Start Google Chrome. On the upper-right corner, there a “Customize and Control” menu icon. Click on it, then click on “Settings“.
2. Click “Extensions” in the left menu. Then click on the trash bin icon to remove the suspicious extension.
3. Again in the left menu, under Chrome, Click on “Settings“. Go under “On Startup” and set a new page.
4. Afterward, scroll down to “Search“, click on “Manage search engines“.
5. In the default search settings list, find the unknown search engine and click on “X“. Then select your search engine of choice and click “Make default“. When you are ready click “Done” button in the right bottom corner.
2. In the “Manage add-ons” window, bellow “Add-on Types“, select “Toolbars and Extensions“. If you see a suspicious toolbar, select it and click “Remove“.
3. Then again in the “Manage Add-ons” window, in “Add-on Types“, Select “Search Providers“. Chose a search engine and click “Set as default“. Select the unknown search engine and click “Remove and Close”.
4. Open the Tools menu, select “Internet Options”.
5. In the “General” tab, in “Home page”, enter your preferred page. Click “Apply” and “OK”.
Repair Windows Registry
1. Again type simultaneously the WIN Key + R key combination
2. In the box, write regedit and hit Enter
3. Type the CTRL+ F and then write the malicious name in the search type field to locate the malicious executable
4. In case you have discovered registry keys and values related to the name, you should delete them, but be careful not to delete legitimate keys
Click for more information about Windows Registry and further repair help
