The Luuuuuuuuu virus belongs under the Xorist ransomware family. Ransomware of this type encrypts all user’s data on the computer (photos, text files, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, creating the HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt files in each folder with the encrypted files.
What is Luuuuuuuuu virus?
☝️ A strictly correct description for the Luuuuuuuuu is “a Xorist family ransomware infection”.
Luuuuuuuuu will add its extra .lUUUUUUUUU extension to the title of each encoded file. For instance, an image named “photo.jpg” will be renamed to “photo.jpg.lUUUUUUUUU”. Likewise, the Excel table named “table.xlsx” will end up as “table.xlsx.lUUUUUUUUU”, and so on.
In each directory containing the encrypted files, a HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt text file will appear. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information about the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other remarks. The ransom note usually contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the tamperers. That is it.
Luuuuuuuuu overview:
| Name | Luuuuuuuuu Virus |
| Ransomware family1 | Xorist ransomware |
| Extension | .lUUUUUUUUU |
| Ransomware note | HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt |
| Detection | Crytex.Virus.FileInfector.DDS, Win32/Filecoder.OLC, Malware-Cryptor.InstallCore.5 |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) have a .lUUUUUUUUU extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Luuuuuuuuu virus |
In the screenshot below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Luuuuuuuuu looks like. Each filename has the “.lUUUUUUUUU” extension appended to it.
An example of encrypted .lUUUUUUUUU files.
How did my computer get infected with Luuuuuuuuu ransomware?
There is a huge number of possible ways of ransomware injection.
Nowadays, there are three most popular ways for malefactors to have the Luuuuuuuuu virus settled in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer file transfer.
If you access your mailbox and see letters that look like familiar notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose addresser is unknown to you, beware of opening those letters. They are most likely to have a malicious item enclosed in them. Therefore, it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with letters like these.
Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan horse scheme2. A Trojan is a program that gets into your PC pretending to be something different. For instance, you download an installer for some program you need or an update for some service. However, what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful agent that compromises your data. As the installation file 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 thing 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 Internet. You can never guess what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded items with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is complete.
How do I get rid of the Luuuuuuuuu virus?
It is important to note that besides encrypting your files, the Luuuuuuuuu virus will most likely deploy the Azorult Spyware on your computer to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That spyware3 can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.
Often criminals would decode several of your files so you know that they really have the decryption program. As Luuuuuuuuu virus is a relatively recent ransomware, security software designers have not yet found a way to undo its work. However, the anti-ransomware tools are constantly updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon arrive.
Of course, if the criminals succeed in encrypting someone’s essential files, the hopeless person will most likely fulfill their demands. Despite that, paying a ransom does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still dangerous. After receiving the ransom, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports about hackers just disappearing after getting the money without even bothering to reply.
The optimal countermeasure to ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud storage or at least on an external drive. Of course, that might be insufficient. Your most crucial thing could be that file you were working upon when it all went down. But at least it is something. It is also advisable to scan your drives with the antivirus program after the system is rolled back.
Luuuuuuuuu 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 Zatp, Bowd, Tcvp, and some others. The two main differences between them and the Luuuuuuuuu are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is the same: files become blocked, their extensions changed, ransom notes are found in each directory containing encrypted files.
Some fortunate users were able to decrypt the arrested files with the help of the free software provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the criminals mistakenly send the decoding code to the wronged in the ransom note. 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 lay their hands on the money of their victims.
How do I avert ransomware infection?
Luuuuuuuuu ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, so as any similar malware.
You can defend your system from its attack in three easy steps:
- Never open any letters from unknown mailboxes 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 even taking part in it?). If the email subject is likely something you are expecting, check all elements of the questionable email with caution. A fake email will surely contain mistakes.
- Never use cracked or untrusted software. Trojan viruses are often shared as a part of cracked products, most likely as a “patch” which prevents the license check. Understandably, potentially dangerous programs are very hard to tell from reliable software, as trojans may also have the functionality you seek. You can try to find information on this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the optimal solution is not to use such software.
- And finally, to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a powerful defense for your personal computer.
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 Luuuuuuuuu 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.
FAQ
🤔 How can I open “.lUUUUUUUUU” files?Is it possible to open“.lUUUUUUUUU” files?
There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.lUUUUUUUUU” files are decrypted.
🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.lUUUUUUUUU” files ASAP. How can I do that?
Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. In case you haven’t, there is still a chance that you do have a Restore Point from some time ago to roll back the whole system to the moment when it had no virus yet, but already had your files. All other solutions require time.
🤔 If GridinSoft deletes the Luuuuuuuuu malware, will it also delete my files that were encrypted?
Of course not. Unlike the ransomware program itself, the encrypted files do not jeopardize your system.
With the help of GridinSoft Anti-Malware, you can clean your PC off the actual viruses. The malware that has infected your computer is must be still functional and it scans your system every so often to arrest any new files you might create on your PC after the infection. As it has been said above, the Luuuuuuuuu virus comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide criminals with easy access to your computer in the future.
🤔 What to do if the Luuuuuuuuu malware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation key.
If that happened, you need to prepare a memory stick with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute the procedure. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encodes any new files created or imported into your machine. To suppress this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential programs to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What can I do right now?
Many of the encrypted files might still be within your reach
- If you exchanged your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
- You may have shared images or videos with your friends or family members. Just ask them to give those pictures back to you.
- If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Web, you can try to do 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 laptop, cellphone, flash memory, etc.
USEFUL TIP: You can use file recovery programs6 to get your lost data back since ransomware encrypts the copies of your files, deleting the original ones. In the video below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a recovery, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you remove the virus with an antivirus program.
Also, you can contact the following governmental 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 LUUUUUUUUU Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: LUUUUUUUUU Virus
Description: LUUUUUUUUU Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .lUUUUUUUUU 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.
