.pulpit file extension is placed on all of your files? .pulpit Virus File is also known as Thanos ransomware which locks files on a computer and demands money to be paid as a ransom for unlocking them.
Thanos Ransomware (.pulpit Virus File)
Thanos or otherwise known as .pulpit Virus File is a ransomware type virus. It encrypts files by appending the .pulpit extension to them, making them inaccessible. All encrypted files will receive the new extension. The Thanos ransomware drops a ransom note, which gives instructions to victims on how they can allegedly restore their data by paying a ransom fee.
Thanos Ransomware Virus
Thanos 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.
.pulpit virus Summary
| Name | .pulpit virus |
| File Extension | .pulpit |
| 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 Thanos ransomware will encrypt your files by appending the .pulpit extension to them. |
| Ransom Demanding Note | Recovery Information.txt |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| Detection Tool |
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss .pulpit virus. |
.pulpit Virus File – How Did It Infect My PC and What Happened?
The .pulpit virus is a new Thanos ransomware release that has been made by an unknown hacking group and distributed worldwide. Right now we have no information about the identity of the criminals behind it, however, given the fact that it has some code snippets from the Thanos ransomware family gives us reasons to believe that they probably have access to the underground hacker markets where such code is distributed between the users. From it, they could have the derivative .pulpit virus. It may also follow the prescribed distribution tactics as seen with other similar threats. This will likely include the creation and distribution of infected file carriers — they will lead to the virus deployment automatically upon startup. Common examples of such are documents (across all popular file formats) and application setup bundles — they are usually of commonly installed programs. Other carrier files may be updates, patches, add-ons, “cracks”, and etc.
Commonly such data can be distributed on various online communities, including file-sharing networks, download portals, and etc. The criminals may use fake or stolen credentials in an attempt to manipulate the victims into thinking that they are accessing safe content. This can include the sending out of email messages, that are based on templates. They will look like being prepared by services and can be masked as notifications, letters, and other commonly received messages.
When the .pulpit virus is installed on a given host, it will start the built-in modules and components which are programmed by the hackers. They can be different, based on the current attack campaign. Most of the similar threats will start some kind of an information gathering procedure. It can include personal user’s files and system information. This can lead to identity abuse and the creation of a unique identifier based on the operating system values that have been extracted.
Various types of changes can be prescribed by the criminals. They can be the modification of boot options which will start the malware automatically when the computer is powered on by the users. In some cases this option will modify existing Windows Registry values. The effects of this can result in performance issues, data loss, and unexpected errors when launching certain services. This can be added by the removal of important files such as backups and shadow volume copies, this can make the system restoration very difficult.
The last module that is run in the prescribed sequence is responsible for the actual encryption. By using a strong cipher against the target user’s data, the victims will find that they will not be able to open their data. This works for data such as documents, backups, images, multimedia files, archives, and etc. All of them will receive the relevant .pulpit extension. Furthermore, in folders where there are encrypted files ransom notes with the filename HOW_TO_DECRYPT_FILES.txt will be created. They have instructions on how to pay the criminals a decryption fee to restore access to their data.
Remove .pulpit Virus File
If your computer got infected with the .pulpit 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.
How to Remove .pulpit virus from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove .pulpit virus
Step 2: Uninstall .pulpit 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:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 3: Clean any registries, created by .pulpit 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 .pulpit 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: Scan for .pulpit virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .pulpit virus.
Ransomware infections and .pulpit 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 top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
Get rid of .pulpit virus from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall .pulpit 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:
- 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 .pulpit 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:
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 .pulpit virus.
Ransomware infections and .pulpit 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 top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
.pulpit virus FAQ
What is .pulpit virus ransomware and how does it work?
.pulpit 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 .pulpit virus ransomware infect my computer?
Via several ways..pulpit 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 .pulpit 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 ..pulpit virus files?
You can't. At this point the ..pulpit 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 ..pulpit virus files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
One way to restore files, encrypted by .pulpit 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 "..pulpit 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 ..pulpit 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 .pulpit 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 .pulpit virus ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important ..pulpit virus files.
Also, keep in mind that viruses like .pulpit 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.
