Remove .BadNews Files Virus (LockCrypt Ransomware) + Restore Data

Gergana Ivanova

Gergana has completed a bachelor degree in Marketing from the University of National and World Economy. She has been with the STF team for three years, researching malware and reporting on the latest infections. She believes that in times of constantly evolving dependency of network connected technologies, people should spread the word not the war.

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This article gives insight into .BadNews files virus infection process. Additionally, you will find a thorough removal guide and alternative data recovery approaches.

A ransomware named after its associated extension .BadNews has been spotted in the wild. Security researchers identified that is belongs to the LockCrypt ransomware family. An infection with this threat leads to the corruption of valuable data and essential system settings. Corrupted files could be recognized by the specific extension .BadNews which is appended to their names.

Threat Summary

Name	.BadNews files virus
Type	Ransomware, Cryptovirus
Short Description	A data locker ransomware that encrypts target files stored on the infected computer and then demands a ransom for thier decryption.
Symptoms	Important files are locked and renamed with .BadNews extension. A ransom message extorts payment for a decryptor possesed by hackers.
Distribution Method	Spam Emails, Email Attachments
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by .BadNews files virus Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss .BadNews files 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.

.BadNews Files Virus – Methods of Distribution

For an infection with .BadNews files virus its payload needs to be executed on a target host. This could happen with the help of several methods known to be used for ransomware distribution. The most probable one is considered to be malspam. Malspam is a technique that enables hackers to launch massive email spam campaigns against online users worldwide. Such emails are usually designed in a similar way and some of their traits are counterfeit sender and email address. However, the tricky part is that in an attempt to make users more prone to infect run the malware code on their devices, cyber criminals often use the names of well-known companies, trustworthy websites, and governmental institutions. As of the messages presented by these emails they could provoke a sense of urgency which is needed for the successful compromise of the system. Where the malicious code usually hides is in file attachments of common file types and in the code of corrupted web pages, the URLs of which are directly posted in the email message. And in case that you take the bite you fall victim to .BadNews files virus as any interaction with these components grants the ransomware access to your system.

.BadNews Files Virus – Overview

The so-called .BadNews files virus is an iteration of LockCrypt ransomware. The analysis of its samples reveals that it has a complex code that enables it to implement various malicious activities and eventually plague the whole system.

In order to fulfil the attack .BadNews ransomware first needs to establish its malicious files on the system. And there are several common folders used by malware of this kind to store its files:

• %AppData%
• %Local%
• %LocalLow%
• %Roaming%
• %Temp%
• %Windows%

The infection itself begins when the ransomware payload is started on the system. It is designed to access essential system resources and this way to attain the needed persistence. Some of its malicious files are likely to enter the Registry Editor as some of the keys stored there have the perfect functionalities that could support many of the malicious activities. So in case that your system has been compromised by this LockCrypt ransomware variant you definitely need to check all registry entries and eliminate all traits of malicious misuses.

At its final stage .BadNews files virus needs to request the display of its ransom note on the PC screen. For this purpose, it may set specific values under the Run or RunOnce registry sub-key and which will cause the automatic appearance of the note on the display. It is also possible that you will see an image generated by .BadNews on your desktop:

The ransom note file is named How To Decode Files.hta and all it reads is:

ALL DATA ON THIS PC HAS BEEN ENCRYPTED
Your ID ***********
To get the decryptor you should:
Send 1 test image or text file to [email protected]
In the letter include your personal ID (look at the beginning of this document).
We will give you the decrypted files and say price fordecryption all files after payment you will receive a decryptor and instructions
We can decrypt one file in quality the evidence that we have thedecoder.
Attention!!!
Only [email protected] can decryptyour files
Do not trust anyone [email protected]
Attempts to self-decrypting files will result in the loss ofyour data
Decoders for other IDs are not compatible with your ID data, because each user’s unique encryption key

The amount of the demanded ransom remains unknown but it is likely that hackers will want it to be in Bitcoin. For the sake of your security, you should avoid its payment and attempt to restore files with the help of available alternative data recovery methods. More about them is revealed in the removal guide at the end.

.BadNews Files Virus – Encryption Process

As a version of LockCrypt ransomware .BadNews crypto virus is believed to utilize the same combination of highly sophisticated cipher algorithms to encrypt target files. These ciphers may be the AES-256 and RSA-2048. Once applied to the original code of target files they transform it in a way that restricts your access to the information they store. Target types of files are predefined:

→.incpas, .mp4, .pab, .st6, .sas7bdat, .wmv, .backup, .drf, .ibank, .3ds, .odg, .cer, .tif, .cs, .dotx, .7z, .png, .bak, .ibz, .db3, .pbl, .3fr, .dxf, .nk2, .bkp, .mdf, .svg, .xlm, .3dm, .pct, .java, .pot, .sxi, .ibd, .sxw, .pspimage, .ppt, .kbx, .ppsm, .ndd, .txt, .pdb, .say, .backupdb, .fla, .swf, .asx, .accdt, .mp3, .ycbcra, .erf, .cr2, .pfx, .potx, .qby, .sqlite, .blend, .class, .pat, .odp, .gray, .qbw, .tib, .thm, .htm, .mos, .rm, .key, .std, .tlg, .lua, .pst, .sqlitedb, .grey, .cdr4, .dc2, .ce1, .ps, .tex, .eml, .xlam, .pages, .st8, .jar, .st7, .potm, .sdf, .db-journal, .pcd, .aspx, .rwl, .kpdx, .fmb, .xlr, .gry, .kc2, .oil, .moneywell, .xlk, .sti, .accdr, .oth, .c, .xml, .nd, .mdb, .pem, .erbsql, .bpw, .ffd, .ost, .pptm, .dwg, .zip, .qbm, .cdx, .des, .dng, .pdd, .cfp, .nyf, .cgm, .sldm, .xla, .odf, .raf, .crw, .mef, .raw, .x11, .nsd, .fff, .design, .dcs, .ptx, .al, .ns2, .bik, .back, .accdb, .nwb, .cpi, .ads, .odt, .sqlite3, .docm, .drw, .pl, .nx2, .fpx, .rdb, .otp, .msg, .accde, .agdl, .php, .csv, .py, .rtf, .ach, .sda, .ddd, .asf, .dotm, .cmt, .h, .hbk, .xlsx, .s3db, .tga, .wav, .iif, .dxb, .sql, .db, .sd0, .bgt, .djvu, .jpg, .doc, .craw, .mpg, .sxd, .kdc, .jpeg, .psafe3, .flac, .dtd, .act, .qba, .vob, .cdrw, .eps, .bkf, .mdc, .rar, .mov, .cdf, .m4v, .ab4, .bank, .pps, .cib, .dot, .dgc, .exf, .flv, .xlsb, .ddrw, .adb, .srw, .plc, .csh, .xls, .fxg, .otg, .pas, .xlt, .indd, .rwz, .xltx, .apj, .stw, .xltm, .orf, .ott, .qbb, .max, .cls, .obj, .docx, .dcr, .cdr3, .qbx, .pdf, .nef, .ots, .srt, .ddoc, .rat, .phtml, .m, .dbx, .nxl, .avi, .p12, .awg, .dbf, .ns3, .mmw, .prf, .wallet, .rw2, .jin, .odc, .qbr, .ppsx, .ns4, .wpd, .wps, .nsh, .dxg, .fhd, .dac, .wb2, .nrw, .odb, .ait, .jpe, .odm, .sldx, .fdb, .acr, .war, .oab, .sxc, .cpp, .r3d, .hpp, .asm, .st5, .stx, .xis, .dds, .xlsm, .p7c, .cdr5, .3g2, .mrw, .sr2, .html, .cdr, .idx, .st4, .bdb, .kdbx, .nsg, .der, .ods, .myd, .nop, .ppam, .pptx, .yuv, .xlw, .mfw, .nsf, .csl, .php5, .p7b, .crt, .asp, .srf, .jsp, .cdr6, .sxm, .iiq, .3gp, .ce2, .arw, .bay, .ai, .sxg, .psd, .3pr, .fh, .pef, .x3f, .sik, .bpp, .vmdk, .spi, .bup, .cvt, .bb, .fkc, .tjl, .dbk, .swp, .fb, .vib, .dtb, .bke, .old, .bkc, .jou, .rpb, .abk, .sav, .bkn, .tbk, .fbw, .vrb, .spf, .bk, .sbk, .umb, .ac, .vbk, .wbk, .mbk

After encryption corrupted files have the distinctive extension .BadNews appended to their names.

Remove .BadNews Files Virus and Restore Data

Below you could find how to remove .BadNews ransomware step by step. Beware that ransomware is a threat with highly complex code that plagues not only your files but your whole system. To remove the ransomware manually you need to have a bit of technical experience and ability to recognize traits of malware files. So as recommended by security researchers you need to utilize an advanced anti-malware tool for its complete removal. Such a tool will keep your system protected against devastating threats like .BadNews and other kinds of malware that endanger your online security.

After you remove the ransomware make sure to check the “Restore Files” step listed in the guide below. But before you take any further actions, don’t forget to back up all encrypted files to an external drive in order to prevent their irreversible loss.

Note! Your computer system may be affected by .BadNews files virus and other threats.
Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as .BadNews files virus.
Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.

To remove .BadNews files virus follow these steps:

1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove .BadNews files virus files and objects

OFFER

Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!

We Recommend To Scan Your PC with SpyHunter

Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria

Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode

1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.

For Windows XP, Vista and 7 systems:

1. Remove all CDs and DVDs, and then Restart your PC from the “Start” menu.
2. Select one of the two options provided below:

– For PCs with a single operating system: Press “F8” repeatedly after the first boot screen shows up during the restart of your computer. In case the Windows logo appears on the screen, you have to repeat the same task again.

– For PCs with multiple operating systems: Тhe arrow keys will help you select the operating system you prefer to start in Safe Mode. Press “F8” just as described for a single operating system.

3. As the “Advanced Boot Options” screen appears, select the Safe Mode option you want using the arrow keys. As you make your selection, press “Enter“.

4. Log on to your computer using your administrator account

While your computer is in Safe Mode, the words “Safe Mode” will appear in all four corners of your screen.

Step 1: Open up the Start Menu.

Step 2: Click on the Power button (for Windows 8 it is the little arrow next to the “Shut Down” button) and whilst holding down “Shift” click on Restart.

Step 3: After reboot, a blue menu with options will appear. From them you should choose Troubleshoot.

Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu choose Advanced Options.

Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.

Step 6: From the Startup Settings menu, click on Restart.

Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You can choose any of the three Safe Mode options by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.

Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.

2. Find files created by .BadNews files virus on your PC

Find files created by .BadNews files virus

1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. 2. For Windows XP, Vista, and 7.

For Newer Windows Operating Systems

Step 1:

On your keyboard press  + R and write explorer.exe in the Run text box and then click on the Ok button.

Step 2:

Click on your PC from the quick access bar. This is usually an icon with a monitor and its name is either “My Computer”, “My PC” or “This PC” or whatever you have named it.

Step 3:

Navigate to the search box in the top-right of your PC’s screen and type “fileextension:” and after which type the file extension. If you are looking for malicious executables, an example may be “fileextension:exe”. After doing that, leave a space and type the file name you believe the malware has created. Here is how it may appear if your file has been found:

N.B. We recommend to wait for the green loading bar in the navination box to fill up in case the PC is looking for the file and hasn’t found it yet.

For Older Windows Operating Systems

In older Windows OS’s the conventional approach should be the effective one:

Step 1:

Click on the Start Menu icon (usually on your bottom-left) and then choose the Search preference.

Step 2:

After the search window appears, choose More Advanced Options from the search assistant box. Another way is by clicking on All Files and Folders.

Step 3:

After that type the name of the file you are looking for and click on the Search button. This might take some time after which results will appear. If you have found the malicious file, you may copy or open its location by right-clicking on it.

Now you should be able to discover any file on Windows as long as it is on your hard drive and is not concealed via special software.

IMPORTANT!
Before starting the Automatic Removal below, 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.

Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs

3. Scan for malware and unwanted programs with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

Scan your PC and Remove .BadNews files virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data

1. Install SpyHunter to scan for .BadNews files virus and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove .BadNews files virus. Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.

Step 1: Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.

Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.

Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.

Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.

Step 2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the ‘Next’ button.

Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.

Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future

IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup .

SOS Online Backup

4. Try to Restore files encrypted by .BadNews files virus

Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .BadNews files virus

Ransomware infections and .BadNews files virus aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to decrypt. This is why we have suggested several alternative methods that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that these methods may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.

Method 1: Scanning your drive’s sectors by using Data Recovery software.
Another method for restoring your files is by trying to bring back your files via data recovery software. Here are some suggestions for preferred data recovery software solutions:

• Stellar Data Recovery Technicians License(Pro version with more features)
• Stellar Windows Data Recovery
• Stellar Photo Recovery

Method 2: Trying Kaspersky and EmsiSoft’s decryptors.
If the first method does not work, we suggest trying to use decryptors for other ransomware viruses, in case your virus is a variant of them. The two primary developers of decryptors are Kaspersky and EmsiSoft, links to which we have provided below:

• Kaspersky Decryptors
• Emsisoft Decryptors

Method 3: Using Shadow Explorer

To restore your data in case you have backup set up, it is important to check for Volume Shadow Copies, if ransomware has not deleted them, in Windows using the below software:

• Shadow Explorer

Method 4: Finding the decryption key while the cryptovirus sends it over a network via a sniffing tool.

Another way to decrypt the files is by using a Network Sniffer to get the encryption key, while files are encrypted on your system. A Network Sniffer is a program and/or device monitoring data traveling over a network, such as its internet traffic and internet packets. If you have a sniffer set before the attack happened you might get information about the decryption key. See how-to instructions below:

Instructions on How to Find Decryption Key for Files Encrypted By Ransowmare

Gergana Ivanova

Gergana has completed a bachelor degree in Marketing from the University of National and World Economy. She has been with the STF team for three years, researching malware and reporting on the latest infections. She believes that in times of constantly evolving dependency of network connected technologies, people should spread the word not the war.

More Posts

Follow Me:

Gergana Ivanova

Gergana has completed a bachelor degree in Marketing from the University of National and World Economy. She has been with the STF team for three years, researching malware and reporting on the latest infections. She believes that in times of constantly evolving dependency of network connected technologies, people should spread the word not the war.

More Posts

Follow Me: