This article has been created in order to help you by showing you how to remove the latest variant of Dharma ransomware and show you how to restore as many files encrypted with .arrow file extension without having to pay the ransom to the creators of this virus.
We have received reports from victims about a new ransomware variant of notorious and widespread virus, called Dharma ransomware. The variant, carries the .arrow file extension and it’s primary purpose is to perform various file encryption activities, using a strong combination of encryption algorithms and then leave the files with it’s distinctive extension, and ID tag and the e-mail for contact, like the following – Filename.id-{ID here}.[vauvau@cock.li].arrow. The virus drops a ransom note after it has rendered the files on the computers of it’s victims no longer able to opened, which aims to get the victims to make a ransom payment in order to get their files to work again. If your computer has become a victim of the .arrow variant of Dharma Ransomware, we recommend you to read this article. It will help you by showing you how you can delete this ransomware infection from your PC and how you can try and recover your encrypted files without having to pay ransom.
Threat Summary
| Name | .arrow Dharma Virus |
| Type | File Encryption Ransomware |
| Short Description | A new iteration of the Dharma/CrySiS ransomware viruses. Utilizes sophisticated encryption mode on data of infected machines in order to extort victims to pay in BitCoin for their encrypted files.. |
| Symptoms | Encrypts documents, images, videos and other important files and adds the .arrow file suffix plus a unique ID and the e-mail to pay the ransom. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
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Malware Removal Tool
|
User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss .arrow Dharma Virus. |
| Data Recovery Tool | Windows Data Recovery by Stellar Phoenix Notice! This product scans your drive sectors to recover lost files and it may not recover 100% of the encrypted files, but only few of them, depending on the situation and whether or not you have reformatted your drive. |
.arrow Files Virus – How Does It Infect PC
The infection process of this ransom virus is done via a very often used method of infection – via spammed e-mails. Such messages have the goal to deceive victims into opening a malicious e-mail attachment by believing it is an actual legitimate file. The attachments sent, carrying the infection file of Dharma .arrow ransomware are very well designed and may appear as if they are asking you to download important documents from the likes of:
- Invoices.
- Banking statement documents.
- Receipts of orders you may or may not have made.
- Other suspiciously important files.
In addition to this, the e-mails that carry the infection files of this variant of Dharma ransomware, using the .arrow file extension are created as if they come from actual employees from big companies in order to increase trust, for example:
Besides via spammed e-mail messages, the latest variant of Dharma ransomware may also be spread via other methods as well, such as pretending to be legitimate setups of software, key generators, fixes or patches for games and other software license activation executables. If you look for software downloads online that are free, it is always a good idea to check the files beforehand by using online services like VirusTotal. If you download e-mails that are suspicious and are in .rar or .zip archives, we advise checking if the archives are malicious via free online archive scanners, like ZipeZip.
Dharma .arrow Files Virus – Malicious Activity
When the infection with the .arrow Dharma ransomware has already taken place on victims’ computers, the first activities the virus does are preoperational, like:
- It will touch some of the Windows system files to obtain administrative privileges.
- It will create mutexes.
- Interacts with the Windows Registry Editor.
- Deletes system backups as well as shadow volume copies.
- Changes the wallpaper or automatically schedules the ransom note file to open on the victim’s desktop.
This only happens after Dharma .arrow ransomware has dropped it’s malicious files. They may reside in the following Windows folders:
- %AppData%
- %Temp%
- %Windows%
- %Local%
- %LocalLow%
- %Roaming%
In addition to dropping it’s malicious files, the .arrow variant of Dharma ransomware may also modify the Run and RunOnce Windows registry sub-keys in order to add entries in them that make it to automatically run each time you login. They have the following locations:
→ HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Those sub-keys are responsible to run programs on Windows Boot, so Dharma may also run programs that delete the shadow volume copies on system boot. The shadow volume copies are the only way to recover files via the Windows Recovery method, so the malware makes sure to run the following commands as an administrator to destroy any chances of you recovering your files this way:
→ bcdedit /set bootstatuspolicy ignoreallfailures
bcdedit /set recoveryenabled No
bcdedit /set {default} bootstatuspolicy ignoreallfailures
bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled No
vssadmin delete shadows /for={volume} /oldest /all /shadow={ID of the Shadow} /quiet
After completing it’s preparation actions, Dharma .arrow ransomware proceeds to encrypt the files on the infected computer.
Dharma .arrow Ransomware – Encryption Process
Similar to other CrySyS ransomware variants, the Dharma ransomware virus also uses the AES encryption algorithm in order to encrypt the files on the compromised computer. This results in various different types of activities that happen including the system freezing for brief period of time. The .arrow variant of Dharma performs a scan of the following types of files and if it detects a match, the malware encrypts them:
“PNG .PSD .PSPIMAGE .TGA .THM .TIF .TIFF .YUV .AI .EPS .PS .SVG .INDD .PCT .PDF .XLR .XLS .XLSX .ACCDB .DB .DBF .MDB .PDB .SQL .APK .APP .BAT .CGI .COM .EXE .GADGET .JAR .PIF .WSF .DEM .GAM .NES .ROM .SAV CAD Files .DWG .DXF GIS Files .GPX .KML .KMZ .ASP .ASPX .CER .CFM .CSR .CSS .HTM .HTML .JS .JSP .PHP .RSS .XHTML. DOC .DOCX .LOG .MSG .ODT .PAGES .RTF .TEX .TXT .WPD .WPS .CSV .DAT .GED .KEY .KEYCHAIN .PPS .PPT .PPTX ..INI .PRFEncodedFiles .HQX .MIM .UUE .7Z .CBR .DEB .GZ .PKG .RAR .RPM .SITX .TAR.GZ .ZIP .ZIPX .BIN .CUE .DMG .ISO .MDF .TOAST .VCD SDF .TAR .TAX2014 .TAX2015 .VCF .XML Audio Files .AIF .IFF .M3U .M4A .MID .MP3 .MPA .WAV .WMA Video Files .3G2 .3GP .ASF .AVI .FLV .M4V .MOV .MP4 .MPG .RM .SRT .SWF .VOB .WMV 3D .3DM .3DS .MAX .OBJR.BMP .DDS .GIF .JPG ..CRX .PLUGIN .FNT .FON .OTF .TTF .CAB .CPL .CUR .DESKTHEMEPACK .DLL .DMP .DRV .ICNS .ICO .LNK .SYS .CFG”
After the .arrow file variant of Dharma ransomware has performed it’s encryption procedure, it immediately appends the .arrow file extension to the encrypted files by it, making them look like the following:
After encryption, the .arrow files cannot be opened via any software, because they key structure has been replaced with symbols from the AES encryption algorithm, used by Dharma ransomware, also known as Advanced Encryption Standard. It is a military-grade encryption, which if implemented properly can take years to decrypt if you do not know the decryption key. Despite this, security experts strongly advise victims not to pay, since you cannot trust that the crooks will recover your files and you should not finance the crooks into performing their malicious activities and spreading them further.
Remove Dharma Ransomware and Restore .arrow Encrypted Files
Since removing Dharma ransomware seems to be your best option, we advise you to follow the instructions down below in order to fully delete it. They are separated in manual and automatic removal methods which aim to help you to remove this variant of Dharma ransomware, based on how much experience you have with malware removal. Be advised that experts always recommend to use an advanced anti-malware software which if installed on your PC will automatically detect all malicious files and objects, created by the .arrow variant of Dharma ransomware and remove them.
If you want to recover your files without paying the ransom, do not worry and follow the alternative methods for file recovery down below in step “2. Restore files encrypted by .arrow Dharma Virus”. They are not 100% effective to restore all of your files, but thanks to them you may be able to recover some or even all of your data.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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Step 1: Scan for .arrow Dharma Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Ransomware Automatic Removal - Video Guide
Step 2: Uninstall .arrow Dharma Virus and related malware from Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully delete most unwanted and malicious programs.
Step 3: Clean any registries, created by .arrow Dharma Virus on your computer.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by .arrow Dharma Virus there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.
Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
Step 4: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove .arrow Dharma Virus
Step 5: Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .arrow Dharma Virus.
Method 1: Use STOP Decrypter by Emsisoft.
Not all variants of this ransomware can be decrypted for free, but we have added the decryptor used by researchers that is often updated with the variants which become eventually decrypted. You can try and decrypt your files using the instructions below, but if they do not work, then unfortunately your variant of the ransomware virus is not decryptable.
Follow the instructions below to use the Emsisoft decrypter and decrypt your files for free. You can download the Emsisoft decryption tool linked here and then follow the steps provided below:
1 Right-click on the decrypter and click on Run as Administrator as shown below:
2. Agree with the license terms:
3. Click on "Add Folder" and then add the folders where you want files decrypted as shown underneath:
4. Click on "Decrypt" and wait for your files to be decoded.
Note: Credit for the decryptor goes to Emsisoft researchers who have made the breakthrough with this virus.
Method 2: Use data recovery software
Ransomware infections and .arrow Dharma Virus aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to decrypt. This is why we have suggested a data recovery method that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that this method may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Simply click on the link and on the website menus on the top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
.arrow Dharma Virus-FAQ
What is .arrow Dharma Virus Ransomware?
.arrow Dharma Virus is a ransomware infection - the malicious software that enters your computer silently and blocks either access to the computer itself or encrypt your files.
Many ransomware viruses use sophisticated encryption algorithms to make your files inaccessible. The goal of ransomware infections is to demand that you pay a ransom payment to get access to your files back.
What Does .arrow Dharma Virus Ransomware Do?
Ransomware in general is a malicious software that is designed to block access to your computer or files until a ransom is paid.
Ransomware viruses can also damage your system, corrupt data and delete files, resulting in the permanent loss of important files.
How Does .arrow Dharma Virus Infect?
Via several ways..arrow Dharma Virus Ransomware infects computers by being sent via phishing emails, containing virus attachment. This attachment is usually masked as an important document, like an invoice, bank document or even a plane ticket and it looks very convincing to users.
Another way you may become a victim of .arrow Dharma Virus is if you download a fake installer, crack or patch from a low reputation website or if you click on a virus link. Many users report getting a ransomware infection by downloading torrents.
How to Open ..arrow Dharma Virus files?
You can't without a decryptor. At this point, the ..arrow Dharma Virus files are encrypted. You can only open them once they are decrypted using a specific decryption key for the particular algorithm.
What to Do If a Decryptor Does Not Work?
Do not panic, and backup the files. If a decryptor did not decrypt your ..arrow Dharma Virus files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
Can I Restore "..arrow Dharma Virus" Files?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore ..arrow Dharma Virus files.
These methods are in no way 100% guaranteed that you will be able to get your files back. But if you have a backup, your chances of success are much greater.
How To Get Rid of .arrow Dharma Virus Virus?
The safest way and the most efficient one for the removal of this ransomware infection is the use a professional anti-malware program.
It will scan for and locate .arrow Dharma Virus ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important ..arrow Dharma Virus files.
Can I Report Ransomware to Authorities?
In case your computer got infected with a ransomware infection, you can report it to the local Police departments. It can help authorities worldwide track and determine the perpetrators behind the virus that has infected your computer.
Below, we have prepared a list with government websites, where you can file a report in case you are a victim of a cybercrime:
Cyber-security authorities, responsible for handling ransomware attack reports in different regions all over the world:
Germany - Offizielles Portal der deutschen Polizei
United States - IC3 Internet Crime Complaint Centre
United Kingdom - Action Fraud Police
France - Ministère de l'Intérieur
Italy - Polizia Di Stato
Spain - Policía Nacional
Netherlands - Politie
Poland - Policja
Portugal - Polícia Judiciária
Greece - Cyber Crime Unit (Hellenic Police)
India - Mumbai Police - CyberCrime Investigation Cell
Australia - Australian High Tech Crime Center
Reports may be responded to in different timeframes, depending on your local authorities.
Can You Stop Ransomware from Encrypting Your Files?
Yes, you can prevent ransomware. The best way to do this is to ensure your computer system is updated with the latest security patches, use a reputable anti-malware program and firewall, backup your important files frequently, and avoid clicking on malicious links or downloading unknown files.
Can .arrow Dharma Virus Ransomware Steal Your Data?
Yes, in most cases ransomware will steal your information. It is a form of malware that steals data from a user's computer, encrypts it, and then demands a ransom in order to decrypt it.
In many cases, the malware authors or attackers will threaten to delete the data or publish it online unless the ransom is paid.
Can Ransomware Infect WiFi?
Yes, ransomware can infect WiFi networks, as malicious actors can use it to gain control of the network, steal confidential data, and lock out users. If a ransomware attack is successful, it could lead to a loss of service and/or data, and in some cases, financial losses.
Should I Pay Ransomware?
No, you should not pay ransomware extortionists. Paying them only encourages criminals and does not guarantee that the files or data will be restored. The better approach is to have a secure backup of important data and be vigilant about security in the first place.
What Happens If I Don't Pay Ransom?
If you don't pay the ransom, the hackers may still have access to your computer, data, or files and may continue to threaten to expose or delete them, or even use them to commit cybercrimes. In some cases, they may even continue to demand additional ransom payments.
Can a Ransomware Attack Be Detected?
Yes, ransomware can be detected. Anti-malware software and other advanced security tools can detect ransomware and alert the user when it is present on a machine.
It is important to stay up-to-date on the latest security measures and to keep security software updated to ensure ransomware can be detected and prevented.
Do Ransomware Criminals Get Caught?
Yes, ransomware criminals do get caught. Law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, Interpol and others have been successful in tracking down and prosecuting ransomware criminals in the US and other countries. As ransomware threats continue to increase, so does the enforcement activity.
About the .arrow Dharma Virus Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this .arrow Dharma Virus how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific malware and restore your encrypted files.
How did we conduct the research on this ransomware?
Our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, and as such, we receive daily updates on the latest malware and ransomware definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the .arrow Dharma Virus ransomware threat is backed with VirusTotal and the NoMoreRansom project.
To better understand the ransomware threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.
As a site that has been dedicated to providing free removal instructions for ransomware and malware since 2014, SensorsTechForum’s recommendation is to only pay attention to trustworthy sources.
How to recognize trustworthy sources:
- Always check "About Us" web page.
- Profile of the content creator.
- Make sure that real people are behind the site and not fake names and profiles.
- Verify Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter personal profiles.
Hi Vencislav,
Recently our system has been compromised by the latest variant of this ransomware. We have been able to remove the virus, but up to know we have yet been able to decrypt the infected file. Our most important file is our sql database file, which contains our ERP database file. Can we engage on your service to restore / decrypt our file? Please let us know. Much appreciated. Thanks.
Hello, santa
I do understand that your sql database file has been encoded. Be advised that the .arrow ransomware is a variant of Dharma ransomware. The first variant of the ransomware infection, containing the file extension .dharma was decryptable via the following decryption instructions:
sensorstechforum.com/remove-dharma-ransomware-restore-dharma-encrypted-files/
However, i’ll have you know that the nasty crooks who are behind this malware, have developed it into several new variants, including the .java file extension and the .arrow one, by which your enterprise system is most likely infected. The bad news here is while the Rakhni Decryptor by Kaspersky found on the link above worked for the .dharma files variant of Dharma ransomware, the new variants have a patch against which the decrypter may not be able to work. I do understand that databases are more complex in their nature, so I would suggest that you try to recover the ERP database file by scanning the SQL database file, by using a data recovery program. You can recover at least some of the ERP files, if you are lucky. Other than that, the .arrow ransomware uses not one but two encryption algorithms – RSA and AES and factorization of the private RSA key can be used to recover it, but for that you would require the public one as I have found out and described in this article:
sensorstechforum.com/restore-files-encrypted-via-rsa-encryption-remove-cryptowall-and-other-ransomware-manually/
Ofcourse, the instructions in this article are for a virus that was discovered a while back and even with a powerful computer, the factorization process can take ages. And if the virus uses the AES encryption algorithm as well, the task becomes from impossible to double impossible. So the best advise that I have for you is to follow the No more ransom project – nomoreransom.org/en/index.html and wait for a decryptor to be released, while in the meantime check up on different data recovery software which can assemble fragments of your encrypted database and recover it. Ofcourse, since the database is a file, which i am assuming is large, your chances are not high, but you might wanna check for specific data recovery software that is able to recover SQL databases. Furthermore, please be advised to learn how to safely store your databases to prevent such occurances in the future:
sensorstechforum.com/safely-store-your-important-files-and-protect-them-from-malware/
2018_01_28_200002_8749500.bak.id-28DCEA35.[realunlocker@india.com].arrow
Can any one help me to dencrypt this file. Because this file was attacked from ransomware.
If you get decryptor please let me know aswell please
So far none of the decrypt tools like rakini not included the .arrow codes
AA_v3.5.exe.id-1C1201F3.[Blammo@cock.li].arrow
my all file converted in .arrow like db12009.bds.id-0674E739.[coding_434@tutanota.com].arrow. is it possible to recover them because widows not create shadow copy
L’ho preso anche io, come posso fare visto che non sono un espertone ed é Vista?
Se lo faccio formattare poi é a posto?
Is there decrypt tools for .arrow yet. please help
Hi Tony,
Unfortunately, there isn’t an official decrypter for this version of Dharma ransomware. You could however try the alternative options listed in this article.
Apparently we have a new variant of the virus, whose encrypted files ej. desktop.ini.id-BCBAE864.[tara_fox5@aol.com].arrow, can not be decrypted by the current tools.
Good day!
Computer has catched virus and our files become like this name.exe.id-527F956E.[realunlocker@india.com].arrow what is the virus name its couse for example dr web sas that this is encoder 3953v4 but you say that is dharma
And could this files be encrypted by some ways
Thank you!
Hi Nodir, you find the solution for your problem?