BuSaveLock Virus 🔐 .BUSAVELOCK53 File Ransomware Removal

Written by Brendan Smith
The Busavelock virus falls within the MedusaLocker ransomware family. A harmful program of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the computer (images, text files, excel sheets, music, videos, etc) and adds its extra extension to every file, leaving the How_to_back_files.html text files in every folder with the encrypted files.
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Busavelock virus: what is known so far?

☝️ A strictly correct denomination for the Busavelock would be “a MedusaLocker family ransomware-type infection”.

Busavelock adds its own .busavelock53 extension to every file’s name. For instance, an image entitled “photo.jpg” will be changed to “photo.jpg.busavelock53”. Likewise, the Excel table named “table.xlsx” will become “table.xlsx.busavelock53”, and so on.

In every directory that contains the encrypted files, a How_to_back_files.html text file will appear. It is a ransom money note. It contains information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other remarks. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the Busavelock developers. You can obtain this decrypting software after contacting [email protected] and [email protected] by email. That is basically the scheme of the felony.

Busavelock summary:
Name Busavelock Virus
Ransomware family1 MedusaLocker ransomware
Extension .busavelock53
Ransomware note How_to_back_files.html
Contact [email protected] and [email protected]
Detection Backdoor:Win32/Berbew.BU, Ransom:Win32/MoneyMessage.MK!MTB, TrojanDownloader:Win32/Fareit.A
Symptoms Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .busavelock53 extension and you can’t open them.
Fix Tool See If Your System Has Been Affected by Busavelock virus

The How_to_back_files.html file accompanying the Busavelock ransomware states the following:

YOUR PERSONAL ID:
-
/!\\ YOUR COMPANY NETWORK HAS BEEN PENETRATED /!\\
All your important files have been encrypted!

Your files are safe! Only modified. (RSA+AES)

ANY ATTEMPT TO RESTORE YOUR FILES WITH THIRD-PARTY SOFTWARE
WILL PERMANENTLY CORRUPT IT.
DO NOT MODIFY ENCRYPTED FILES.
DO NOT RENAME ENCRYPTED FILES.

No software available on internet can help you. We are the only ones able to
solve your problem.

We gathered highly confidential/personal data. These data are currently stored on
a private server. This server will be immediately destroyed after your payment.
If you decide to not pay, we will release your data to public or re-seller.
So you can expect your data to be publicly available in the near future..

We only seek money and our goal is not to damage your reputation or prevent
your business from running.

You will can send us 2-3 non-important files and we will decrypt it for free
to prove we are able to give your files back.

Contact us for price and get decryption software.

email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
* To contact us, create a new free email account on the site: protonmail.com
IF YOU DON\'T CONTACT US WITHIN 72 HOURS, PRICE WILL BE HIGHER.

In the image below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Busavelock looks like. Each filename has the “.busavelock53” extension added to it.

Busavelock Virus - encrypted .busavelock53 files

An example of encrypted .busavelock53 files.

How did my machine catch Busavelock ransomware?

There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.

There are currently three most exploited methods for criminals to have the Busavelock virus working in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer file transfer.

If you open your mailbox and see letters that look like familiar notifications from utility services providers, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is unknown to you, beware of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a malicious file attached to them. So it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with emails like these.

Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan horse model. A Trojan is an object that infiltrates into your machine pretending to be something different. Imagine, you download an installer for some program you need or an update for some service. But what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful agent that corrupts your data. As the update wizard can have any title and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the files you’re downloading. The optimal way is to use the software developers’ official websites.

As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like BitTorrent or eMule, the threat 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 resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded files with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is done.

How do I get rid of the Busavelock virus?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Busavelock virus will probably install Vidar Stealer on your PC to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That program can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling data.

Often tamperers would decrypt some of your files so you know that they indeed have the decryption program. Since Busavelock virus is a relatively new ransomware, safety measures engineers have not yet found a way to undo its work. Nevertheless, the anti-ransomware tools are constantly upgraded, so the solution may soon be available.

Understandably, if the tamperers succeed in encrypting victim’s critical data, the desperate person will probably fulfill their demands. Despite that, paying to criminals gives no guarantee that you’re getting your data back. It is still risky. After receiving the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption key to the injured party. There were reports of racketeers simply vanishing after getting the ransom without even writing back.

The best solution against ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud disk or at least on an external storage. Of course, that might be insufficient. Your most crucial thing could be that one you were working upon when it all went down. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the antivirus program after the system restoration.

There are other ransomware products, besides Busavelock, that work similarly. For instance, Neon, Neqp, Xaro, and some others. The two main differences between them and the Busavelock are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is the same: documents become encoded, their extensions changed, ransom notes emerge in every directory containing encoded files.

Some fortunate people were able to decode the blocked files with the aid of the free software provided by anti-ransomware experts. Sometimes the hackers mistakenly send the decryption code to the victims in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the victim to restore the files. But of course, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a tamperers’ tool to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How do I avoid ransomware injection?

Busavelock ransomware has no superpower, neither does any similar malware.

You can defend your system from ransomware attack within several easy steps:

  • Never open any letters from unknown mailboxes with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are waiting for (can you win in a lottery without participating in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are expecting, check all elements of the suspicious email with caution. A fake email will surely contain a mistake.
  • Avoid using cracked or unknown programs. Trojans are often shared as a part of cracked products, possibly under the guise of “patch” which prevents the license check. But potentially dangerous programs are difficult to tell from trustworthy ones, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. Try to find information about this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the best way is not to use such programs at all.
  • And to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, check them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a perfect shield for your system.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft2

There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft3.

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 computer.

Run Setup.exe

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.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Setup

Press “Install” button.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Install

Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Splash-Screen

Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your computer for Busavelock 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.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scanning

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.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan Result

FAQ

🤔 How can I open “.busavelock53” files?Can I somehow access “.busavelock53” files?

Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.busavelock53” files you will not be able to access them.

🤔 What should I do to make my files accessible as fast as possible?

Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. If not, there is still a function of System Restore but it needs a Restore Point to be previously saved. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.

🤔 If GridinSoft deletes the Busavelock malware, will it also delete my files that were encrypted?

Absolutely not! Unlike the ransomware program itself, the encrypted files do not jeopardize your system.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware will delete the threats from your system. The virus that has attacked your system is must be still active and launching checks every so often to arrest any new files you might create on your computer after the attack. As it has been said above, the Busavelock ransomware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide hackers with easy access to your system after some time.

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

In such an unfortunate situation, you need to prepare a memory stick with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute the procedure. You see, the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or imported into your machine. To stop this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential applications to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 And what should I do now?

Some of the encrypted files can be found elsewhere.

  • If you exchanged your important 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 images back to you.
  • If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Internet, you can try to do it again.
  • Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud storage might have all those files too.
  • Maybe you still have the needed files on your old PC, a laptop, cellphone, external storage, etc.

HINT: You can use file recovery utilities4 to retrieve your lost information since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, deleting the original ones. In the video below, you can learn how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but remember: you can do it only after you kill the virus with an anti-malware program.

Also, you can contact the following official fraud and scam sites to report this attack:

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 Smith
How to Remove BUSAVELOCK Ransomware & Recover PC

Name: BUSAVELOCK Virus

Description: BUSAVELOCK Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .busavelock53 extension. So, you can't use them at all.

Operating System: Windows

Application Category: Virus

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References

  1. My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
  2. GridinSoft Anti-Malware Review from HowToFix site: https://howtofix.guide/gridinsoft-anti-malware/
  3. More information about GridinSoft products: https://gridinsoft.com/comparison
  4. Here are Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.

About the author

Brendan Smith

I'm Brendan Smith, a passionate journalist, researcher, and web content developer. With a keen interest in computer technology and security, I specialize in delivering high-quality content that educates and empowers readers in navigating the digital landscape.

With a focus on computer technology and security, I am committed to sharing my knowledge and insights to help individuals and organizations protect themselves in the digital age. My expertise in cybersecurity principles, data privacy, and best practices allows me to provide practical tips and advice that readers can implement to enhance their online security.

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