What Is Flamingo Ransomware (.LIZARD Virus File)?
.LIZARD file extension is placed on all of your files? .LIZARD Virus File is also known as Flamingo ransomware which locks files on a computer and demands money to be paid as a ransom for unlocking them.
Flamingo or otherwise known as .LIZARD Virus File is a ransomware type virus. It encrypts files by appending the .LIZARD extension to them, making them inaccessible. All encrypted files will receive the new extension. The Flamingo ransomware drops a ransom note, which gives instructions to victims on how they can allegedly restore their data by paying a ransom fee.
Flamingo Ransomware will encrypt all types of files such as audio, video, pictures, backups, banking data, and other personal user files found on a compromised computer system.
.LIZARD virus Summary
| Name | .LIZARD virus |
| File Extension | .LIZARD |
| Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
| Short Description | The ransomware encrypts files on your computer system and demands a ransom to be paid to allegedly recover them. |
| Symptoms | The Flamingo ransomware will encrypt your files by appending the .LIZARD extension to them. |
| Ransom Demanding Note | READ ME.TXT |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| 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 .LIZARD virus. |
.LIZARD Virus File – How Did It Infect My PC and What Happened?
.LIZARD virus files have been captured in an ongoing attack campaign. The collected copies of this threat have been confirmed to be related to a family of threats known as the Flamingo ransomware. At this time there is no information about the hacking group behind it, but we assume that they are an experienced collective. This is according to the way the virus is constructed — the code may have snippets and be sourced from other threats, but it is not a direct derivative.
Such viruses are frequently distributed using infected file carriers that aim to manipulate the users into thinking that they are accessing legitimate and safe content. The hackers mak them in commonly downloaded files from the Internet. Such files can be documents in phishing emails that have dangerous macros built into them. These are scripts that require the user’s approval to run. Documents that can carry these infections can be of all popular formats: spreadsheets, databases, presentations, and text files. A similar mechanism is the creation of malicious app bundles — these are the setup executables of commonly installed software. They are made by taking the original files and adding in the necessary virus code.
The .LIZARD virus data and related files can be distributed using common strategies, most of them will depend on the use of social engineering tricks. This means that the criminals will use templates, stolen design, and identities to make the data appear useful and safe. Commonly the hackers will create and send out in bulk email messages with the virus files linked or attached directly in them. This is done also with websites — they can be hosted on similar-sounding domain names to the ones which are impersonated. Like other common malicious threats, the .LIZARD virus files can be uploaded to various repositories, download portals, and file-sharing networks. They are common outlets for distributing online data.
As soon as the .LIZARD virus is started on a given machine, it will run the built-in execution sequence. It is very possible that this will be copied from other similar threats. Usually file-encrypting viruses (ransomware) will start with a data gathering module. It is configured to hijack both personal user’s data and system information. The collected information can be abused in crimes like identity theft. At the same time, the system information can be processed by another module to generate a unique identifier that is assigned to each compromised host. This ID can be made part of the encryption extension or quoted in the shown ransom note at a later stage.
What is more dangerous is the further system manipulation which can be exhibited in several areas:
- Boot Changes — The virus can be started as a persistent threat by modifying the boot options. This will enable it to start automatically when the computer boots. It can also disable access to the recovery menus, thereby making it very hard to follow most manual recovery guides.
- Windows Registry Changes — Any modifications to existing Windows Registry entries, or the creation of new ones, can result in severe performance issues, data loss, and unexpected errors.
- Additional Malware Installation — The .LIZARD virus can be used as conduits for the installation of other threats. As an example of a desktop threat, this particular ransomware can lead to the deployment of a Trojan horse infection — it is used to take over control of the victim computers, and thereby allow the criminals to take over control of them.
In the end the encryption module will be run. It uses a cipher to encrypt user’s data and make it inaccessible. This works for the most common files that are owned by the users: databases, multimedia files, documents, archives, backups, and etc. All of the encrypted files will be marked with the .LIZARD virus extension. In folders where there are affected files, the victims will find ransom notes (in text files) giving instructions on how to pay the hackers.
Remove .LIZARD Virus File
If your computer got infected with the .LIZARD Virus File, you should have a bit of experience in removing malware. You should get rid of this ransomware as quickly as possible before it can have the chance to spread further and infect other computers. You should remove the ransomware and follow the step-by-step instructions guide provided below.
Martin Beltov
Martin graduated with a degree in Publishing from Sofia University. As a cyber security enthusiast he enjoys writing about the latest threats and mechanisms of intrusion.
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Attention! SensorsTechForum strongly recommends that all malware victims should look for assistance only by reputable sources. Many guides out there claim to offer free recovery and decryption for files encrypted by ransomware viruses. Be advised that some of them may only be after your money.
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.
About the .LIZARD virus Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this .LIZARD 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 .LIZARD 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.
References
1. How to Recognize Spam Emails with Ransomware
2. How Does Ransomware Encryption Work?
3. How to Decrypt Ransomware Files
4. Ransomware Getting Greedier and Bigger, Attacks Increase by 40%
5. 1 in 5 Americans Victim of Ransomware
How to Remove .LIZARD virus from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove .LIZARD virus
1. Hold Windows Key + R.
2. The "Run" Window will appear. In it, type "msconfig" and click OK.
3. Go to the "Boot" tab. There select "Safe Boot" and then click "Apply" and "OK".
4. When prompted, click on "Restart" to go into Safe Mode.
5. You can recognise Safe Mode by the words written on the corners of your screen.
Step 2: Uninstall .LIZARD virus and related software 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:
1. Hold the Windows Logo Button and "R" on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear.
2. In the field type in "appwiz.cpl" and press ENTER.
3. This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC. Select the program that you want to remove, and press "Uninstall"
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 3: Clean any registries, created by .LIZARD 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 .LIZARD virus there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
1. Open the Run Window again, type "regedit" and click OK.
2. When you open it, you can freely navigate to the Run and RunOnce keys, whose locations are shown above.
3. You can remove the value of the virus by right-clicking on it and removing it.
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: Scan for .LIZARD virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
1. Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.
2. After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
3. After the update process has finished, click on the 'Malware/PC Scan' tab. A new window will appear. Click on 'Start Scan'.
4. 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.
Video Guide for Automatic and Fast Removal
Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .LIZARD virus.
Ransomware infections and .LIZARD 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.
1. Download the recommended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:
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.
Step 6: How to Restore Files Encrypted by Ransomware (Video Guide)
Get rid of .LIZARD virus from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall .LIZARD virus and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:
3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to .LIZARD virus:
4. Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.
5. In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to .LIZARD virus. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash
”.
6. Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference.
Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to .LIZARD virus. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
7. Remove any left-over files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove .LIZARD virus via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
1: Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:
2: Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:
3: Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as .LIZARD virus. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 3 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .LIZARD virus.
Ransomware infections and .LIZARD 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.
1. Download the recommended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:
Simply click on the link and on the website menus on top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
.LIZARD virus FAQ
What is .LIZARD virus ransomware and how does it work?
.LIZARD 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 algorithm how 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.
How does .LIZARD virus ransomware infect my computer?
Via several ways..LIZARD virus Ransomware infects computers by being sent via phishing e-mails, 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.
After you download and execute this attachment, a drive-by download occurs and your computer is infected with the ransomware virus.
Another way, you may become a victim of .LIZARD 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 ..LIZARD virus files?
You can't. At this point the ..LIZARD virus files are encrypted. You can only open them once they are decrypted.
Decryptor did not decrypt my data. What now?
Do not panic and backup the files. If a decryptor did not decrypt your ..LIZARD virus files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
One way to restore files, encrypted by .LIZARD virus ransomware is to use a decryptor for it. But since it's a new virus, advised that the decryption keys for it may not be out yet and available to the public. We will update this article and keep you posted as soon as this decryptor is released.
How Do I restore "..LIZARD virus" files (Other Methods)?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore ..LIZARD virus files.
These methods are in no way 100% guarantee that you will be able to get your files back. But if you have a backup, your chances of success are much greater.
How do I get rid of .LIZARD virus ransomware virus?
The safest way and the most efficient one for the removal of this ransomware infection is the use a professional anti malware software. It will scan for and locate .LIZARD virus ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important ..LIZARD virus files.
Also, keep in mind that viruses like .LIZARD virus ransomware also install Trojans and keyloggers that can steal your passwords and accounts. Scanning your computer with an anti-malware software will make sure that all of these virus components are removed and your computer is protected in the future.
What to Do If nothing works?
There is still a lot you can do. If none of the above methods seem to work for you, then try these methods:
- Try to find a safe computer from where you can can login on your own line accounts like One Drive, iDrive, Google Drive and so on.
- Try to contact your friends, relatives and other people so that they can check if they have some of your important photos or documents just in case you sent them.
- Also, check if some of the files that were encrypted it can be re-downloaded from the web.
- Another clever way to get back some of your files is to find another old computer, a flash drive or even a CD or a DVD where you may have saved your older documents. You might be surprised what will turn up.
- You can also go to your email account to check if you can send any attachments to other people. Usually what is sent the email is saved on your account and you can re-download it. But most importantly, make sure that this is done from a safe computer and make sure to remove the virus first.
More tips you can find on our forums, where you can also asks any questions about your ransomware problem.
How to 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.
