An infection with the dangerous .GOTYA virus leads to serious security issues. Victims can restore and protect their computers by following our complete removal guide.
Remove .GOTYA virus and Restore PC
Manual Removal Guide
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Distribution of .GOTYA virus
The .GOTYA 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 .GOTYA 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 .GOTYA virus infection.
The computer criminals behind the malware can create malicious sites or download portals which distribute malware of different kinds, including the .GOTYA 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 .GOTYA 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 .GOTYA virus
The .GOTYA virus is a new strain associated with the HC6 malware family. It derives from a series of viruses written in the Python programming language that all share a similar infection engine.
The captured samples so far do not seem to be much different that their original source as shown by the initial code analysis. The researchers that reported the infection note that the .GOTYA virus are built as a modular hacker platform which means that its capability can be enhanced easily with each attack wave.
The .GOTYA virus can be enhanced to include a Trojan component that allows the criminal operators behind the threat to spy on the victims in real time. Advanced versions of it can also record mouse movement, keystrokes and hijack sensitive information from the systems. Victims should be aware that in many cases ransomware like this one have the ability to extract sensitive information categorized into several different types:
- Detailed System Profile — The .GOTYA virus has the ability to obtain detailed information on the available hardware components and connected external devices to the host computer.
- Language Settings — A comprehensive report on the set language settings and regional preferences are extracted. The data allows the hacker operator to locate the users. based on their language of choice a respective message or ransomware note can be shown.
- Personally-identifiable Information — The infection engine harvests information from the browsers and applications such as accounts, passwords, preferences, bookmarks, history and etc.
To help facilitate the infection some malware also include a stealth protection feature which is able to bypass the running security software. If it is engaged it can either remove the anti-virus programs or delete itself to avoid detection. Another likely scenario is the institution of system changes that can lead to performance issues, disabling of important services and application failure. Some malware forms similar to the .GOTYA virus can even change the boot options which effectively disables any recovery options. Meddling with data recovery processes is also possible by deleting the found shadow volume copies of the identified user data.
The .GOTYA virus has been observed to extract information about the installed terminal services. This is an operating system component used by the remote desktop application. This means that if the user has configured this option all related account credentials would be transferred to the hacker operators.
Some of the observed actions related to the infection process include the following:
- Temporary Files Creation — To facilitate a staged installation pattern the .GOTYA engine can create temporary files which can be placed in various folders including system ones.
- Process Manipulation — The .GOTYA virus is known to be able to create its own processes (with different privilege levels) and also hook up to others.
The compiled strains of the .GOTYA virus automatically start the ransomware process. Like other similar threats it uses a built-in list of target file type extensions. Examples include the following: archives, backups, images, videos, music, databases, configuration files and etc.
The security analysts were able to extract a sample list from the collected .GOTYA virus sets. It includes the following extensions:
.001, .3fr, .3gp, .7z, .accdb, .aes, .ai, .apk, .ARC, .arch00, .arw, .asc, .asf, .asm, .asp,
.asset, .avi, .bar, .bay, .bc6, .bc7, .big, .bik, .biz, .bkf, .bkp, .blob, .bmp, .brd, .bsa,
.cab, .cas, .cdr, .cer, .cfr, .cgm, .class, .cmd, .cpp, .cr2, .crt, .crw, .csr, .css, .csv,
.d3dbsp, .das, .dazip, .db0, .dbf, .dbfv, .dch, .dcr, .der, .desc, .dif, .dip, .djv, .djvu,
.dmp, .dng, .doc, .docb, .docm, .docm, .docx, .DOT, .dotm, .dotx, .dwg, .dxg, .epk, .eps,
.erf, .esm, .exe, .ff, .fla, .flv, .forge, .fos, .fpk, .frm, .fsh, .gdb, .gho, .gpg, .hkdb,
.hkx, .hplg, .htm, .html, .hvpl, .hwp, .ibank, .ibd, .icxs, .indd, .itdb, .itl, .itm, .iwd,
.iwi, .jar, .java, .jpeg, .jpeg, .jpg, .js, .kdb, .kdc, .key, .kf, .lay, .lay6, .layout, .lbf,
.ldf, .lic, .litemod, .log, .lrf, .ltx, .lvl, .m2, .m3u, .m4a, .map, .max, .mcgame, .mcmeta, .mdb,
.mdbackup, .mddata, .mdf, .mef, .menu, .mid, .mkv, .mlx, .mml, .mov, .mp3, .mpeg, .mpg, .mpqge,
.mrwref, .ms11(Securitycopy), .MYD, .MYI, .ncf, .NEF, .nrw, .ntl, .ocx, .odb, .odc, .odm, .odp,
.ods, .ods, .odt, .orf, .otg, .ots, .ott, .p12, .p7b, .p7c, .pak, .PAQ, .pas, .pdd, .pdf, .pef,
.pem, .pfx, .php, .pkpass, .pl, .png, .ppam, .ppsm, .ppsx, .ppt, .pptm, .pptx, .psd, .psk, .pst,
.ptx, .py, .qcow2, .qdf, .qic, .r3d, .raf, .rar, .raw, .rb, .re4, .rgss3a, .rim, .rofl, .rtf, .rw2,
.rwl, .sav, .sb, .sc2save, .sch, .sid, .sidd, .sidn, .sie, .sis, .sldm, .sldx, .slk, .slm, .snx, .sql,
.SQLITE3, .SQLITEDB, .sr2, .srf, .srt, .srw, .stc, .stw, .sum, .svg, .swf, .sxc, .sxm, .sxw, .syncdb,
.t12, .t13, .tar, .tar.bz2, .tar.gz, .tax, .tbk, .tgz, .tif, .tiff, .tor, .unity3d, .uot, .upk, .upx,
.vbs, .vdf, .vdi, .vfs0, .vhd, .vhdx, .vmdk, .vmx, .vob, .vpk, .vpp_pc, .vtf, .w3x, .wav, .wb2, .wma,
.wmo, .wmv, .wotreplay, .wpd, .wps, .x3f, .xf, .xlc, .xlk, .xlm, .xls, .xlsb, .xlsm, .xlsx, .xlt, .xlw,
.xml, .xxx, .zip, .ztmp
The ransomware note is created in a RECOVERY.TXT file which reads the following:
ALL YOUR FILES WERE ENCRYPTED.
TO RESTORE, YOU MUST SEND $500 BTC FOR ONE COMPUTER
OR $5,000 BTC FOR ALL NETWORK
ADDRESS: 1B8G2L24xbn1sDbPurUNGMXwZWFgVXuYQv
AFTER PAYMENT SENT EMAIL [email protected]
ALONG WITH YOUR IDENTITY: REVWRUxPUEVSLTA4
NOT TO TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER, UNLESS IT WILL BREAK
We recommend that all users abstain from communicating with the hackers and use our full .GOTYA virus removal guide below to recover their data and delete the active infections.
Remove .GOTYA virus and Restore PC
WARNING! Manual removal of the .GOTYA 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.
SpyHunter anti-malware tool will diagnose all current threats on the computer. By purchasing the full version, you will be able to remove all malware threats instantly. Additional information about SpyHunter / Help to uninstall SpyHunter
.GOTYA 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 .GOTYA 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 .GOTYA 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
