Our article shows how computer users can recover their computers from the .hacked virus , restore the affected files and protect themselves.
Manual Removal Guide
Recover .hacked Virus Files
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How Does .hacked Virus Infiltrate the System?
The .hacked virus is a new malware threat reported by security experts that is currently infecting users worldwide. According to the released reports the criminal groups are targeting mainly English, Spanish, Italian and Turkish speaking users in distinctive attack waves. Depending on the acquired sample the victims may find that the .hacked virus uses a different infection pattern.
Some of the ways that victims can acquire the malware is by falling victim to one of the popular traps and scams. A popular way of spreading computer threats like the .hacked virus is the use of email spam messages. The hackers use templates or customize the messages in order to link the .hacked instances in the body contents or attach them directly as files. Depending on the case the emails can be blank and include solely the attachments or use elaborate body text that uses different social engineering tricks that attempt to manipulate the users into infecting themselves. There are several different popular types of such messages:
- Body Hyperlinks ‒ The hackers can embed .hacked virus links in the body contents of the messages. The payload files are disguised as linking to important sites or files.
- File Attachments ‒ The .hacked virus files can be directly placed in the emails as attachents. They may bare random or generic names in an attempt to capture the victims attention.
- Infected Documents ‒ Malware instances can infect target computers by using infected documents as payloads. These files usually come in the form of rich text documents, spreadsheets and databases. Once opened a notification prompt is shown which asks the users to run the built-in scripts. If this is done the .hacked virus is downloaded and activated on the local computer.
Browser hijackers are another method used by the criminals to infect intended targets with the .hacked virus. They are redirects caused by malware browser plugins usually made for the most popular software: Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera and Safari. Upon infection with them they redirect the users to a hacker-controlled site or install various viruses. In most cases they also harvest private information from the victims: stored passwords, bookmarks, history, settings and stored account credentials.
The security experts that detected the .hacked virus instances report that the malware is being released under randomly-named file names. Such tactics allow the hackers behind the threat to use other forms of distribution as well. An example is the creation of counterfeit download sites and portals. They are made in a way that resemble the authentic domains, usually by stealing and using the same images and text.
Infection Flow of .hacked Virus
The .hacked virus follows a predefined execution sequence that is hardcoded according to the predefined targets. Depending on the acquired sample a different set of commands can be run. One of the first actions associated with this particular malware is that it retrieves sensitive information about the infected machines. The virus is able to gather detailed statistics and details about the system hardware, software configuration and user settings.
We suspect that future versions of the malware can incorporate additional modules including some of the following:
- Trojan Engines ‒ They can be used to spy on the infected users and overtake control of the compromised machines at all times.
- Information Retrieval ‒ The .hacked virus can be used to download sensitive data from the victims in an automated way or by manually executing the command.
- Arbitrary Command Execution ‒ The criminal operators can use the .hacked virus to initiate commands on the infected machines.
- Persistent Installation ‒ This is an advanced infection caused by the .hacked virus that effectively disables the possibility for users to manually remove the infections.
When all infection patterns are complete the virus starts its encryption engine which encrypts target user files with the .hacked extension. The next step is to choose the ransomware note that matches the regional settings of the victims if possible. At the moment there are four versions of the note bundled with the current version: English, Italian, Turkish and Spanish.
During the encryption phase a fake Windows Update screen is shown in order to make the users think that a legitimate operation is being run. Once all files have been encrypted using a strong algorithm a lockscreen instance is run. It effectively blocks ordinary computer interaction until the threat has been completely eliminated. The lockscreen shows the ransomware message that is also created in a readme_English.txt file. It reads the following message:
All of your files were protected by a strong encryption with RSA4096
What happened to my files ?
Decrypting of your files is only possible with the help of private key and decryp
How can i get my files back ?
the only way to restore your files …
So, there are two ways you can choose
1- wait for a miracle and get your price doubled
2- or restore your data easy way if you have really valuable data you better not waste your time, because there is no other way to get your files, except make a payment
What should i do next ? Buy decryption key
1. Buy Bitcoin (https://blockchain.info)
2. Send amount of 0.5 BTC to address: 131mixvnmnijg1lDP3ZrTTakx3qJLpb675o
3. Transaction will take about 15-30 minutes to confirm.
4. When transaction is confirmed, send email to us at [email protected]
5. Write subject of your mail with : HACKED
6. Write content of your mail with : – Restore my files Bitcoin payment : (YOUR BITCOIN TRANSACTION ID)
The hackers extort the amount of 0.5 Bitcoins which is the equivalent of $2321 at today’s currency exchange rate. The victims should use a quality anti-spyware utility to remove the threat and not contact the hackers in any way. Another note is crafted in a How_to_decrypt_files.txt file as well to further pressure the users. We remind our readers that paying the criminals using Bitcoins or any other way does will not restore their files.
Follow our in-depth removal guide to remove the threat and protect yourself from future attacks as well.
Remove .hacked Virus and Restore Data
WARNING! Manual removal of .hacked 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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.hacked – 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
Show Hidden Files
Some ransomware threats are designed to hide their malicious files in the Windows so all files stored on the system should be visible.
1. Open My Computer/This PC
2. Windows 7
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– Click on Organize button
– Select Folder and search options
– Select the View tab
– Go under Hidden files and folders and mark Show hidden files and folders option
3. Windows 8/ 10
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– Open View tab
– Mark Hidden items option
4. Click Apply and then OK button
Enter Windows Task Manager and Stop Malicious Processes
1. Hit the following key combination: CTRL+SHIFT+ESC
2. Get over to Processes
3. When you find suspicious process right click on it and select Open File Location
4. Go back to Task Manager and end the malicious process. Right click on it again and choose End Process
5. Next, you should go folder where the malicious file is located and delete it
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
Recover .hacked Virus Files
WARNING! All files and objects associated with .hacked Virus should be removed from the infected PC before any data recovery attempts. Otherwise the virus may encrypt restored files. Furthermore, a backup of all encrypted files stored on external media is highly recommendable.
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1. Use present backups
2. Use professional data recovery software
Stellar Phoenix Data Recovery – a specialist tool that can restore partitions, data, documents, photos, and 300 more file types lost during various types of incidents and corruption.
3. Using System Restore Point
-
– Hit WIN Key
– Select “Open System Restore” and follow the steps
4. Restore your personal files using File History
-
– Hit WIN Key
– Type restore your files in the search box
– Select Restore your files with File History
– Choose a folder or type the name of the file in the search bar
– Hit the “Restore” button
