This article is created to help you remove ThunderCrypt ransomware infection from your computer and restore AES and RSA encrypted files.

A ransomware infection known as ThunderCrypt has been reported to use a strong combination of AES and RSA ciphers to encrypt the files on the computers infected by this ransomware infection. The virus then leaves behind a ransom note, where it demands from victims to pay approximately 0.3 BTC in order for their files to be decrypted and restored back to normal. In case you have become a victim of ThunderCrypt ransomware, recommendations are to focus on removing the virus and restoring your data. It is strongly advisable to read this article in case you have become a victim of ThunderCrypt ransomware.

Threat Summary

Name	ThunderCrypt
Type	Ransomware
Short Description	Encrypts files on the computers it infects asking a hefty ransom fee to be paid – 0.345 BTC.
Symptoms	The victim may not be able to open the files. Displaying of error messages. Dipslaying of the virus wallpaper and ransom note.
Distribution Method	Via an Exploit kit, Dll file attack, malicious JavaScript or a drive-by download of the malware itself in an obfuscated manner.
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join our forum to Discuss ThunderCrypt.
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.

ThunderCrypt Ransomware – Distribution

For the infection process of ThunderCrypt ransomware, different types of malicious tools may be used:

• Exploit kit software.
• JavaScript (.js) files.
• Microsoft Office or Adobe PDF documents with malicious macros.
• Intermediary malware such as downloaders and droppers.
• Multiple other malicious files.

The files for which this ransomware is responsible in connection to it’s distribution may usually be spread via different types of methods, such as:

• Via malicious spam e-mails sent to victims as form of legitimate documents or web links.
• Via seemingly legitimate files sent out to users in order to trick them into downloading them from online file sharing services, like Dropbox.
• Via fake updates, pretending to fix Java or Adobe Flash.
• Via fraudulent license activators, keygens and other types of files as well.

An example of an attachment sent via e-mail can be seen below, asking the victim to enable macros:

ThunderCrypt Ransomware – Activity

After the victim has been already infected, the intermediary malware of ThunderCrypt connects to a remote host and may download multiple malicious files on the compromised computer. On of those files is detected to be eyny.exe and besides it, other support modules may also be downloaded:

These files may reside in the following Windows system folders:

The malicious files, also called modules are responsible for the malicious activity of ThunderCrypt ransomware, including the encryption of the files of the victim PC. For starters, the ThunderCrypt virus may attack multiple different registry entries in order to make it’s malicious file that encrypts data run on Windows start-up. The targeted Windows keys for this purpose are the following:

In addition to performing modifications in the Windows Registry Editor, this ransomware infection may also delete the Shadow Volume copies (back ups) of the compromised computer. This happens by running a process in the background that opens cmd.exe and types the following commands in the background:

→ process call create “cmd.exe /c
vssadmin.exe delete shadows /all /quiet
bcdedit.exe /set {default} recoveryenabled no
bcdedit.exe /set {default} bootstatuspolicy ignoreallfailures

After this has been performed, the virus may drop it’s distinctive ransom note, named ThunderCrypt. It has a screen with a timer that has the following message to affected users:

Good afternoon!
We have encrypted all your personal files!
To see the list of encrypted files click here.
We did this using hybrid RSA-2048 public key encryption. It basically means there is no way to decrypt your files without the private key. The private key is stored on our server.
Indeed, we can recover your files. You just have to pay us before the deadline (see the countdown). If you don’t the private key will be securely erased from our server and you will lose encrypted files forever.
Transfer required amount (see on the left) to the Bitcoin address below, which was generated just for your payment. If you don’t know how to use Bitcoin or where to buy Bitcoins, click here. As soon as the transaction gets confirmed, the decryption will start automatically. It usually takes about 30 minutes for a transaction to become confirmed. You will be notified about any progress.
{BITCOIN ADDRESS HERE}
WARNING. Antivirus software may remove this program, but it can’t decrypt your files. So, better temporarily disable your antivirus, because we can’t decrypt your files if this program is damaged. Also, do not modify any of the encrypted files, otherwise even we won’t be able to recover them.
If you have any questions or if you encounter any problems with payment, feel free to contact us.
Also we can decrypt one file up to 3 MiB for free as a proof that decryption is possible.

.ThunderCrypt – Encryption Process

In order to encrypt files, ThunderCrypt ransomware uses a strong combination of AES and RSA ciphers. The AES cipher aims to encrypt the files themselves and generate a unique key and the RSA cipher is there to generate public and private key for each file or set of files. The information is then sent to the cyber-criminals and has a unique ID in it by which they can distinguish different infections. The targeted files for encryption 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 ThunderCrypt virus is very careful not to encrypt important Windows files, so that the operating system works and has active connection. It may skip encrypting the files in the important Windows system folders.

Remove ThunderCrypt Ransomware and Restore Data

Before actually performing the removal of the ThunderCrypt infection, recommendations are to always backup the encrypted files. After doing so, it is strongly advisable to follow the instructions below. They will help you remove ThunderCrypt either manually or automatically. Security experts always outline the automatic approach as the best solution. It includes scanning the computer with a tool specifically designed to remove malware, such as ThunderCrypt thoroughly and swiftly.

After having removed ThunderCrypt ransomware, you may want to try the alternative tools for file restoration in step “2. Restore files encrypted by ThunderCrypt” below. They are not 100% effective, but in some scenarios may restore a huge chunk of your data.

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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• Step 1
• Step 2
• Step 3
• Step 4
• Step 5

Step 1: Scan for ThunderCrypt with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

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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.

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2. After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.

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3. After the update process has finished, click on the 'Malware/PC Scan' tab. A new window will appear. Click on 'Start Scan'.

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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.

If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.

Ransomware Automatic Removal - Video Guide

Step 2: Uninstall ThunderCrypt and related malware 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:

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1. Hold the Windows Logo Button and "R" on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear.

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2. In the field type in "appwiz.cpl" and press ENTER.

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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 delete most unwanted and malicious programs.

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

1. Open the Run Window again, type "regedit" and click OK.

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2. When you open it, you can freely navigate to the Run and RunOnce keys, whose locations are shown above.

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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.

IMPORTANT!
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: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove ThunderCrypt

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

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1. Hold Windows Key + R.

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2. The "Run" Window will appear. In it, type "msconfig" and click OK.

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3. Go to the "Boot" tab. There select "Safe Boot" and then click "Apply" and "OK". Tip: Make sure to reverse those changes by unticking Safe Boot after that, because your system will always boot in Safe Boot from now on.

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4. When prompted, click on "Restart" to go into Safe Mode.

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5. You can recognise Safe Mode by the words written on the corners of your screen.

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Step 5: Try to Restore Files Encrypted by ThunderCrypt.

Method 1: Use STOP Decrypter by Emsisoft.

Not all variants of this ransomware can be decrypted for free, but we have added the decryptor used by researchers that is often updated with the variants which become eventually decrypted. You can try and decrypt your files using the instructions below, but if they do not work, then unfortunately your variant of the ransomware virus is not decryptable.

Follow the instructions below to use the Emsisoft decrypter and decrypt your files for free. You can download the Emsisoft decryption tool linked here and then follow the steps provided below:

1 Right-click on the decrypter and click on Run as Administrator as shown below:

2. Agree with the license terms:

3. Click on "Add Folder" and then add the folders where you want files decrypted as shown underneath:

4. Click on "Decrypt" and wait for your files to be decoded.

Note: Credit for the decryptor goes to Emsisoft researchers who have made the breakthrough with this virus.

Method 2: Use data recovery software

Ransomware infections and ThunderCrypt 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:

EaseUS Data Recovery Software

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.

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ThunderCrypt-FAQ

What is ThunderCrypt Ransomware?

ThunderCrypt 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 algorithms 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.

What Does ThunderCrypt Ransomware Do?

Ransomware in general is a malicious software that is designed to block access to your computer or files until a ransom is paid.

Ransomware viruses can also damage your system, corrupt data and delete files, resulting in the permanent loss of important files.

How Does ThunderCrypt Infect?

Via several ways.ThunderCrypt Ransomware infects computers by being sent via phishing emails, 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.

Another way you may become a victim of ThunderCrypt 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 .ThunderCrypt files?

You can't without a decryptor. At this point, the .ThunderCrypt files are encrypted. You can only open them once they are decrypted using a specific decryption key for the particular algorithm.

What to Do If a Decryptor Does Not Work?

Do not panic, and backup the files. If a decryptor did not decrypt your .ThunderCrypt files successfully, then do not despair, because this virus is still new.

Can I Restore ".ThunderCrypt" Files?

Yes, sometimes files can be restored. We have suggested several file recovery methods that could work if you want to restore .ThunderCrypt files. 

These methods are in no way 100% guaranteed that you will be able to get your files back. But if you have a backup, your chances of success are much greater.

How To Get Rid of ThunderCrypt Virus?

The safest way and the most efficient one for the removal of this ransomware infection is the use a professional anti-malware program.

It will scan for and locate ThunderCrypt ransomware and then remove it without causing any additional harm to your important .ThunderCrypt files.

Can I 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.

Can You Stop Ransomware from Encrypting Your Files?

Yes, you can prevent ransomware. The best way to do this is to ensure your computer system is updated with the latest security patches, use a reputable anti-malware program and firewall, backup your important files frequently, and avoid clicking on malicious links or downloading unknown files.

Can ThunderCrypt Ransomware Steal Your Data?

Yes, in most cases ransomware will steal your information. It is a form of malware that steals data from a user's computer, encrypts it, and then demands a ransom in order to decrypt it.

In many cases, the malware authors or attackers will threaten to delete the data or publish it online unless the ransom is paid.

Can Ransomware Infect WiFi?

Yes, ransomware can infect WiFi networks, as malicious actors can use it to gain control of the network, steal confidential data, and lock out users. If a ransomware attack is successful, it could lead to a loss of service and/or data, and in some cases, financial losses.

Should I Pay Ransomware?

No, you should not pay ransomware extortionists. Paying them only encourages criminals and does not guarantee that the files or data will be restored. The better approach is to have a secure backup of important data and be vigilant about security in the first place.

What Happens If I Don't Pay Ransom?

If you don't pay the ransom, the hackers may still have access to your computer, data, or files and may continue to threaten to expose or delete them, or even use them to commit cybercrimes. In some cases, they may even continue to demand additional ransom payments.

Can a Ransomware Attack Be Detected?

Yes, ransomware can be detected. Anti-malware software and other advanced security tools can detect ransomware and alert the user when it is present on a machine.

It is important to stay up-to-date on the latest security measures and to keep security software updated to ensure ransomware can be detected and prevented.

Do Ransomware Criminals Get Caught?

Yes, ransomware criminals do get caught. Law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, Interpol and others have been successful in tracking down and prosecuting ransomware criminals in the US and other countries. As ransomware threats continue to increase, so does the enforcement activity.

About the ThunderCrypt Research

The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this ThunderCrypt 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.

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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 ThunderCrypt 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.

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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.

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