The Flscrypt virus belongs to the Phobos ransomware family. Harmful software of this type encrypts all user’s data on the computer (images, documents, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, creating the info.txt text files in every directory with the encrypted files.
What is Flscrypt virus?
☝️ A strictly accurate description for the Flscrypt would be “a Phobos family ransomware infection”.
The scheme of renaming is the following: id[xxxxxxxx].[contact_email].FLSCRYPT. As a part of encryption, a file named, for example, “report.docx” will be altered to “report.docx.id[9ECFA84E-3373].[[email protected]].FLSCRYPT”.
In every directory that contains the encoded files, a info.txt text file will be found. It is a ransom money memo. Therein you can find information about the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can get this decryptor after contacting [email protected] via email. That is basically the scheme of the crime.
Flscrypt summary:
| Name | Flscrypt Virus |
| Ransomware family1 | Phobos ransomware |
| Extension | .FLSCRYPT |
| Ransomware note | info.txt |
| Contact | [email protected] |
| Detection | Multi:Filecoder-H [Trj], Backdoor:Win32/Dridex.AA!MSR, Trojan.MalPack.FFS |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) have a .FLSCRYPT extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Flscrypt virus |
The info.txt document accompanying the Flscrypt malware states the following:
Hello my dear friend. All your files have been encrypted! Unfortunately for you, a major IT security weakness left you open to attack, your files have been encrypted. The only method of recovering files is to purchase decrypt tool and unique key for you. If you want to recover your files, write us to this e-mail: [email protected] In case of no answer in 24 hours write us to this e-mail:[email protected] Our online operator is available in the messenger Telegram: @Files_decrypt or hxxps://t.me/Files_decrypt If there is no response from our mail, you can install ICQ software on your PC here hxxps://icq.com/windows/ or on smartphone from Appstore / Google Play Market search for \"ICQ\" Write to our ICQ @Ransomware_Decrypt hxxps://icq.im/Ransomware_Decrypt/ Or download the (Session) messenger (hxxps://getsession.org) in messenger: 0569a7c0949434c9c4464cf2423f66d046e3e08654e4164404b1dc23783096d313 You have to add this ID - and we will complete our converstion. Or download the Tox Chat (hxxps://tox.chat/download.html\') in messenger: C20A4B4AC30BBF70E7F2340FC0F97B08FA58B6E041557ABBF29EAF82FED0C47D79239FA26B51 You must add this ID -and write to us. Please note that you\'ll never restore your data without payment. Check your e-mail \"Spam\" or \"Junk\" folder if you don\'t get answer more than 6 hours. Contact us soon, because those who don\'t have their data leaked in our press release blog and the price they\'ll have to pay will go up significantly. Your Data Sensitive data on your system was DOWNLOADED. If you DON\'T WANT your sensitive data to be PUBLISHED you have to act quickly. Data includes: Employees personal data, CVs, DL, SSN. Complete network map including credentials for local and remote services. Private financial information including: clients data, bills, budgets, annual reports, bank statements. Manufacturing documents including: datagrams, schemas, drawings in solidworks format And more... Attention! Do not rename encrypted files. Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss. We are always ready to cooperate and find the best way to solve your problem. The faster you write - the more favorable conditions will be for you. Our company values its reputation. We give all guarantees of your files decryption.
In the picture below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Flscrypt looks like. Each filename has the “.FLSCRYPT” extension appended to it.
That is how encrypted “.FLSCRYPT” files look.
How did my machine catch Flscrypt ransomware?
There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware injection.
Nowadays, there are three most exploited methods for tamperers to have ransomware planted in your system. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer file transfer.
If you access your mailbox and see emails that look like familiar notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose mailer is unknown to you, beware of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a malware file enclosed in them. Therefore, it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with letters like these.
Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan horse scheme2. A Trojan is a program that infiltrates into your PC pretending to be something legal. For instance, you download an installer of some program you need or an update for some program. But what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful program that corrupts your data. As the installation package can have any title and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the stuff you’re downloading. The optimal way is to use the software developers’ official websites.
As for the peer file transfer protocols like torrent trackers or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never know what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded items with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.
How do I get rid of the Flscrypt virus?
It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your data, the Flscrypt virus will probably deploy the Azorult Spyware on your machine to seize your credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware3 can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling data.
Often racketeers would decode several of your files so you know that they do have the decryption tool. As Flscrypt virus is a relatively recent ransomware, security software designers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. However, the decoding tools are frequently updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon arrive.
Sure thing, if the evildoers do the job of encoding victim’s critical files, the desperate person will most likely fulfill their demands. Despite that, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your data back. It is still risky. After obtaining the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports of criminals just vanishing after getting the money without even bothering to reply.
The best countermeasure to 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 disk. Obviously, that might be insufficient. Your most important thing could be that file you were working on when it all went down. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your drives with the antivirus program after the system is rolled back.
Flscrypt is not the only ransomware of its kind, since there are other specimens of ransomware out there that act in the same manner. Examples of those are Vvwq, Oori, Ooxa, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Flscrypt are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: documents become encoded, their extensions changed, ransom notes emerge in each folder containing encoded files.
Some fortunate victims were able to decrypt the arrested files with the help of the free software provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the racketeers mistakenly send the decryption code to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the user to restore the files. But of course, one should never rely on such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a bandits’ tool to lay their hands on the money of their victims.
How to avert ransomware infiltration?
Flscrypt ransomware has no endless power, so as any similar malware.
You can armour your system from its attack taking three easy steps:
- Ignore any letters from unknown mailers with strange addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are waiting for (can you win in a money prize draw without participating in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are expecting, check all elements of the suspicious email with caution. A fake email will always contain a mistake.
- Do not use cracked or unknown software. Trojans are often shared as a part of cracked software, most likely as a “patch” preventing the license check. Understandably, potentially dangerous programs are very hard to distinguish from reliable software, because trojans may also have the functionality you seek. Try searching for 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 files you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a powerful defense for your system.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft4
There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft5.
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.
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 system for Flscrypt 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 finished, 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
🤔 Can I somehow access “.FLSCRYPT” files?
Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.FLSCRYPT” files you will not be able to access them.
🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?
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. All other solutions require time.
🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Flscrypt virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?
Of course not. Your encrypted files are no threat to your PC.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware only deals with actual threats. The malware that has infiltrated your device is must be still active and launching checks from time to time to encode any new files you might create on your computer after the attack. As it has been mentioned above, the Flscrypt malware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide hackers with easy access to your computer after some time.
🤔 What actions should I take if the Flscrypt 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 perform the cleaning. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system launches and encodes any new files created or imported into your system. To block this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital applications to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What can I do right now?
Some of the blocked data can be found elsewhere.
- If you exchanged your critical files via email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
- You might have shared photographs or videos with your friends or relatives. Simply ask them to give those images back to you.
- If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try downloading them again.
- Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud drives might have all those files too.
- Maybe you still have the needed files on your old computer, a notebook, cellphone, memory stick, etc.
USEFUL TIP: You can use file recovery programs6 to get your lost data back since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, removing the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a recovery, but be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you eradicate the ransomware itself with an anti-malware program.
Also, you can contact the following official 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 FLSCRYPT Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: FLSCRYPT Virus
Description: FLSCRYPT Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .FLSCRYPT extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus
User Review
( votes)References
- My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
- 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 are Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
