Mr. Robot TV series has become the inspiration for malware writers to create a ransomware, called Fsociety. The virus aims to imitate a fictional hacking group from the famous TV series, just like Anonymous is. As much as we enjoy hearing new Mr. Robot news, this one is unfortunate, because the Fsociety ransomware uses an extremely strong encryption algorithm, called AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) to encrypt the files of users. Everyone who has been infected by this threat should read this article to learn how to remove the Fsociety crypto-virus and try to restore encrypted files by it.
Threat Summary
| Name |
Fsociety Ransomware |
| Type | Ransomware |
| Short Description | Encrypts user files with AES cipher and RSA key and sets a wallpaper from the famous TV series Mr.Robot. |
| Symptoms | The user may witness changed wallpaper to an Fsociety mask and they may find their files to be unable to be opened. |
| Distribution Method | Via an Exploit kit, JavaScript or Trojan.Downloader |
| 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 Fsociety 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. |
Fsociety Ransomware – How Does It Spread
The creators of the Fsociety ransomware may use a different set of tools to replicate this virus. They may purchase spamming software that may distribute malicious URLs that may infect users using a JavaScript and drive-by-downloads by simply clicking on the URLs. Such URLs may be distributed in different ways, like referral spam, for instance. In addition to this, Fsociety ransomware may spread via malicious e-mail attachments, that are spam e-mails or phishing ones. The files may look like legitimate Microsoft Office documents. However, they are nothing like such, since they are disguised to get affected users to open them.
Fsociety Ransomware – More Information
Similar to Mr. Robot’s second season, Fsociety ransomware, uses strong encryption to hold the files of the victim’s computer hostage until a ransom payoff has been completed. When executed, Fsociety ransomware may drop it’s files in different places and under different names. The most often chosen names by malware writers are:
In addition to that, Fsociety ransomware is based on the EDA2 ransomware project which is an open source ransomware code uploaded online and created by Utku Sen. Since then, many variants of the EDA2 project have popped up, because all it takes is someone who knows coding to take this source code and design own version of ransomware, just like Fsociety ransomware variant is.
As soon as the Fsociety ransomware has infected a computer, it may begin encrypting files. The Fsociety virus may be pre-programmed to scan for a wide variety of file extensions which it encrypts. Some of those files may be the following:
→ “PNG .PSD .PSPIMAGE .TGA .THM .TIF .TIFF .YUV .AI .EPS .PS .SVG .INDD .PCT .PDF .XLR .XLS .XLSX .ACCDB .DB .DBF .MDB .PDB .SQL .APK .APP .BAT .CGI .COM .EXE .GADGET .JAR .PIF .WSF .DEM .GAM .NES .ROM .SAV CAD Files .DWG .DXF GIS Files .GPX .KML .KMZ .ASP .ASPX .CER .CFM .CSR .CSS .HTM .HTML .JS .JSP .PHP .RSS .XHTML. DOC .DOCX .LOG .MSG .ODT .PAGES .RTF .TEX .TXT .WPD .WPS .CSV .DAT .GED .KEY .KEYCHAIN .PPS .PPT .PPTX ..INI .PRF Encoded Files .HQX .MIM .UUE .7Z .CBR .DEB .GZ .PKG .RAR .RPM .SITX .TAR.GZ .ZIP .ZIPX .BIN .CUE .DMG .ISO .MDF .TOAST .VCD SDF .TAR .TAX2014 .TAX2015 .VCF .XML Audio Files .AIF .IFF .M3U .M4A .MID .MP3 .MPA .WAV .WMA Video Files .3G2 .3GP .ASF .AVI .FLV .M4V .MOV .MP4 .MPG .RM .SRT .SWF .VOB .WMV 3D .3DM .3DS .MAX .OBJ R.BMP .DDS .GIF .JPG ..CRX .PLUGIN .FNT .FON .OTF .TTF .CAB .CPL .CUR .DESKTHEMEPACK .DLL .DMP .DRV .ICNS .ICO .LNK .SYS .CFG”Source:fileinfo.com
The encrypted files are enciphered with a powerful AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption and the decryption key for them has been encoded in an RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman).
Related Article: Ransomware Encryption Explained – Why Is It So Effective?
The encrypted decryption key is then sent to the cyber-criminals’ command and control server where they have it along with a unique identification number for every user PC they have infected. After this, the wallpaper of the infected computer is changed to the famous Fsociety logo from the TV series Mr. Robot.
While the inspiration of the malware writers led them to choose a good TV series to base their ransomware on, this threat is one of the worse you can see out there. However, no matter how dire and bad the situation is, malware researchers advise users not to pay any ransom money if they see a ransom note asking them to contact the crooks for a payoff. This is due to several obvious reasons:
- You support the cyber-criminals by paying the ransom.
- There is no guarantee that you are going to get your files back.
Remove Fsociety Ransomware and Restore the Encoded Files
The ransomware virus should be removed by following the instructions after this article. Since Fsociety may modify the Windows Registry Editor and in addition to this create multiple files in different locations, malware researchers advise using an advanced anti-malware program to remove it, since it will make sure it is permanently remove without any damage to the encrypted files.
To restore files encrypted by Fsociety ransomware, users are strongly advised to make sure they backup the encrypted files and make copies if they try direct decryption. We have provided some alternatives to try and restore your files in step “3.Restore files encrypted by Fsociety Ransomware” below and advise you to take a look at them. They may not be 100 percent effective but in case you are lucky, haven’t reinstalled your OS and had backups, they may work for you.
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.
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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.
About the Fsociety Ransomware Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Fsociety Ransomware how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific malware and restore your encrypted files.
How did we conduct the research on this ransomware?
Our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, and as such, we receive daily updates on the latest malware and ransomware definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the Fsociety Ransomware ransomware threat is backed with VirusTotal and the NoMoreRansom project.
To better understand the ransomware threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.
References
1. How to Recognize Spam Emails with Ransomware
2. How Does Ransomware Encryption Work?
3. How to Decrypt Ransomware Files
4. Ransomware Getting Greedier and Bigger, Attacks Increase by 40%
5. 1 in 5 Americans Victim of Ransomware
- Guide 1: How to Remove Fsociety Ransomware from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of Fsociety Ransomware from Mac OS X.
How to Remove Fsociety Ransomware from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Fsociety Ransomware
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".
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 Fsociety Ransomware 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 Fsociety Ransomware 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 Fsociety Ransomware 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.
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 Fsociety Ransomware with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
1. Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.
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.
Video Guide for Automatic and Fast Removal
Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by Fsociety Ransomware.
Ransomware infections and Fsociety Ransomware 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 recommended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:
Simply click on the link and on the website menus on the top, choose Data Recovery - Data Recovery Wizard for Windows or Mac (depending on your OS), and then download and run the tool.
Step 6: How to Restore Files Encrypted by Ransomware (Video Guide)
Get rid of Fsociety Ransomware from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Fsociety Ransomware 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:
2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:
3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to Fsociety Ransomware:
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 Fsociety Ransomware. 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 Fsociety Ransomware. 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 Fsociety Ransomware 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:
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 Fsociety Ransomware. 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.
Step 3 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by Fsociety Ransomware.
Ransomware infections and Fsociety Ransomware 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 recommended Data Recovery software by clicking on the link underneath:
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.
Fsociety Ransomware FAQ
What is Fsociety Ransomware ransomware and how does it work?
Fsociety Ransomware 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 Fsociety Ransomware ransomware infect my computer?
Via several ways.Fsociety Ransomware 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 Fsociety Ransomware 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 .Fsociety Ransomware files?
You can't. At this point the .Fsociety Ransomware 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 .Fsociety Ransomware files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
One way to restore files, encrypted by Fsociety Ransomware 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 ".Fsociety Ransomware" files (Other Methods)?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .Fsociety Ransomware 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 Fsociety Ransomware 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 Fsociety Ransomware ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .Fsociety Ransomware files.
Also, keep in mind that viruses like Fsociety Ransomware 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.
Where are the instructions??? Where is part 3???
Fixed!