Remove BRLock Ransomware and Get Back Encrypted Files

by Ventsislav Krastev | August 10, 2016 | 0 Comments Lockscreen, malware, PUP, ransomware

Threat Summary BRLock BRLock Ransomware – Distribution BRLock Ransomware In Depth BRLock Ransomware – Conclusion, Removal, and File Restoration

First detected in April 2016, BrLock Ransomware continues to wreak havoc on user PCs. The virus locks the screen and displays a ransom note that is written completely in Russian, demanding a ransom payment of approximately 1000 RU which is around 15 USD. Not only this but BRLock ransomware also shuts down key processes on startup so that the user is not able to access his files. Fortunately, this is something that can be evaded and the files can still be salvaged, and this is why we firmly advise affected users NOT to pay the ransom and to try and remove this virus, using the instructions in this article.

Threat Summary

Name	BRLock
Type	Lockscreen Ransomware
Short Description	Ransowmare primarily created for russian speaking users which uses a lockscreen to scare them into paying ransom amount of 15$.
Symptoms	The computer restarts after which the ransom message appears. Explorer and desktop related processes as well as access to task manager are disabled.
Distribution Method	Via malicious URLs or attachments..
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join our forum to Discuss BRLock Ransomware.
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.

BRLock Ransomware – Distribution

To be widespread, BRLock may use the usual techniques. It uses spam bots or pays to spammers and black SEO marketers to redistribute its malicious web links via PUPs, e-mail, Skype, Facebook and other massive online gathering places.

However, to infect successfully, the users behind this virus may have obfuscated its malicious process to evade detection by conventional antivirus programs.

The e-mails which users may encounter may contain different convincing messages and even multimedia, making them appear as if they were legitimate websites, the user has registration in.

To best demonstrate how spam e-mail has evolved, we have decided to show you this example of a fake LinkedIn spam e-mail message:

Users are strongly advised to pay attention to what e-mails they open and if they have adware, browser hijackers and any other rogue software that is third-party ad-supported and suspicious to remove them with an advanced anti-malware program.

BRLock Ransomware In Depth

The BRLock virus has been created primarily for Russian-speaking users. Once it infects the user, the lock screen ransomware may immediately modify the registry keys that lock the screen of the user:

→HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\ScreenSaveTimeOut
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\

The virus may also execute a batch (.BAT) file that may insert the shutdown command in quiet mode so that the computer is restarted quietly:

→ Shutdown –r –t 0

After the computer restarts, BRLock ransomware locks the screen of the user displaying its ransom note written in Russian language. It’s rough translation is the following:

From what it appears the BRLock mimics the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. It “convicts” the user that he or she has used his computer in a way that is against the law, connected with pornographic materials and violence.

Similar to other police ransomware, the BRLock virus gives the user a “fine” which is related to the phone number +79601901811. The sum requested should be paid via a Russian online service, called “Билайн”. Researchers are not aware of this malware encrypting files, but Fortinet experts report that BRLock has the capability to scramble different files from the computer using the powerful AES algorithm.

BRLock Ransomware – Conclusion, Removal, and File Restoration

This virus may have been created with the sole purpose of driving users to pay the ransom amount posted by the cyber-criminals. The amount is low for a purpose; the cyber-crooks have most likely though that a high amount is less probable to be paid by users.

Despite this being a good strategy, we strongly urge the infected users to not pay any ransom, because they may extract their files and bypass this lockscreen, and there are several methods to do this. We strongly advise against paying any ransom money and following the instructions below and in case they do not work, follow the backup variant after them to get your files back.

To remove this virus, we suggest trying to bypass the lock screen by blocking it as a third-party application, because BRLock shuts down the explorer.exe process by default disabling the user the ability to access his files directly. This is why you should follow the instructions below, and Boot in Safe Mode after which first copy your files to a safe drive and then remove BRLock. Removing BRLock may prove to be rather tricky because it is not known which files it creates and what registry entries exactly it modifies. This is why if you are not tech-savvy, we recommend following the automatic option to secure your computer below.

In case your files are indeed encrypted, we also recommend attempting the alternative methods for file restoration which we have posted in step “3” in the instructions below. They are not 100 percent effective, but they are a good temporary solution because you may restore some of your files using them.

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.

How to Remove BRLock from Windows.

Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove BRLock

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

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".

Tip: Make sure to reverse those changes by unticking Safe Boot after that, because your system will always boot in Safe Boot from now on.

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 BRLock 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 BRLock 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 BRLock 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.

IMPORTANT!
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 BRLock with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

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.

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.

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

Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by BRLock.

Ransomware infections and BRLock 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 reccomended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:

EaseUS Data Recovery Software

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.

Windows Mac OS X

Get rid of BRLock from Mac OS X.

Step 1: Uninstall BRLock and remove related files and objects

OFFER

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

We Recommend To Scan Your Mac with SpyHunter for Mac

Keep in mind, that SpyHunter for Mac needs to purchased to remove the malware threats. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy

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 BRLock:

Tip: To quit a process completely, choose the “Force Quit” option.

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 BRLock. 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 BRLock. 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 BRLock 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:

Disclaimer! If you are about to tamper with Library files on Mac, be sure to know the name of the virus file, because if you delete the wrong file, it may cause irreversible damage to your MacOS. Continue on your own responsibility!

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 BRLock. 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.

Click the button below below to download SpyHunter for Mac and scan for BRLock:

Download

SpyHunter for Mac

Step 3 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by BRLock.

1. Download the reccomended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:

EaseUS Data Recovery Software

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.

BRLock FAQ

What is BRLock ransomware and how does it work?

BRLock 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 BRLock ransomware infect my computer?

Via several ways.BRLock 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 BRLock 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 .BRLock files?

You can't. At this point the .BRLock 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 .BRLock files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.

One way to restore files, encrypted by BRLock 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 ".BRLock" files (Other Methods)?

Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .BRLock 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 BRLock 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 BRLock ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .BRLock files.

Also, keep in mind that viruses like BRLock 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.