Hudson Virus Ransomware Removal Guide

The Hudson virus belongs under the ransomware type of malicious agent. Ransomware of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the PC (photos, text files, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and adds its own extension to every file, leaving the README.TXT files in every folder which contains 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 known about the Hudson virus?

The renaming will be done by the following pattern: .hudson. After the encryption, a file named, for example, “report.docx” will be changed to “report.docx.06AC060A-81E0-F117-81C3-FC148F9E3AC8.hudson”.

In each directory containing the encoded files, a README.TXT file will be found. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information on the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can get this tool after contacting hudsonL@cock.li through email. That is pretty much the scheme of the malefaction.

Hudson Summary:

The README.TXT file accompanying the Hudson malware states the following:

YOUR FILES ARE ENCRYPTED

Your files, documents, photos, databases and other important files are encrypted.

You are not able to decrypt it by yourself! The only method of recovering files is to purchase an unique private key.
Only we can give you this key and only we can recover your files.

To be sure we have the decryptor and it works you can send an email:
hudsonL@cock.li and decrypt one file for free.
But this file should be of not valuable!

Do you really want to restore your files?
Write to email:
hudsonL@cock.li

Attention!
* Do not rename encrypted files.
* Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss.
* Decryption of your files with the help of third parties may cause increased price (they add their fee to our) or you can become a victim of a scam.

* Do not contact the intermediary companies. Negotiate on your own. No one but us will be able to return the files to you. As evidence, we will offer to test your files.

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

An example of encrypted .hudson files.

How did my machine catch Hudson ransomware?

There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware injection.

There are currently three most exploited ways for criminals to have the Hudson virus settled in your system. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer file transfer.

• If you open your inbox and see letters that look like familiar notifications from utility services companies, postal agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is strange to you, beware of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a harmful file attached to them. Therefore, it is even riskier to open any attachments that come with letters like these.
• Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan virus scheme. A Trojan is a program that gets into your PC disguised as something different. For instance, you download an installer for some program you need or an update for some software. But what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful program that encrypts your data. As the installation wizard can have any name and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the stuff you’re downloading. The best way is to use the software companies’ official websites.
• As for the peer networks like torrent trackers 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. So you’d better be using trustworthy resources. Also, it is a good idea to scan the directory containing the downloaded files with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.

How do I get rid of ransomware?

It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your files, the Hudson virus will most likely deploy Vidar Stealer on your machine to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That program can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling data.

Remove Hudson 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 Hudson 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 “Hudson” 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 Hudson 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 criminals would unblock some of your files so you know that they indeed have the decryption program. Since Hudson virus is a relatively new ransomware, safety measures developers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. However, the decoding tools are constantly updated, so the solution may soon be available.

Sure thing, if the hackers succeed in encoding victim’s essential files, the hopeless person will most likely comply with their demands. Nevertheless, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your data back. It is still risky. After getting the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption key to the injured party. There were reports about racketeers simply vanishing after getting the money without even writing back.

The best safety measure against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud storage or at least on an external disk. Surely, that might be not enough. The most important thing could be that file you were working on when it all started. But at least it is something. It is also wise to scan your drives with the antivirus program after the OS is rolled back.

There are other ransomware products, besides Hudson, that work similarly. For instance, Petyax, Fxlocker, Sage, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Hudson are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is almost identical: documents become encoded, their extensions altered, ransom notes are found in each directory containing encrypted files.

Some fortunate victims were able to decode the blocked files with the help of the free software provided by anti-ransomware experts. Sometimes the hackers mistakenly send the decoding key to the wronged in the ransom readme. Such an epic fail allows the user to restore the files. But of course, one should never rely on such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a bandits’ technology to pull the money out of their victims.

How to avoid ransomware attack?

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

You can armour yourself from its attack within three easy steps:

• Ignore any emails from unknown mailboxes with strange addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are expecting (how can you win in a money prize draw without participating in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are waiting for, scrutinize all elements of the dubious letter carefully. A hoax letter will surely have mistakes.
• Do not use cracked or untrusted software. Trojans are often spreaded as an element of cracked software, most likely as a “patch” to prevent the license check. Understandably, untrusted programs are very hard to tell from reliable software, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. Try to find information on this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the optimal solution is not to use such programs at all.
• And to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a perfect shield for your PC.

Frequently Asked Questions

🤔 Are the “.hudson” files accessible?

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

🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.hudson” files ASAP. How can I do that?

Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. Otherwise, you might try to employ System Restore. The only question is whether you have saved any Restore Points that would be helpful now. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.

🤔 If GridinSoft deletes the Hudson 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 remove actual malware from your computer. The virus that has infiltrated your device is must be still functional and launching checks periodically to encode any new files you might create on your computer after the attack. As it has been said above, the Hudson virus does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide criminals with easy access to your PC after some time.

🤔 What actions should I take if the Hudson malware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.

If that happened, you need to have a memory stick 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 encodes any new files created or brought into your system. To block this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential programs to run upon system start. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.

🤔 And what should I do now?

Some of the blocked files can be located elsewhere.

• If you exchanged your important files through 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 downloaded 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 computer, a portable device, mobile, external storage, etc.

HINT: You can employ data recovery programs[efn_note]Here are Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2024.[/efn_note] to get your lost data back since ransomware blocks the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the video below, you can learn how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but be advised: you won’t be able to do it before you eradicate the virus with an antivirus program.