HR1WF Virus Files of Ransomware — How to remove virus?

The Hr1wf virus belongs under the ransomware type of infection. Malware of this type encrypts all the data on your PC (images, documents, excel sheets, music, videos, etc) and adds its own extension to every file, leaving the i1jv_HOW_TO_DECRYPT.txt text files in each folder with the encrypted files.

What is known about the Hr1wfvirus?

☝️ A strictly correct description for the Hr1wf is “a ransomware infection”.

The renaming will be done by this pattern: **random_symbols**.hr1wf. In the course of encryption, a file named, for example, “report.docx” will be changed to “report.docx.xwFSAKwoCVEDrbRPZ7D5SShrrRjeCqEShkKgyxRguyH_H1_W8-DDZyw0.hr1wf”.

In every folder with the encoded files, a i1jv_HOW_TO_DECRYPT.txt file will be found. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other information. The ransom note most probably contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the Hr1wf developers. That is how they do it.

Hr1wf summary:

In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Hr1wf looks like. Each filename has the “.**random_symbols**.hr1wf” extension appended to it.

How did my computer get infected with Hr1wf ransomware?

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

There are currently three most exploited methods for malefactors to have ransomware acting in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer-to-peer file transfer.

If you open your inbox and see letters that look just like notifications from utility services companies, postal agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is strange to you, beware of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a harmful file attached to them. Thus it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with emails like these.

As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like BitTorrent or eMule, the danger is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never guess what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded objects with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is done.

How do I get rid of the Hr1wf virus?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Hr1wf virus will most likely deploy the Azorult Spyware on your PC to seize your credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can derive your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Sometimes racketeers would unblock some of your files to prove that they really have the decryption tool. As Hr1wf virus is a relatively recent ransomware, safety measures engineers have not yet found a method to undo its work. However, the decoding tools are frequently updated, so the solution may soon be available.

Sure thing, if the hackers do the job of encrypting someone’s essential files, the hopeless person will probably comply with their demands. However, paying a ransom does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your files back. It is still dangerous. After getting the ransom, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports about ransomware developers just vanishing after getting the ransom without even writing back.

The optimal countermeasure to ransomware is to have a system restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud drive or at least on an external drive. Obviously, that might be not enough. The most important thing could be that one you were working on when it all started. But at least it is something. It is also wise to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the system restoration.

Hr1wf is not the only ransomware of its kind, since there are other specimens of ransomware out there that act in the same manner. For instance, Wuxia, Xqxqx, Phv1, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Hr1wf are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: documents become encoded, their extensions changed, ransom notes appear in each directory containing encoded files.

Some fortunate users were able to decrypt the blocked files with the help of the free software provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the hackers mistakenly send the decryption code to the wronged in the ransom readme. 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 tamperers’ tool to lay their hands on the money of their victims.

How сan I avoid ransomware attack?

Hr1wf ransomware has no endless power, so as any similar malware.

You can defend your computer from its attack in three easy steps:

• Ignore any emails from unknown senders with unknown addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are waiting for (can you win in a money prize draw without participating in it?). If the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, check all elements of the dubious email carefully. A hoax email will always have mistakes.
• Never use cracked or untrusted programs. Trojan viruses are often distributed as a part of cracked products, most likely as a “patch” which prevents the license check. But potentially dangerous programs are very hard to tell from trustworthy software, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. Try to find information on this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the best way is not to use such software.

Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft²

Download Removal Tool.

Run the setup file.

Press “Install” button.

Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.

Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.

Click on “Clean Now”.

Frequently Asked Questions

🤔 Are the “.**random_symbols**.hr1wf” files accessible?

Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.**random_symbols**.hr1wf” files you will not be able to access them.

🤔 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. Otherwise, you might try to employ System Restore. The only question is whether you have saved any Restore Points that would be helpful now. All other solutions require time.

🤔 What should I do if the Hr1wf ransomware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.

🤔 What can I do right now?

Many of the blocked files might still be at your disposal

• If you exchanged your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
• You may 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 media pages, and cloud drives might have all those files as well.
• It might be that you still have the needed files on your old PC, a portable device, phone, flash memory, etc.

HINT: You can use data recovery utilities⁴ to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encodes the copies of your files, removing the original ones. In the tutorial below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but be advised: you can do it only after you eradicate the virus 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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