The R3tr0 virus belongs under the Dharma ransomware family. Ransomware of this type encrypts all user’s data on the PC (photos, documents, excel tables, music, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, leaving the info.txt files in every directory containing encrypted files.
What is known about the R3tr0virus?
☝️ A strictly correct denomination for the R3tr0 is “a Dharma family ransomware-type infection”.
The renaming will be done by the following pattern: *victimID*.[contact_email].r3tr0. In the process of encryption, a file entitled, for example, “report.docx” will be turned into “report.docx.id-9ECFA84E.[r3tr0crypt@tuta.io].r3tr0”.
In each folder with the encoded files, a info.txt text document will appear. It will also open you the info.hta file. 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 usually contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the racketeers. You can obtain this tool after contacting r3tr0crypt@tuta.io via email. That is how they do it.
R3tr0 abstract:
| Name | R3tr0 Virus |
| Ransomware family1 | Dharma ransomware |
| Extension | .r3tr0 |
| Ransomware note | info.txt |
| Contact | r3tr0crypt@tuta.io |
| Detection | Ransom:Win32/Cryptolocker.PAL!MTB, UDS:Trojan-Banker.Win32.Bandra, Trojan:MSIL/AgentTesla.EPQ!MTB |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) have a .r3tr0 extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by R3tr0 virus |
The info.txt file accompanying the R3tr0 malware states the following:
all your data has been locked us You want to return? write email r3tr0crypt@tuta.io or r3tr0crypt@msgsafe.io
In the screenshot below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the R3tr0 looks like. Each filename has the “.r3tr0” extension appended to it.
An example of encrypted .r3tr0 files.
How did my machine catch R3tr0 ransomware?
There is a huge number of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.
Nowadays, there are three most popular methods for malefactors to have the R3tr0 virus acting in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer networks.
If you open your mailbox and see letters that look just like notifications from utility services companies, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose mailer is strange to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are very likely to have a ransomware item attached to 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 file scheme2. A Trojan is an object that infiltrates into your computer disguised as something else. Imagine, you download an installer for some program you need or an update for some program. But what is unpacked reveals itself a harmful program that corrupts your data. As the update package can have any title and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the resource of the things you’re downloading. The optimal way is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
As for the peer file transfer protocols like torrent trackers or eMule, the threat 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 a good idea to scan the directory containing the downloaded objects with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is complete.
How do I get rid of the R3tr0 virus?
It is crucial to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the R3tr0 virus will probably deploy the Azorult Spyware on your PC to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That spyware3 can derive your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling data.
Sometimes criminals would decode some of your files so you know that they really have the decryption program. As R3tr0 virus is a relatively new ransomware, anti-malware engineers have not yet found a method to reverse its work. Nevertheless, the anti-ransomware tools are frequently updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.
Sure thing, if the tamperers succeed in encoding someone’s critical files, the desperate person will probably fulfill their demands. Nevertheless, paying a ransom gives no guarantee that you’re getting your files back. It is still risky. After getting the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption key to the victim. There were reports of criminals simply vanishing after getting the money without even writing back.
The optimal solution against ransomware is to have a system 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 not enough. The most important thing could be that file you were working on when it all happened. But at least it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the OS is rolled back.
R3tr0 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, Bbnm, Sijr, Zpps, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the R3tr0 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 folder containing encoded files.
Some lucky victims were able to decrypt the arrested files with the help of the free software provided by anti-malware experts. Sometimes the hackers mistakenly send the decoding code to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the victim to restore the files. But obviously, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a tamperers’ technology to pull the money out of their victims.
How to avert ransomware infiltration?
R3tr0 ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, so as any similar malware.
You can protect your computer from ransomware attack in three easy steps:
- Ignore any emails from unknown mailboxes with unknown addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (how can you win in a money prize draw without even taking part in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are expecting, scrutinize all elements of the suspicious letter with caution. A hoax email will surely contain mistakes.
- Never use cracked or untrusted programs. Trojans are often distributed as an element of cracked products, possibly as a “patch” to prevent the license check. But dubious programs are very hard to distinguish from trustworthy ones, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. You can try to find information on this program on the anti-malware forums, but the best way is not to use such programs at all.
- And to be sure about the safety of the files you downloaded, scan them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a perfect 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 system.
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 R3tr0 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 completed, 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
🤔 Are the “.r3tr0” files accessible?
Unfortunately, no. You need to decipher the “.r3tr0” files first. Then you will be able to open them.
🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.r3tr0” files ASAP. How can I do that?
It’s good if you have fаr-sightedly saved copies of these important files elsewhere. 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.
🤔 If GridinSoft deletes the R3tr0 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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware only deals with actual threats. The virus that has infected your computer is must be still functional and it scans your system periodically to encode any new files you might create on your computer after the initial attack. As it has been mentioned above, the R3tr0 malware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide malefactors with easy access to your PC after some time.
🤔 What to do if the R3tr0 virus has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation code.
In such an unfortunate situation, you need to prepare a memory stick with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute the procedure. You see, the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encodes any new files created or imported into your system. To suppress this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run upon system start. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 And what should I do now?
Some of the encrypted files can be located 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 family members. Just ask them to give 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 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, memory stick, etc.
HINT: You can employ data recovery programs6 to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encrypts the copies of your files, removing the authentic 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 kill the virus with an antivirus program.
Also, you can contact the following official 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 R3TR0 Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: R3TR0 Virus
Description: R3TR0 Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific ..r3tr0 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’s the list of Top 10 Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
