ALVARO Virus 🔐 (.ALVARO Files) — How to Remove?

The Alvaro virus belongs with the ransomware type of infection. Ransomware of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the computer (photos, text files, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and adds its specific extension to every file, creating the FILE ENCRYPTED.txt files in every directory with the encrypted files.

It is better to prevent, than repair and repent!

When we talk about the intrusion of unfamiliar programs into your computer’s work, the proverb “Forewarned is forearmed” describes the situation as accurately as possible. Gridinsoft Anti-Malware is exactly the tool that is always useful to have in your armory: fast, efficient, up-to-date. It is appropriate to use it as an emergency help at the slightest suspicion of infection.

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What is Alvaro virus?

The renaming will be executed by this pattern: EMAIL=[contact_email]ID=[victimID].alvaro. During the encryption, a file named, for example, “report.docx” will be changed to “report.docx.EMAIL=[alvarodecrypt@gmail.com]ID=[20240].alvaro”.

In each directory with the encrypted files, a FILE ENCRYPTED.txt text file will be found. It is a ransom money note. It contains information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other information. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the racketeers. You can obtain this tool after contacting alvarodecrypt@gmail.com through email. That is it.

Alvaro Summary:

The FILE ENCRYPTED.txt file coming in package with the Alvaro malware provides the following dispiriting information:

Message
==============================
ATTENTION!
We can fix itand restore files.
You can trust us after opening the test file.
To restore the system write to both : alvarodecrypt@gmail.com    and     alvarodecrypt@outlook.com


Your Decryption ID : -

In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Alvaro looks like. Each filename has the “.alvaro” extension appended to it.

That is how encrypted “.alvaro” files look.

How did my computer get infected with Alvaro ransomware?

There is a huge number of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

There are currently three most popular ways for malefactors to have ransomware acting in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer networks.

• If you access your mailbox and see emails that look like familiar notifications from utility services providers, postal agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is unknown to you, beware of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a malware item attached to them. Thus it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with emails like these.
• Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan virus scheme. A Trojan is a program that infiltrates into your machine disguised as something else. Imagine, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some service. But what is unpacked turns out to be a harmful agent that encodes your data. As the installation wizard can have any title and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the resource of the stuff you’re downloading. The optimal thing is to trust the software companies’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer networks like torrents or eMule, the danger is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. You can never know what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded objects with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is finished.

How do I get rid of ransomware?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Alvaro virus will most likely install Vidar Stealer on your PC to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That spyware can derive your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Remove Alvaro with Gridinsoft Anti-Malware

We have also been using this software on our systems ever since, and it has always been successful in detecting viruses. It has blocked the most common Ransomware as shown from our tests with the software, and we assure you that it can remove Alvaro as well as other malware hiding on your computer.

To use Gridinsoft for remove malicious threats, follow the steps below:

1. Begin by downloading Gridinsoft Anti-Malware, accessible via the blue button below or directly from the official website gridinsoft.com.

2.Once the Gridinsoft setup file (setup-gridinsoft-fix.exe) is downloaded, execute it by clicking on the file.

3.Follow the installation setup wizard's instructions diligently.

4. Access the "Scan Tab" on the application's start screen and launch a comprehensive "Full Scan" to examine your entire computer. This inclusive scan encompasses the memory, startup items, the registry, services, drivers, and all files, ensuring that it detects malware hidden in all possible locations.

Be patient, as the scan duration depends on the number of files and your computer's hardware capabilities. Use this time to relax or attend to other tasks.

5. Upon completion, Anti-Malware will present a detailed report containing all the detected malicious items and threats on your PC.

6. Select all the identified items from the report and confidently click the "Clean Now" button. This action will safely remove the malicious files from your computer, transferring them to the secure quarantine zone of the anti-malware program to prevent any further harmful actions.

8. If prompted, restart your computer to finalize the full system scan procedure. This step is crucial to ensure thorough removal of any remaining threats. After the restart, Gridinsoft Anti-Malware will open and display a message confirming the completion of the scan.

Remember Gridinsoft offers a 6-day free trial. This means you can take advantage of the trial period at no cost to experience the full benefits of the software and prevent any future malware infections on your system. Embrace this opportunity to fortify your computer's security without any financial commitment.

Trojan Killer for “Alvaro” removal on locked PC

In situations where it becomes impossible to download antivirus applications directly onto the infected computer due to malware blocking access to websites, an alternative solution is to utilize the Trojan Killer application.

There is a really little number of security tools that are able to be set up on the USB drives, and antiviruses that can do so in most cases require to obtain quite an expensive license. For this instance, I can recommend you to use another solution of GridinSoft - Trojan Killer Portable. It has a 14-days cost-free trial mode that offers the entire features of the paid version. This term will definitely be 100% enough to wipe malware out.

Trojan Killer is a valuable tool in your cybersecurity arsenal, helping you to effectively remove malware from infected computers. Now, we will walk you through the process of using Trojan Killer from a USB flash drive to scan and remove malware on an infected PC. Remember, always obtain permission to scan and remove malware from a computer that you do not own.

Step 1: Download & Install Trojan Killer on a Clean Computer:

1. Go to the official GridinSoft website (gridinsoft.com) and download Trojan Killer to a computer that is not infected.

2. Insert a USB flash drive into this computer.

3. Install Trojan Killer to the "removable drive" following the on-screen instructions.

4. Once the installation is complete, launch Trojan Killer.

Step 2: Update Signature Databases:

5. After launching Trojan Killer, ensure that your computer is connected to the Internet.

6. Click "Update" icon to download the latest signature databases, which will ensure the tool can detect the most recent threats.

Step 3: Scan the Infected PC:

7. Safely eject the USB flash drive from the clean computer.

8. Boot the infected computer to the Safe Mode.

9. Insert the USB flash drive.

10. Run tk.exe

11. Once the program is open, click on "Full Scan" to begin the malware scanning process.

Step 4: Remove Found Threats:

12. After the scan is complete, Trojan Killer will display a list of detected threats.

13. Click on "Cure PC!" to remove the identified malware from the infected PC.

14. Follow any additional on-screen prompts to complete the removal process.

Step 5: Restart Your Computer:

15. Once the threats are removed, click on "Restart PC" to reboot your computer.

16. Remove the USB flash drive from the infected computer.

Congratulations on effectively removing Alvaro and the concealed threats from your computer! You can now have peace of mind, knowing that they won't resurface again. Thanks to Gridinsoft's capabilities and commitment to cybersecurity, your system is now protected.

Often racketeers would decrypt some of your files so you know that they indeed have the decryption program. As Alvaro virus is a relatively recent ransomware, safety measures developers have not yet found a method to reverse its work. However, the anti-ransomware instruments are frequently updated, so the solution may soon be available.

Of course, if the tamperers do the job of encoding victim’s essential data, the hopeless person will most likely comply with their demands. Despite that, paying a ransom gives no guarantee that you’re getting your files back. It is still dangerous. After receiving the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption code to the victim. There were reports of racketeers just disappearing after getting the money without even writing back.

The optimal safety measure against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud drive or at least on an external disk. Of course, that might be not enough. Your most crucial thing could be that one you were working on when it all happened. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also advisable to scan your PC for viruses with the antivirus program after the system is rolled back.

There are other ransomware products, besides Alvaro, that work similarly. Examples of those are S4b, Magaskosh, Nworansom, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Alvaro are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: files become inaccessible, their extensions altered, ransom notes are created in every folder containing encrypted files.

Some lucky people were able to decrypt the arrested files with the help of the free tools provided by anti-ransomware developers. Sometimes the criminals accidentally send the decryption code to the victims in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But obviously, one should never rely on such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a criminals’ tool to pull the money out of their victims.

How to avert ransomware injection?

Alvaro ransomware has no endless power, neither does any similar malware.

You can defend your PC from ransomware injection taking three easy steps:

• Never open any letters from unknown mailers with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (how can you win in a lottery without participating in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the questionable letter carefully. A fake letter will surely contain a mistake.
• Avoid using cracked or unknown programs. Trojans are often spreaded as a part of cracked software, most likely under the guise of “patch” to prevent the license check. Understandably, untrusted programs are difficult to distinguish from reliable ones, because trojans may also have the functionality you need. Try searching for information about this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the optimal way is not to use such programs at all.
• And finally, to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful defense for your personal computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

🤔 Are the “.alvaro” files accessible?

There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.alvaro” files are decrypted.

🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?

It’s good if you have fаr-sightedly saved copies of these important files elsewhere. If not, there is still a function of System Restore but it needs a Restore Point to be previously saved. The rest of the methods require patience.

🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Alvaro virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?

No way! Unlike the ransomware program itself, the encrypted files do not jeopardize your system.

With the help of GridinSoft Anti-Malware, you can clean your PC off the actual viruses. The ransomware that has attacked your PC is probably still active and it scans your system periodically to arrest any new files you might create on your computer after the initial attack. As it has been mentioned above, the Alvaro virus does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide criminals with easy access to your system after some time.

🤔 What should I do if the Alvaro malware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.

In such a case, you need to have a flash memory card with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the procedure. The point is that the ransomware runs automatically as the system launches and encrypts any new files created or imported into your machine. To block this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential applications to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 What can I do right now?

Many of the encoded files might still be within your reach

• If you sent or received your critical files by email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
• You might have shared images or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to post those pictures back to you.
• If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Internet, you can try doing it again.
• Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud storage might have all those files as well.
• It might be that you still have the needed files on your old PC, a notebook, phone, external storage, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can employ data recovery utilities¹ to get your lost data back since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a recovery, but be advised: you can do it only after you eradicate the virus with an antivirus program.

1. Here are Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.