Another locker type of ransomware called Brolo has been reported to affect users on a massive scale. The ransomware uses malicious JavaScript to infect the browser of the user and connect to a remote host that displays a fake Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) message along with a scareware pop-up. Its aim is to extort users for money to fix a problem that does not exist. All users affected are advised not to fall into this trap and clean up their system methodologically from this malware, instructions for which are presented after this article.
Name | Brolo.C |
Type | Ransomware |
Short Description | The virus uses malicious JavaScript code to restrict access to the buttons of the web browser of the user. |
Symptoms | The user may witness a Fake BSOD scareware message imitating the official Microsoft one and claiming his computer has malware along with a phone number attached. |
Distribution Method | Via PUPs, installed by visiting a suspicious third-party site or malicious attachments. |
Detection Tool | Download Malware Removal Tool, to See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware |
User Experience | Join our forum to follow the discussion about Brolo.C. |
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. |
Source: Microsoft Malware Protection Center
Brolo Fake BSOD Ransomware – How Did I Get It
This virus has been reported by Microsoft security researchers to affect users by utilizing JavaScript codes. It may arrive onto the user’s web browser by several different methods:
- Injected automatically via an adware program on the user PC.
- Inserted using spam mails containing malicious links and attachments
- Via messages featuring malicious links on online chat platforms.
After it has been executed, it might make an exploit or take advantage of a dead code and connect to a remote host after which deploy the payload.
Brolo Fake BSOD Ransomware – How Does It Work?
After it has been executed, the malicious payload may tamper with various registry entries, one of which may belong to the web browser you are using, for example:
→HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome
It may set custom values to block every button, the address bar and other settings that may allow users to access their browser use it. This may be done by the malicious JavaScript, which monitors any commands that are input.
Besides a fake blue screen of death, Microsoft reports the malware to deploy a pop-up which may contain a message of the following character:
→ “There is a .net frame work file missing due to some harmfull virus
Debug malware error 895-system 32.exe failure.
Please contact Microsoft technicians to rectify the issue.Please do not open internet browser for your security issue to avoid data corruption on your registry of your operating system. Please contact Microsoft technicians at: {cyber-criminals’ phone number}”
The message may also have additional scareware texts written in capital fonts:
→ “PLEASE DO NOT SHUT DOWN OR RESTART YOUR COMPUTER, DOING THAT MAY LEAD TO DATA LOSS AND FAILURE OF OPERATING SYSTEM, HENCE NON BOOTABLE SITUATION RESULTING COMPLETE DATA LOSS. CONTACT ADMINISTRATOR DEPARTMENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE ON TOLL-FREE {cyber-criminals’ phone number}”
Furthermore, the languages of the message may vary, depending on the location of the user. All users who come across this message should immediately disconnect from the internet and remove this malware.
Remove Brolo Fake BSOD Ransomware Completely
To remove Brolo a conventional restart or directly deleting the browser from %Program Files% will may not be successful, since the malware may cause real system freezes and interruptions. Furthermore, it may reappear when another web browser is installed since it may have files concealed in several key Windows locations:
- %AppData%
- %Roaming%
- %System%
- %Temp%
- %Users%
To get rid of it successfully it is strongly recommended to follow the removal steps below since they are methodically arranged for maximum effectiveness. We also advise using an advanced anti-malware tool that is updated to the latest definitions in order to catch any obfuscators of the malware and also protect you in the future.
Manually delete Brolo.C from Windows and your browser.
Note! Substantial notification about the Brolo.C threat: Manual removal of Brolo.C 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.
Automatically remove Brolo.C by downloading an advanced anti-malware program.
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 Brolo.C from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Brolo.C





Step 2: Uninstall Brolo.C 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:



Step 3: Clean any registries, created by Brolo.C 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 Brolo.C there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:



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 Brolo.C with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by Brolo.C.
Ransomware infections and Brolo.C 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 Brolo.C from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Brolo.C 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 Brolo.C 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 Brolo.C.
Ransomware infections and Brolo.C 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.
Brolo.C FAQ
What is Brolo.C ransomware and how does it work?
Brolo.C 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 Brolo.C ransomware infect my computer?
Via several ways.Brolo.C 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 Brolo.C 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 .Brolo.C files?
You can't. At this point the .Brolo.C 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 .Brolo.C files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
One way to restore files, encrypted by Brolo.C 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 ".Brolo.C" files (Other Methods)?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .Brolo.C 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 Brolo.C 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 Brolo.C ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .Brolo.C files.
Also, keep in mind that viruses like Brolo.C 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.