What is .cry files virus? How did it infect your system? Is there a chance to restore your .cry files?
When the extension .cry appears appended to the names of all your important files, you should know that Dharma ransomware is running on your PC. Dharma .cry is a crypto infection that corrupts computer systems in order to encode target files and demands a ransom fee for their recovery. Since it is known to encrypt files with the help of sophisticated cipher algorithm, it will prevent you from accessing the data stored by .cry files.
Since there is no guarantee that hackers could provide an efficient decryption tool, we recommend you to avoid any negotiations with them and navigate to the trustworthy solutions presented in our guide.
Threat Summary
| Name | .cry Files Virus |
| Type | Ransomware, Cryptovirus |
| Short Description | Severe malware that is designed to encrypt valualbe files stored on compromised computers so that it can then extort ransom fee from victims. |
| Symptoms | Files are encrypted and renamed with the extension .cry Ransom message extorts a payment for files recovery. |
| 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 .cry Files 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. |
.cry Files Virus (Dharma) – How Did I Get It and What Does It Do?
The so-called .cry files virus is yet another iteration of Dharma ransomware. It infects computer systems with the main goal to reach valuable personal files and encode them with strong cipher algorithm. Currently, samples of Dharama .cry are lurking on the web.
There are several common spread techniques that may be used for the delivery of .cry ransomware on targeted operating systems. Among them should be mentioned malspam, malvertising, freeware installers, fake software update notifications, and corrupted web pages.
The moment .cry files virus’s activation file is loaded on your system, it triggers a long sequence of malicious operations that enable it to evade detection, misuse system functionalities and eventually encode your valuable personal files.
There is no doubt that the main goal of Dharma .cry ransomware is to corrupt target types of files stored on the compromised computer. To complete this goal, the ransomware performs an encryption process. During this process, it activates a built-in cipher module that transforms the code of all target files with the help of sophisticated cipher algorithm. Since the threat is designed to corrupt files that are likely to store important personal data, an infection with it could prevent you from accessing all your:
- Audio files
- Video files
- Document files
- Image files
- Backup files
- Banking credentials, etc
Files encrypted by Dhrama .cry virus can be recognized by the specific extension .cry appended to their names. In addition, you are likely to see two other extensions – an ID number and an email address. The picture below depicts an image file encrypted by Dhrama .cry files virus:
The original name of the file is trip.jpg but after corruption it is changed to trip.jpg.id-1E857D00.[decryptoperator@qq.com].cry
As revealed by the analyses of .cry ransomware’s samples, once it completes the encoding process, it enters the command prompt panel to run the following command:
vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet
This is an additional operation that improves the efficiency of the attack. It leads to the deletion of all Shadow Volume Copies (automatic backup copies of valuable files) from the infected system.
Finally, Dharma .cry drops a ransom message file to extort a ransom fee for .cry files decryption. The content of this file says the following:
All FILES ENCRYPTED “RSA1024”
All YOUR FILES HAVE BEEN ENCRYPTED!!! IF YOU WANT TO RESTORE THEM, WRITE US TO THE E-MAIL decryptoperator@qq.com
IN THE LETTER WRITE YOUR ID, YOUR ID ********
IF YOU ARE NOT ANSWERED, WRITE TO EMAIL: decryptoperator@qq.com
YOUR SECRET KEY WILL BE STORED ON A SERVER 7 DAYS, AFTER 7 DAYS IT MAY BE OVERWRITTEN BY OTHER KEYS, DON’T PULL TIME, WAITING YOUR EMAIL
FREE DECRYPTION FOR PROOF
You can send us up to 1 file for free decryption. The total size of files must be less than 1Mb (non archived), and files should not contain valuable information. (databases,backups, large excel sheets, etc.)
DECRYPTION PROCESS:
When you make sure of decryption possibility transfer the money to our bitcoin wallet. As soon as we receive the money we will send you:
1. Decryption program.
2. Detailed instruction for decryption.
3. And individual keys for decrypting your files.
!WARNING!
Do not rename encrypted files.
Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss.
Decryption of your files with the help of third parties may cause increased price (they add their fee to our) or you can become a victim of a scam.
And this is how the ransom note looks:
Apparently, the extortionists expect you to transfer them a ransom fee for the alleged restoration of your files, same as with the previous [wplinkpreview url=”https://sensorstechforum.com/ddos-files-virus-dharma-ransomware-remove/”] Dharma / CrySis ransomware family variants. You should NOT under any circumstances pay any ransom sum. Otherwise, you risk being tricked by hackers once again.
Remove .cry Files Virus (Dharma) and Attempt to Restore Data
The so-called .cry files virus is a threat with highly complex code that heavily damages both essential system settings and valuable data. So the only way to use your infected system securely again is to remove all malicious files and objects created by the ransomware. For the purpose, you could follow our step-by-step removal guide.
In the event that you want to attempt to restore .cry files with the help of alternative data recovery methods, do check step four – Try to Restore files encrypted by .cry Files Virus. We remind you to back up all encrypted files to an external drive before the recovery process.
Gergana Ivanova
Highly motivated writer with 5+ years of experience writing for ransomware, malware, adware, PUPs, and other cybersecurity-related issues. As a writer, I strive to create content that is based on thorough technical research. I find joy in the process of creating articles that are easy to understand, informative, and useful. Follow me on Twitter (@IRGergana) for the latest in the field of computer, mobile, and online security.
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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.
- Guide 1: How to Remove .cry Files Virus from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of .cry Files Virus from Mac OS X.
How to Remove .cry Files Virus from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove .cry Files Virus
Step 2: Uninstall .cry Files 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 .cry Files 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 .cry Files 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 .cry Files Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by .cry Files Virus.
Ransomware infections and .cry Files 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 .cry Files Virus from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall .cry Files 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 .cry Files 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 .cry Files Virus.
Ransomware infections and .cry Files 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.
.cry Files Virus FAQ
What is .cry Files Virus ransomware and how does it work?
.cry Files 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 .cry Files Virus ransomware infect my computer?
Via several ways..cry Files 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 .cry Files 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 ..cry Files Virus files?
You can't. At this point the ..cry Files 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 ..cry Files Virus files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
One way to restore files, encrypted by .cry Files 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 "..cry Files 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 ..cry Files 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 .cry Files 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 .cry Files Virus ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important ..cry Files Virus files.
Also, keep in mind that viruses like .cry Files 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.
