Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Note! Your computer might be affected by Flyper and other threats.
Threats such as Flyper may be persistent on your system. They tend to re-appear if not fully deleted. A malware removal tool like SpyHunter will help you to remove malicious programs, saving you the time and the struggle of tracking down numerous malicious files. SpyHunter’s scanner is free but the paid version is needed to remove the malware threats. Read SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
A ransomware virus, carrying the name Flyper, based on the HiddenTear virus project has been caught out in the wild to infect user PCs. The virus uses a very strong RSA-2048 file encryption mechanism to encipher the files of unsuspecting users, adding it’s distinctive .flyper file extension to the encrypted files. Users are asked in an instructions.txt file to pay in BitCoin a ransom payoff to cyber criminals. Everyone who has been affected by the Flyper virus are warned NOT to pay the ransom money, since there may be alternative methods to decrypt your files. We have provided further instructions on removing Flyper ransomware from your computer and trying to restore your files, so we suggest to read this article carefully.
Threat Summary
Name
Flyper
Type
Ransomware
Short Description
The malware encrypts users files using a strong encryption algorithm, making direct decryption possible only via a unique decryption key available to the cyber-criminals.
Symptoms
The user may witness ransom notes and “instructions.txt” all linking to a web page and a decryptor. Changed file names and the file-extension .flyper has been used. Also changes the wallpaper to a “You have been hacked!” message.
Distribution Method
Via an Exploit kit, Dll file attack, malicious JavaScript or a drive-by download of the malware itself in an obfuscated manner.
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.
Flyper Ransomware – How Does It Spread
To infect users, Flyper uses a file that has a very long name, for example:
1280dg28d238fg4f348g03410r012d4g839gf348fh34.exe
The file itself is an executable type of file, but it is cleverly masked to resemble an Adobe Reader .pdf file. Such files may be disguised on spam e-mail addresses as well as dropped on your computer via other malware, like Trojan.Downloader, for example. They may also be downloaded via a malicious URL that you may have landed on as a result of a potentially unwatned program that displays ads on your computer.
Flyper Ransomware – More Information
As soon as the malicious file of Flyper has been activated, it may briefly freeze your computer and the opened Windows may enter “Not Responding” state.
Then a command prompt window may open, suggesting the Flyper virus also deletes the shadow volume copies using the following command:
vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet
After erasting the shadow copies, the Flyper virus immediately gets down to business. It scans for most Widely used type of file extension and if they are present on the computer, the virus encrypts them:
The ransomware then displays a text document, named Instructions.txt. The ransom not in it notifies the users his files are encoded and gives further instructions on how to pay the ransom money in BitCoin:
“Your personal files have been encrypted with strongest encryption RSA 2048 and unique key generated for this computer. We present a decrypter software which allows to decrypt and return control to all your encrypted files. We accept a payment with Bitcoin, there are many methods to get them. On these sites you can buy Bitcoin Localbitcoin.com cex.io btcdirect.eu To get KEY and Decrypter Program : 1)Send 0.5 BTC bitcoins to this address with Description your PC Computer Name Bitcoin Address 1PniPmm5kiuuAhXpBWR3QiUtpfAAFm2SS 2)Contact me by email to get your key [email protected]”
Since this is a part of the open source HiddenTear projects, researchers may discover a decryption method and release a free decrypter.
Until then, users are advised to remove Flyper Ransowmare and try to restore their files, using the instructions provided below.
Remove Flyper Ransomware and Restore .Flyper Files
After Flyper attacks your computer and encrypts your files, the first advisable step is to remove it from your PC. You can do this by following the step-by-step instructions below. Malware reverse engineers also advise using a more automatic approach and downloading an advanced anti-malware program to remove this virus from your computer.
If you want to try and restore your files, please check the alternative methods in step “3. Restore files Encrypted by Flyper” below.
Furthermore, we also advise you to follow this article since we will update it as soon as a decrypter for Flyper has been released.
Note! Your computer system may be affected by Flyper and other threats. Scan Your PC with SpyHunter SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as Flyper. 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.
To remove Flyper follow these steps:
1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Flyper files and objects
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
Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
For Windows XP, Vista and 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 up the Start Menu.
Step 2: Click on the Power button (for Windows 8 it is the little arrow next to the “Shut Down” button) and whilst holding down “Shift” click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, a blue menu with options will appear. From them you should choose Troubleshoot.
Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu choose Advanced Options.
Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.
Step 6: From the Startup Settings menu, click on Restart.
Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You can choose any of the three Safe Mode options by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.
Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.
2. Find files created by Flyper on your PC
Find files created by Flyper
1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. 2. For Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
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.
Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs
3. Scan for malware and unwanted programs with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Scan your PC and Remove Flyper with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for Flyper and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove Flyper. Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
Step 1: Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.
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.
Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.
Step 2: 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.
Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.
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 with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup.
4. Try to Restore files encrypted by Flyper
Try to Restore Files Encrypted by Flyper
Ransomware infections and Flyper aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to 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 these methods may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Method 1: Scanning your drive’s sectors by using Data Recovery software. Another method for 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:
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:
To restore your data in case you have backup set up, it is important to check for Volume Shadow Copies, if ransomware has not deleted them, in Windows using the below software:
Method 4: Finding the decryption key while the cryptovirus sends it over a network via a sniffing tool.
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:
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
A ransomware virus, carrying the name Flyper, based on the HiddenTear virus project has been caught out in the wild to infect user PCs. The virus uses a very strong RSA-2048 file encryption mechanism to encipher the files of unsuspecting users, adding it’s distinctive .flyper file extension to the encrypted files. Users are asked in an instructions.txt file to pay in BitCoin a ransom payoff to cyber criminals. Everyone who has been affected by the Flyper virus are warned NOT to pay the ransom money, since there may be alternative methods to decrypt your files. We have provided further instructions on removing Flyper ransomware from your computer and trying to restore your files, so we suggest to read this article carefully.
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7.
2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.
Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for Flyper and remove them.
Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
