This article is created to help you remove Dharma ransomware’s .onion variant and restore .id-{random}.[[email protected]].onion encrypted files.

A new version of Dharma ransomware has been reported to be spreading, this time using the .onion file extension added to the files it encrypts. The new version of Dharma ransomware is believed to be very similar to the old one and just like it, encrypt files on the compromised computer after which change the wallpaper on the compromised computer and then demand victims to pay a hefty ransom fee to restore their encrypted files. In case your computer has been infected by the .onion Dharma ransomware recommendations are to read this article thoroughly.

SensorsTechForum team is currently investigating the latest Dharma ransomware using the .onion expansion. More information to be updated on this page very soon.

Threat Summary

Name	.onion file virus
Type	Ransomware
Short Description	.Onion virus, also calling itself Dharma encrypts user files and leaves as contact e-mail addresses to contact the criminals behind it and pay a ransom fee to restore encrypted files.
Symptoms	Changes file extension of encrypted files to .onion. Changes wallpaper to one with ransom instructions that have ransom e-mail.
Distribution Method	Via an Exploit kit, Dll file attack, malicious JavaScript or a drive-by download of the malware itself in an obfuscated manner.
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by .onion file virus Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join our forum to Discuss .onion file 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.

Update May 2017 – New Data Recovery Method

It has been brought to our attention that victims of the latest Dharma .onion ransomware infection variants have managed to restore a very high percentage (over 90%) of their files using a very unique method – converting files into virtual drives and then using partition recovery option on data recovery programs. This method takes advantage of the converting the files into a .VHD file type which is a virtual drive. Since there are new data recovery programs specifically designed to recover partitions, one approach is to restore files encyrpted by Dharma ransomware is to convert the encrypted files into .VHD files and then try to recover them using partition recovery software. Since the algorithm that encrypts files actually alters only a small portion of the file, you have a much higher chance of recovering the files if you change them into .VHD type.

The methods have been reported to not be a full guarantee to recover all the files, but if you haven’t reinstalled your operating system yet, we advise you to follow them. But first, make sure to remove Dharma’s malicious files from the instructions at the bottom of these article. Here are the instructions:

.Onion Dharma – How Does It Spread

For the distribution process of this variant of Dharma ransomware to be successful, an advanced combination of tools may be used by the cyber-criminals. These tools and software may include;

• Obfuscators for executable files.
• An exploit kit.
• File joiner programs.
• Multiple online hosts.
• Malicious scripts (JavaScript).
• Distribution websites for the download of the infection.
• Spamming services as well as spam bots.

These tools, combined altogether may result in the successful distribution of the .onion Dharma variant In various online locations, such as:

• Social media sites.
• Spammed as a messages, portraying to be legitimate.
• Spammed on chat services, such as Skype, Messenger, etc.
• Uploaded on suspicious websites or via compromised torrent sites as fake setups, key generators or activators for software.

If by e-mail, deceptive techniques are used to trick users into either opening a malicious e-mail attachment or opening a malicious web link. This results in the dropping of the malicious files of Dharma .onion virus on the compromised system.

.Onion File Virus – Infection Activity

After the victim has opened the malicious file, one way or another, the files of Dharma ransomware are dropped on the infected computer. The files have different names and usually reside in the below-mentioned Windows location:

After the files of Dharma ransomware’s .onion file variant have been dropped, the virus may begin to modify the Run and RunOnce Windows Registry subkeys. In those sub-keys, custom values can be added with data in them that has the location of the malicious files that perform the encryption process. The sub-keys 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

In addition to those sub-keys, Dharma .onion virus may also modify other sub-keys that change the wallpaper and perform other desktop activity.

→ HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

After performing the modifications on the sub-keys, Dharma .onion ransomware may unlike the previous .wallet and .dharma variants delete the shadow volume copies on the infected computer with the purpose to eliminate any chance of restoring encrypted files via Windows Backup features. This is achievable by executing a script that enters the following administrative Windows commands in the background, without the victim noticing:

→ process call create “cmd.exe /c
vssadmin.exe delete shadows /all /quiet
bcdedit.exe /set {default} recoveryenabled no
bcdedit.exe /set {default} bootstatuspolicy ignoreallfailures

In addition to this, the Dharma .onion ransomware may also create a folder, named “data” in %SystemDrive% in which other files of Dharma with unique and random names as well as a crypkey.bin file may also be dropped. This is done to aid the encryption process which is quite unique as well.

Dharma Ransomware’s .onion Encryption Process

The encryption process of Dharma ransomware is quite unique. Initially, the virus begins to encrypt a wide variety of file types, but it carefully avoids the following Windows System folders:

• %Windows%
• %AppData%
• %Local%
• %LocalLow%
• %System%
• %System32%

This is done so that Windows OS is leaved intact and the user can still use the OS to contact the cyber-criminals. Among the encrypted files are important documents, music, videos, pictures and other types of files, for example:

→ “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 .PRF Encoded Files .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 .OBJ R.BMP .DDS .GIF .JPG ..CRX .PLUGIN .FNT .FON .OTF .TTF .CAB .CPL .CUR .DESKTHEMEPACK .DLL .DMP .DRV .ICNS .ICO .LNK .SYS .CFG”Source:fileinfo.com

The files are changed on the spot and they may appear with the file extension id-{uniqueID}.[[email protected]].onion

The encryption process of Dharma ransomware is similar to the CrySiS ransomware variants it is based on. However, it is more sophisticated than the RSA and AES ciphers used by CrySiS. In the past, many experienced users on forums have stated that they have attempted to use Kaspersky’s RakhniDecrypter to get their files back by renaming the extensions of Dharma to the same ones as CrySiS, but they failed to decode the data.

This is because the virus is created in a way that after the ransom is paid, the cyber-criminals send a scanner software for a key file, which may be located in the “data” folder of %SystemDrive%. From there, this software detects the public keys which the victim has to send back to the cyber-criminals and then based on this key, they generate a custom decryptor that only works for the victim’s computer and nobody else. It all points out to a cyber-criminal organization that has experience in ransomware viruses, like the people behind Locky and Cerber ransomware viruses that are still at large.

Whatever the case may be, Dharma’s .onion variant uses the e-mail [email protected] and when contacted, the cyber-criminals come up with a custom offer that the victim has to accept. For the previous variants of dharma, the ransom “fee” varied from the minimum of 2 BTC, all the way up to 14 BTC, depending on how important is the computer being hacker. For servers, reports indicated that the ransom payoff amount was even higher. Here is a transcript of the instructions provided by the cyber-criminals via e-mail:

Hello,
We can decrypt your data, here is price:
– 7 Bitcoins in 20 hours without any stupid questions and test decryption.
– 12 Bitcoins if you need more than 20 hours to pay us, but less than 48 hours.
– 14 Bitcoins if you need more than 48 hours to pay us.
Pay us and send payment’s screenshot in attachment.
In this way after you pay we will send you decryptor tool with instructions.
TIME = MONEY.
If you don’t believe in our service and you want to see a proof, you can ask about test decryption.
Test decryption costs extra 1.5 Bitcoin to final price.
About test decryption:
You have to send us 1 crypted file.
Use sendspace.com and Win-Rar to send file for test decryptions.
File have to be less than 5 MB.
We will decrypt and send you your decrypted files back.
Also, if you don’t wanna pay you can try to bruteforce cryptokey, but it will take about 1500+ days if you have powerful enough machine.
Answer us with your decision.
Time limit starts from this email.
Here is our bitcoin wallet:
{WALLET ID}
We can recommend easy bitcoin exchange service – localbitcons.com
or you can google any service you want.
Source: Affected users.

Whatever the case may be, security experts always recommend that ransom should not be paid to these cyber-criminals and alternative ways to get the files back should be sought out after removing Dharma .onion virus.

Remove Dharma Ransomware and Restore .onion Encrypted Files

Before initiating the removal process of Dharma ransomware, we strongly recommend you to backup all the files, despite them being encoded.

Then, recommendations are to follow the removal instructions below as they are specifically designed to isolate Dharma .onion ransomware and then remove the virus files.

In case you experience issues in removing the virus manually or want to remove Dharma effectively and swiftly, security experts advise using an advanced anti-malware program. It will scan for and delete all the files associated with Dharma ransomware and protect your computer in the future as well.

After removing Dharma ransomware, it is time to try and restore the files. We have suggested multiple methods that are an alternative to a direct decryption. They are located in step “2. Restore files encrypted by .onion File Virus” below. They are in no way guarantee you will get all your files back, but some of the methods might work to restore a big part of the files. Some users on forums have reported that they have managed to restore their files via software such as Shadow Explorer and we have also reports of people able to restore some of their files by using data recovery software.

Manually delete .onion file virus from your computer

Note! Substantial notification about the .onion file virus threat: Manual removal of .onion file virus requires interference with system files and registries. Thus, it can cause damage to your PC. Even if your computer skills are not at a professional level, don’t worry. You can do the removal yourself just in 5 minutes, using a malware removal tool.

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

Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode

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

For Windows XP, Vista, 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 the Start Menu

Step 2: Whilst holding down Shift button, click on Power and then click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, the aftermentioned menu will appear. From there you should choose Troubleshoot.

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

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

Step 6: Click on Restart.

Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You should choose Safe Mode by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.

Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries of your computer to change different settings. This is why manual clean up of your Windows Registry Database is strongly recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit lenghty, we recommend following our instructive article about fixing registry entries.

2.Find malicious files created by .onion file virus on your PC

Find malicious files created by .onion file virus

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

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.

Automatically remove .onion file virus by downloading an advanced anti-malware program

1. Remove .onion file virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data

Remove .onion file virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Install SpyHunter to scan for and remove .onion file virus.2. Scan with SpyHunter to Detect and Remove .onion file virus. Back up your data to secure it against infections and file encryption by .onion file virus in the future.

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

Download

Malware Removal Tool

It is highly 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.

Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to automatically update.

Step1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Scan Computer Now’ button.

Step2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any .onion file virus files, click on the ‘Fix Threats’ button to remove them automatically and permanently.

Step3: Once the intrusions on your PC have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart it.

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 automatically with cloud backup and insure it against any type of data loss on your device, even the most severe. We recommend reading more about and downloading SOS Online Backup .

SOS Online Backup

2. Restore files encrypted by .onion file virus

Restore Files Encrypted by .onion file virus

Ransomware infections like .onion file virus aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to directly 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 they may not be 100% effective but they may help you little or a lot in some situations.

Method 1: Scanning your drive’s sectors by using Data Recovery software.
Another method of 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 Phoenix Data Recovery Technicians License(Pro version with more features)
• Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery
• Stellar Phoenix 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

Urgent! It is strongly advisable to first remove the .onion file virus threat before attempting any decryption, since it may interfere with system files and registries. You can do the removal yourself just in 5 minutes, using an advanced malware removal tool.

Method 3: Using Shadow Explorer

To restore your data in case you have backup set up, it is important to check for shadow copies in Windows using this software if ransomware has not deleted them:

• Shadow Explorer

Method 4: Finding .onion file virus decryption key while it communicates it via a network sniffing software.

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

Optional: Using Alternative Anti-Malware Tools

Remove .onion file virus Using Other Alternative Tools

STOPZilla Anti Malware

1. Download and Install STOPZilla Anti-malware to Scan for And Remove .onion file virus.
Step 1: Download STOPZilla by clicking here.
Step 2: A pop-up window will appear. Click on the ‘Save File’ button. If it does not, click on the Download button and save it afterwards.

Step 3: After you have downloaded the setup, simply open it.
Step 4: The installer should appear. Click on the ‘Next’ button.

Step 5: Check the ‘I accept the agreement’ check circle if not checked if you accept it and click the ‘Next’ button once again.

Step 6: Review and click on the ‘Install’ button.

Step 7: After the installation process has completed click on the ‘Finish’ button.

2. Scan your PC with STOPZilla Anti Malware to remove all .onion file virus associated files completely.
Step 1: Launch STOPZilla if you haven’t launched it after install.
Step 2: Wait for the software to automatically scan and then click on the ‘Repair Now’ button. If it does not scan automatically, click on the ‘Scan Now’ button.

Step 3: After the removal of all threats and associated objects, you should Restart your PC.

Vencislav Krustev

A network administrator and malware researcher at SensorsTechForum with passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cyber security. Strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.

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