The Nworansom virus belongs under the Chaos ransomware family. A harmful program of this type encrypts all user’s data on the PC (images, text files, excel sheets, music, videos, etc) and adds its own extension to every file, leaving the Windows!System32.txt files in each folder which contains the encrypted files.
What is known about the Nworansom virus?
βοΈ Nworansom is a Chaos family ransomware-type malicious agent.
Nworansom appends its specific .sub_to_crypto_nwo extension to every file’s name. For example, an image entitled “photo.jpg” will be changed to “photo.jpg.sub_to_crypto_nwo”. In the same manner, the Excel table with the name “table.xlsx” will become “table.xlsx.sub_to_crypto_nwo”, and so on.
In every folder that contains the encoded files, a Windows!System32.txt text file will appear. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information on the ways of paying the ransom and some other information. The ransom note most probably contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the racketeers. That is it.
Nworansom Summary:
Name | Nworansom Virus |
Ransomware family1 | Chaos ransomware |
Extension | .sub_to_crypto_nwo |
Ransomware note | Windows!System32.txt |
Ransom | 0.1473766 BTC |
Detection | Win32/Injector.COFG, Trojan:MSIL/AgentTesla.ABYD!MTB, Win32/GenKryptik.GNIZ |
Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .sub_to_crypto_nwo extension and you can’t open them. |
Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Nworansom virus |
The Windows!System32.txt file coming in package with the Nworansom malware provides the following discouraging information:
----> NWOransom is multi language ransomware. Translate your note to any language <---- All of your files have been encrypted Your computer was infected with a ransomware virus. Your files have been encrypted and you won\'t be able to decrypt them without our help.What can I do to get my files back?You can buy our special decryption software, this software will allow you to recover all of your data and remove the ransomware from your computer.The price for the software is $666,666 (666,666 Bitcoin). Payment can be made in Bitcoin only. How do I pay, where do I get Bitcoin? Purchasing Bitcoin varies from country to country, you are best advised to do a quick google search yourself to find out how to buy Bitcoin. Many of our customers have reported these sites to be fast and reliable: Coinmama - hxxps://www.coinmama.com Bitpanda - hxxps://www.bitpanda.com Payment informationAmount: 0.1473766 BTC Bitcoin Address: no, to decrypt sub to crypto nwo
In the image below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Nworansom looks like. Each filename has the ".sub_to_crypto_nwo" extension appended to it.
How did my machine catch Nworansom ransomware?
There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.
Nowadays, there are three most popular methods for evil-doers to have ransomware acting in your system. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer-to-peer file transfer.
- If you access your mailbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose "from" field is strange to you, beware of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a ransomware item enclosed in them. So it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with letters like these.
- Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan horse scheme. A Trojan is an object that infiltrates into your machine disguised as something legal. For example, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some program. But what is unboxed turns out to be a harmful agent that corrupts your data. As the update wizard can have any title and any icon, you have to make 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 networks like BitTorrent or eMule, the danger 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 websites. Also, it is reasonable to scan the folder containing the downloaded objects with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.
How do I get rid of ransomware?
It is important to note that besides encrypting your data, the Nworansom virus will probably install Vidar Stealer on your computer to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned spyware can extract your credentials from your browser's auto-filling cardfile.
Remove Nworansom 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 Nworansom 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 "Nworansom" 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 Nworansom 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 tamperers would decrypt several of your files to prove that they do have the decryption program. Since Nworansom virus is a relatively new ransomware, safety measures engineers have not yet found a method to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decoding tools are frequently upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon arrive.
Sure thing, if the evildoers do the job of encoding someone's critical data, the hopeless person will most likely fulfill their demands. However, paying a ransom does not necessarily mean that you're getting your data back. It is still risky. After obtaining the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption key to the injured party. There were reports about racketeers just vanishing after getting the ransom without even bothering to reply.
The best solution against 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 disk. Obviously, that might be not enough. The most crucial thing could be that one you were working on when it all happened. But at least it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your drives with the antivirus program after the OS is rolled back.
Nworansom 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, Rzew, Rival, Rzfu, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Nworansom are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is almost identical: files become blocked, their extensions changed, ransom notes are found in each folder containing encrypted files.
Some lucky users were able to decode the blocked files with the help of the free tools provided by anti-ransomware developers. Sometimes the racketeers mistakenly send the decoding code to the victims in the ransom note. Such an epic fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But naturally, one should never rely on such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a bandits' technology to pull the money out of their victims.
How do I avert ransomware infection?
Nworansom ransomware has no endless power, neither does any similar malware.
You can armour your computer from its infiltration in several easy steps:
- Never open any emails from unknown senders with unknown addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are expecting (can you win in a lottery without participating in it?). If the email subject is more or less something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the suspicious email carefully. A hoax email will surely contain a mistake.
- Do not use cracked or untrusted software. Trojans are often spreaded as a part of cracked products, most likely as a βpatchβ preventing the license check. But untrusted programs are difficult to distinguish from trustworthy software, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you seek. You can try searching for information about this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the optimal way is not to use such software.
- And to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, check them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a perfect defense for your personal computer.
FAQ
π€ How can I open ".sub_to_crypto_nwo" files?Are the ".sub_to_crypto_nwo" files accessible?
Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the ".sub_to_crypto_nwo" files first. Then you will be able to open them.
π€ The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?
If the β.sub_to_crypto_nwoβ 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. All other solutions require time.
π€ You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Nworansom virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?
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 threats. The malware that has attacked your system is most likely still active and it scans your system from time to time to encode any new files you might create on your PC after the attack. As it has already been said, the Nworansom virus does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide malefactors with easy access to your system after some time.
π€ What actions should I take if the Nworansom malware has blocked my computer and I can't get the activation code.
In such a case, you need to have a flash memory card 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 imported into your system. To stop this function - use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential applications to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.
π€ What could help the situation right now?
Many of the blocked files might still be at your disposal
- If you sent or received your important files by email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
- You may have shared photographs or videos with your friends or family members. Simply ask them to send those images back to you.
- If you have initially got any of your files from the Web, you can try to do it again.
- Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud drives might have all those files as well.
- Maybe you still have the needed files on your old PC, a laptop, phone, memory stick, etc.
USEFUL TIP: You can employ data recovery programs2 to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encrypts the copies of your files, deleting the original ones. In the video below, you can learn how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but remember: you won't be able to do it before you remove the ransomware itself with an anti-malware program.
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Brendan SmithHow to Remove NWORANSOM Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: NWORANSOM Virus
Description: NWORANSOM Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .sub_to_crypto_nwo extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus