The .h3ll extension – this may just be the first thing users who have been affected by YouGotHacked ransomware to notice on their files. This dangerous malware encodes the first 64 bit of the user files with a strong cypher. The malware is so sophisticated that it even encodes the decryption key and saves it In a .key file. Users have reported that the malware is not detected by any anti-malware software, after scanning it in VirusTotal. Everyone infected should not pay the ransom money and seek alternative methods to restore the data.
Name | YouGotHacked |
Type | Ransomware. |
Short Description | The malware may do various unhealthy to the user PC activities. Its primary purpose is to encrypt files and ask for ransom money for its decryption. |
Symptoms | The user may witness his files to be unable for opening with the .h3ll file extension added to them. |
Distribution Method | Unknown. |
Detection Tool | Download Malware Removal Tool, to See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware |
User Experience | Join our forum to discuss YouGotHacked. |
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. |
YouGotHacked Ransomware – Distribution
Unlike other ransomware, YouGotHacked may be distributed in an unusual way. Malware researchers have reported seeing YouGotHacked infect a Windows computer with Google Chrome and an updated antivirus software, and the computer had no previous history of visiting suspicious web links. This is a good indicator that the ransomware may be redistributed via malicious macros in Microsoft Office, PDF documents or obfuscated malicious files embedded in a program downloaded online or administered from a potentially unwanted program(PUP).
YouGotHacked Ransomware – How Does It Work
At first, the ransomware deploys a malicious temporary file in one of the following Windows folders:
- %Temp%(most probable)
- %AppData%
- %Roaming%
- %Windows%
The malicious temporary file has numeric name, for example:
- 420.tmp
Since users on security forums report no trace of their encrypted files in the sectors of their hard drives after scanning them with data recovery software, it is believed that YouGotHacked may also execute the vssadmin command with escalated privileges for deleting shadow volume copies and other system backups:
→ vssadmin delete shadows /for={DrivePartition} [/oldest | /all | /shadow={Identification of the shadow copies}] [/quiet]
After doing so, the ransomware virus may scan different partitions of your drive, for example, “C:” and encrypt all:
- Documents.
- Virtual Drives.
- Images.
- Audio files.
- Video files.
- Torrent files.
- Other files that are usually most used.
Researchers that have analyzed malicious samples of the malware on Hardware BG Forums have concluded that the ransomware encodes the first 64 kilobytes of the file appending the .h3ll extension to the encrypted files, for example
- New Text Document.txt.h3ll
The files cannot be opened after encryption and what is worse is that unlike other ransomware, this one encodes a larger portion of the files. Furthermore, the ransomware encodes blocks of 16 bytes and researchers believe that this may be an indicator of an AES encryption algorithm being used.
After encrypting the user’s files, YouGotHacked also drops the following files on the infected PC after which it may self-delete:
- YOUGOTHACKED.TXT
- SECRETISHIDINGHEREINSIDE.KEY
The SECRETISHIDINGHEREINSIDE.KEY most likely contains the decryption key, and it is reported to be encoded in 1024 bit base64 type of encryption. Interestingly enough, the ransomware only scans in one drive partition, and it does not spread across networks.
This type of ransomware is either believed to use a strong encryption cypher or a very weak one. This is why users are advised NOT to pay the ransom money and check the file restoration alternatives from the instructions after the article.
Remove YOUGOTHACKED Ransomware and Restore .h3ll Files
To remove this crypto-malware, we strongly recommend following the step-by-step removal instructions below. They will allow you to successfully revert any settings changed by the Ransomware and remove all malicious files. However, if you want to decrypt your data, we strongly recommend following our security forum. We will post there any solution, if available. Meanwhile, you may want to try the alternative file restoration methods below.
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 YouGotHacked from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove YouGotHacked





Step 2: Uninstall YouGotHacked 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 YouGotHacked 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 YouGotHacked 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 YouGotHacked with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 5 (Optional): Try to Restore Files Encrypted by YouGotHacked.
Ransomware infections and YouGotHacked 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 YouGotHacked from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall YouGotHacked 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 YouGotHacked 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 YouGotHacked.
Ransomware infections and YouGotHacked 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.
YouGotHacked FAQ
What is YouGotHacked ransomware and how does it work?
YouGotHacked 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 YouGotHacked ransomware infect my computer?
Via several ways.YouGotHacked 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 YouGotHacked 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 .YouGotHacked files?
You can't. At this point the .YouGotHacked 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 .YouGotHacked files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.
One way to restore files, encrypted by YouGotHacked 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 ".YouGotHacked" files (Other Methods)?
Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .YouGotHacked 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 YouGotHacked 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 YouGotHacked ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .YouGotHacked files.
Also, keep in mind that viruses like YouGotHacked 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.