MIRROR Virus (.MR Files) Ransomware Removal

The Mirror virus falls under the Dharma ransomware family. Harmful software of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the computer (images, documents, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its extra extension to every file, creating the info-MIRROR.txt text files in every directory with the encrypted files.

Mirror virus: what is known so far?

☝️ Mirror is a Dharma family ransomware-type malicious agent.

The renaming will be executed by the following pattern: id-xxxxx.[contact-email].Mr. During the encryption, a file named, for instance, “report.docx” will be turned into “report.docx.id-9ECFA84E.[[email protected]].Mr”.

In each directory that contains the encoded files, a info-MIRROR.txt text file will appear. It is a ransom money note. It contains information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other remarks. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the tamperers. You can obtain this decrypting software after contacting [email protected] through email. That is pretty much the scheme of the crime.

Mirror Summary:

The info-MIRROR.txt file coming in package with the Mirror malware states the following:

 All your data has been locked us

You want to return?

write email [email protected] or [email protected]

In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Mirror looks like. Each filename has the “.Mr” extension added to it.

How did my machine catch Mirror ransomware?

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

Nowadays, there are three most exploited ways for evil-doers to have the Mirror virus working in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer networks.

• If you open your mailbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose sender is strange to you, beware of opening those emails. They are most 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.
• Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan horse scheme. A Trojan is an object that gets into your machine disguised as something legal. For example, you download an installer for some program you want or an update for some software. However, what is unpacked reveals itself a harmful agent that corrupts your data. Since the update package can have any title and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the files you’re downloading. The best way is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
• As for the peer-to-peer networks like torrent trackers or eMule, the danger 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 resources. Also, it is reasonable to scan the directory containing the downloaded objects with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is finished.

How to remove ransomware?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Mirror virus will probably install Vidar Stealer on your machine to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That program can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling card file.

How do I avert ransomware attack?

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

You can protect your PC from its infiltration within three easy steps:

• Ignore any letters from unknown mailers with strange 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 suspicious email with caution. A fake letter will always contain a mistake.
• Avoid using cracked or untrusted programs. Trojans are often distributed as an element of cracked products, possibly under the guise of “patch” which prevents the license check. Understandably, untrusted programs are very hard to distinguish from reliable software, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. Try to find information about this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the optimal way is not to use such programs at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

🤔 Is it possible to open “.Mr” files?

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

🤔 What should I do to make my files accessible as fast as possible?

If the “.Mr” files contain some really important information, then you probably have them backed up. 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. The rest of the methods require patience.

🤔 What should I do if the Mirror ransomware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code?

🤔 What can I do right now?

Some of the encrypted files can be found elsewhere.

• If you sent or received your critical files via 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 post those images back to you.
• If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try to do it again.
• Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud drives might have all those files as well.
• Maybe you still have the needed files on your old PC, a notebook, cellphone, flash memory, etc.

USEFUL TIP: You can use data recovery utilities² to get your lost data back since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, removing the original ones. In the video below, you can learn how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you remove the ransomware itself with an antivirus program.

1. My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
2. Here’s the list of Best Data Recovery Software Of 2024.