The Black hunt virus belongs under the ransomware type of malicious agent. Malware of such sort encrypts all the data on your computer (images, text files, excel sheets, music, videos, etc) and adds its extra extension to every file, creating the #BlackHunt_ReadMe.txt text files in each folder which contains the encrypted files.
What is known about the Black huntvirus?
☝️ A strictly correct description for the Black hunt would be “a ransomware malicious agent”.
The pattern of renaming is the following: [victim_id].[contact_email].Black. In the course of encryption, a file entitled, for example, “report.docx” will be turned into “report.docx.[nnUWuTLm3Y45N021].[[email protected]].Black”.
In each folder with the encoded files, a #BlackHunt_ReadMe.txt text file will appear. It is a ransom money note. Therein you can find information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other information. The ransom note usually contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the racketeers. You can get this decrypting software after contacting [email protected] by email. That is pretty much the scheme of the felony.
Black hunt summary:
| Name | Black hunt Virus |
| Extension | .Black |
| Ransomware note | #BlackHunt_ReadMe.txt |
| Contact | [email protected] |
| Detection | Crytex.Virus.FileInfector.DDS, Win32/Filecoder.OLC, Malware-Cryptor.InstallCore.5 |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .Black extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Black hunt virus |
The #BlackHunt_ReadMe.txt document coming in package with the Black hunt malware states the following:
As you can see we have penetrated your whole network due some critical network insecurities All of your files such as documents, dbs and... Are encrypted and we have uploaded many important data from your machines, and believe we us we know what should we collect. However you can get your files back and make sure your data is safe from leaking by contacting us using following details : Primary email :[email protected] Secondary email(backup email in case we didn\'t answer you in 24h) :[email protected] , [email protected] Your machine Id : - use this as the title of your email (Remember, if we don\'t hear from you for a while, we will start leaking data)
In the picture below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Black hunt looks like. Each filename has the “.Black” extension added to it.
An example of encrypted .Black files.
How did Black hunt ransomware end up on my PC?
There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.
Nowadays, there are three most popular methods for tamperers to have the Black hunt virus planted in your system. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer file transfer.
If you open your mailbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services companies, postal agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is unknown to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a harmful item enclosed in them. Therefore, it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with emails like these.
Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan virus model1. A Trojan is a program that gets into your PC pretending to be something else. For example, you download an installer of some program you need or an update for some service. But what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful agent that encodes your data. Since the update wizard can have any name and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the things you’re downloading. The best thing is to use the software companies’ official websites.
As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like torrent trackers or eMule, the danger is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. You can never guess what you download until you get it. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy resources. Also, it is a good idea to scan the folder containing the downloaded files with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is done.
How to remove the Black hunt virus?
It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Black hunt virus will probably install the Azorult Spyware on your machine to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware2 can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.
Sometimes racketeers would decode some of your files to prove that they really have the decryption program. As Black hunt virus is a relatively recent ransomware, anti-malware engineers have not yet found a way to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decryption tools are frequently upgraded, so the solution may soon be available.
Sure thing, if the malefactors succeed in encrypting victim’s critical files, the desperate person will probably fulfill their demands. However, paying a ransom gives no guarantee that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still dangerous. After getting the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports about racketeers just disappearing after getting the money without even writing back.
The optimal solution 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 drive. Surely, that might be insufficient. Your most important thing could be that one you were working on when it all started. But at least it is something. It is also advisable to scan your PC for viruses with the antivirus program after the OS is rolled back.
There are other ransomware products, besides Black hunt, that work similarly. Examples of those are Mppn, Uyit, Maos, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Black hunt are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is the same: documents become encrypted, their extensions altered, ransom notes emerge in each folder containing encrypted files.
Some lucky victims were able to decrypt the arrested files with the aid of the free software provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the racketeers accidentally send the decoding key to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the victim to restore the files. But of course, one should never rely on such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a tamperers’ instrument to lay their hands on the money of their victims.
How сan I avert ransomware infiltration?
Black hunt ransomware has no superpower, neither does any similar malware.
You can armour your system from ransomware injection within three easy steps:
- Ignore any letters from unknown senders with unknown addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (how can you win in a money prize draw without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, scrutinize all elements of the questionable letter carefully. A hoax letter will always have mistakes.
- Do not use cracked or unknown programs. Trojan viruses are often distributed as an element of cracked software, most likely under the guise of “patch” which prevents the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are difficult to distinguish from reliable ones, because trojans may also have the functionality you seek. You can try to find information about this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the best way is not to use such programs at all.
- And finally, to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, check them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful defense for your PC.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft3
There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft4.
Download Removal Tool.
You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:
Run the setup file.
When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-fix.exe file to install GridinSoft Anti-Malware on your system.
An User Account Control asking you about to allow GridinSoft Anti-Malware to make changes to your device. So, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
Press “Install” button.
Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.
Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your PC for Black hunt infections and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so I suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.
Click on “Clean Now”.
When the scan has completed, you will see the list of infections that GridinSoft Anti-Malware has detected. To remove them click on the “Clean Now” button in right corner.
FAQ
🤔 Is it possible to open “.Black” files?
Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.Black” files first. Then you will be able to open them.
🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.Black” files ASAP. How can I do that?
It’s good if you have fаr-sightedly saved copies of these important files elsewhere. In case you haven’t, there is still a chance that you do have a Restore Point from some time ago to roll back the whole system to the moment when it had no virus yet, but already had your files. The rest of the methods require patience.
🤔 Will GridinSoft Anti-Malware remove all the encrypted files alongside the Black hunt virus?
Of course not. Unlike the ransomware program itself, the encrypted files do not jeopardize your system.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will delete active threats from your PC. The ransomware that has infiltrated your PC is most likely still active and launching checks periodically to encode any new files you might create on your computer after the infection. As it has been mentioned above, the Black hunt ransomware does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide hackers with easy access to your PC after some time.
🤔 What actions should I take if the Black hunt malware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation key.
If that happened, 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 starts automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or imported into your PC. To block this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What could help the situation right now?
Some of the blocked data can be located elsewhere.
- If you exchanged your critical files via email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
- You might have shared images or videos with your friends or family members. Just ask them to send those images back to you.
- If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try to do it again.
- Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud drives might have all those files as well.
- Maybe you still have the needed files on your old computer, a notebook, phone, external storage, etc.
HINT: You can use data recovery programs5 to get your lost data back since ransomware blocks the copies of your files, removing the original ones. In the video below, you can learn how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you kill the virus with an antivirus program.
Also, you can contact the following governmental fraud and scam sites to report this attack:
- In the United States: On Guard Online;
- In Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre;
- In the United Kingdom: Action Fraud;
- In Australia: SCAMwatch;
- In New Zealand: Consumer Affairs Scams;
- In France: Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information;
- In Germany: Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik;
- In Ireland: An Garda Síochána;
To report the attack, you can contact local executive boards. For instance, if you live in USA, you can have a talk with FBI Local field office, IC3 or Secret Service.
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Brendan SmithHow to Remove BLACK HUNT Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: BLACK HUNT Virus
Description: BLACK HUNT Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .Black extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus
User Review
( votes)References
- You can read more on Trojans, their use and types in the Trojan-dedicated section of GridinSoft official website.
- You can read more on spyware variants and nature in the respective section of GridinSoft official website.
- GridinSoft Anti-Malware Review from HowToFix site: https://howtofix.guide/gridinsoft-anti-malware/
- More information about GridinSoft products: https://gridinsoft.com/comparison
- Here’s the list of Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
