The Hunter virus falls under the Phobos ransomware family. Malware of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the computer (images, documents, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its own extension to every file, creating the info.txt files in each folder containing encrypted files.
What is Hunter virus?
☝️ Hunter is a Phobos family ransomware-type infection.
The renaming will be done according to this pattern: id[xxxxxx].[contact-email].HUNTER. During the encryption, a file named, for instance, “report.docx” will be turned into “report.docx.id[9ECFA84E-3335].[[email protected]].HUNTER”.
In each folder with the encoded files, a info.txt text document will appear. It is a ransom money memo. Therein you can find information about the ways of paying the ransom and some other information. The ransom note most probably contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the ransomware developers. You can obtain this decoding tool after contacting [email protected] via email. That is it.
Hunter Overview:
| Name | Hunter Virus |
| Ransomware family1 | Phobos ransomware |
| Extension | .HUNTER |
| Ransomware note | info.txt |
| Contact | [email protected] |
| Detection | Malware.Heuristic.2046 Virus Removal, Adware:Win32/AdRotator Virus Removal, VirTool:Win32/VBInject.TE Virus Removal |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .HUNTER extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Hunter virus |
The info.txt document coming in package with the Hunter malware provides the following frustrating information:
!!!All of your files are encrypted!!! To decrypt them send e-mail to this address: [email protected]. If we don\'t answer in 24h, send messge to telegram: @Online7_365
In the image below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Hunter looks like. Each filename has the “.HUNTER” extension added to it.
An example of encrypted .HUNTER files.
How did my computer get infected with Hunter ransomware?
There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware injection.
There are currently three most popular ways for criminals to have ransomware planted in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer-to-peer networks.
- If you access your mailbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services providers, postal 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 malicious file enclosed in them. So it is even riskier to download any attachments that come with emails like these.
- Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan horse scheme. A Trojan is a program that infiltrates into your computer 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 turns out to be a harmful agent that corrupts your data. Since the installation wizard can have any name and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the things you’re downloading. The optimal way is to use the software developers’ official websites.
- As for the peer networks like torrents or eMule, the threat 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 websites. Also, it is a good idea 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 ransomware?
It is crucial to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Hunter virus will probably deploy Vidar Stealer on your machine to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That spyware can derive your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.
Remove Hunter 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 Hunter 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 “Hunter” 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 Hunter 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.
Sometimes criminals would decode several of your files so you know that they really have the decryption tool. Since Hunter virus is a relatively recent ransomware, security software designers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. Nevertheless, the decryption tools are constantly upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.
Understandably, if the tamperers do the job of encoding someone’s essential data, the hopeless person will most likely comply with their demands. Nevertheless, paying a ransom does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your files back. It is still risky. After receiving the ransom, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports of racketeers just disappearing after getting the ransom without even bothering to reply.
The optimal solution against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud disk or at least on an external storage. Obviously, 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 system restoration.
There are other ransomware products, besides Hunter, that work similarly. For instance, Redcryptoapp, Dzen, Napoli, and some others. The two main differences between them and the Hunter are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: documents become encoded, their extensions altered, ransom notes are created in each folder containing encoded files.
Some fortunate users were able to decode the blocked files with the help of the free software provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the racketeers accidentally send the decoding key to the victims in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But of course, one should never rely on such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a criminals’ instrument to lay their hands on the money of their victims.
How do I avoid ransomware infection?
Hunter ransomware has no superpower, neither does any similar malware.
You can protect your PC from its attack taking several easy steps:
- Never open any emails from unknown mailboxes with unknown addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are waiting for (how can you win in a lottery without even taking part in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the questionable letter with caution. A hoax letter will always contain mistakes.
- Do not use cracked or untrusted software. Trojans are often spreaded as a part of cracked software, most likely as a “patch” to prevent the license check. But dubious programs are difficult to distinguish from trustworthy software, because trojans may also have the functionality you need. You can try to find information about this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the best solution is not to use such programs at all.
- And to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, check them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a perfect shield for your personal computer.
FAQ
🤔 Is it possible to open “.HUNTER” files?
There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.HUNTER” files are decrypted.
🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?
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.
🤔 Will GridinSoft Anti-Malware remove all the encrypted files alongside the Hunter virus?
Of course not. The encrypted files are not harmful, so they won’t be deleted.
With the help of GridinSoft Anti-Malware, you can clean your PC off the actual viruses. The ransomware that has infected your system is probably still functional and launching checks every so often to encode any new files you might create on your PC after the infection. As it has already been said, the Hunter ransomware does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide criminals with easy access to your system after some time.
🤔 What to do if the Hunter malware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation key.
In such an unfortunate situation, you need to have a flash memory drive with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute the procedure. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system launches and encrypts any new files created or brought into your system. To stop this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential programs to run automatically. 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 sent or received your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
- You may have shared photographs or videos with your friends or relatives. Just ask them to send those images back to you.
- If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Web, you can try doing it again.
- Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud disks might have all those files too.
- It might be that you still have the needed files on your old computer, a notebook, cellphone, flash memory, etc.
HINT: You can employ file recovery utilities2 to retrieve your lost information since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, removing the authentic ones. In the video below, you can see how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you kill the ransomware itself with an anti-malware program.
