Virus analyst Tomas Meskauskas was the one who, for the first time, identified the Rar1 virus, which belongs under the ransomware type of infection. Harmful software of such sort encrypts all user’s data on the PC (images, documents, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its specific extension to every file, creating the READ_TO_DECRYPT.txt text files in each directory with the encrypted files.
Rar1 virus: what is known so far?
☝️ A scientifically correct denomination for the Rar1 is “a ransomware infection”.
The renaming will be done by this pattern: .rar1. As a part of encryption, a file named, for example, “report.docx” will be renamed to “report.docx.GAXHE3BOPJUXA===.rar1”.
In every directory with the encoded files, a READ_TO_DECRYPT.txt file will be found. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information on the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note usually contains instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool from the racketeers. You can get this decoding tool after contacting a94673838@proton.me via email. That is pretty much the scheme of the malefaction.
Rar1 overview:
| Name | Rar1 Virus |
| Extension | .rar1 |
| Ransomware note | READ_TO_DECRYPT.txt |
| Ransom | $160 (2 XMR) |
| Contact | a94673838@proton.me |
| Detection | Trojan:Win32/Redline.DD!MTB, Win32/Injector.ZVH, Win32/Filecoder.OIF |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .rar1 extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Rar1 virus |
The READ_TO_DECRYPT.txt file accompanying the Rar1 malware provides the following frustrating information:
Your files have been encrypted Send 2 XMR to the following wallet 46aUsHcCS9XUu8c3wuyXbvg6qrcuveGcAWWJLd14NnCZPo 2uQqg8FddhJZjUhs1d1WHBhdcqWvEAedQir3axX4wJ5h8uuuT And after pay contact a94673838@proton.me Get the password to decrypt the file Your machine code is : -
In the screenshot below, you can see what a directory with files encrypted by the Rar1 looks like. Each filename has the “.rar1” extension appended to it.
That is how encrypted “.rar1” files look.
How did Rar1 ransomware end up on my PC?
There are many possible ways of ransomware injection.
There are currently three most popular methods for criminals to have ransomware planted in your system. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer-to-peer file transfer.
If you open your inbox and see letters that look just like notifications from utility services companies, postal agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose “from” field is strange to you, be wary of opening those letters. They are very likely to have a viral item attached to them. Thus 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 scheme1. A Trojan is a program that infiltrates into your PC pretending to be something else. 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 encodes your data. Since the installation 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 thing is to use the software companies’ official websites.
As for the peer file transfer protocols 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 items with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is complete.
How do I get rid of the Rar1 virus?
It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Rar1 virus will probably deploy the Azorult Spyware on your machine to get access to credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That program can derive your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling data.
Sometimes criminals would decode few of your files to prove that they really have the decryption program. Since Rar1 virus is a relatively new ransomware, safety measures engineers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. Nevertheless, the decoding instruments are constantly upgraded, so the solution may soon arrive.
Understandably, if the malefactors succeed in encrypting someone’s essential files, the desperate person will probably fulfill their demands. Despite that, paying to racketeers gives no guarantee that you’re getting your data back. It is still dangerous. After receiving the money, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption key to the injured party. There were reports about hackers just disappearing after getting the ransom without even bothering to reply.
The best 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 storage. Surely, that might be insufficient. The most important thing could be that one you were working upon when it all happened. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also wise to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the OS restoration.
There are other ransomware products, besides Rar1, that work similarly. For instance, Ooxa, Ccza, Ccew, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Rar1 are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: documents become encrypted, their extensions altered, ransom notes appear in every directory containing encoded files.
Some lucky victims were able to decrypt the arrested files with the help of the free tools provided by anti-ransomware specialists. Sometimes the criminals accidentally send the decoding code to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an epic fail allows the victim to restore the files. But obviously, one should never expect such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a criminals’ instrument to lay their hands on the money of their victims.
How to avoid ransomware injection?
Rar1 ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, neither does any similar malware.
You can armour your computer from ransomware injection taking 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 (how 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 letter carefully. A hoax letter will surely have a mistake.
- Do not use cracked or untrusted programs. Trojans are often distributed as an element of cracked software, most likely as a “patch” which prevents the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are difficult to distinguish from trustworthy software, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. You can try to find information on this software product on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal 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 PC.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft2
There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft3.
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 Rar1 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
🤔 Can I somehow access “.rar1” files?
There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.rar1” files are decrypted.
🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?
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. All other solutions require time.
🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Rar1 virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?
Absolutely 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 computer off the actual viruses. The ransomware that has infiltrated 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 said above, the Rar1 ransomware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide hackers with easy access to your PC in the future.
🤔 What should I do if the Rar1 ransomware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.
In such a case, you need to prepare a flash memory card with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the procedure. You see, the ransomware runs automatically as the system boots and encrypts any new files created or imported into your machine. To block this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the vital programs to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What could help the situation right now?
Many of the encoded files might still be at your disposal
- If you sent or received your critical files via email, you could still download them from your online mail server.
- You may have shared photographs or videos with your friends or family members. Just ask them to send those pictures back to you.
- If you have initially got any of your files from the Internet, you can try downloading them 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 laptop, mobile, memory stick, etc.
USEFUL TIP: You can employ data recovery utilities4 to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encodes the copies of your files, removing the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can see how to use PhotoRec for such a restoration, but remember: you can do it only after you eradicate 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 RAR1 Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: RAR1 Virus
Description: RAR1 Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .rar1 extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus
User Review
( votes)References
- You can read more on Trojans, their use and types in the Trojan-dedicated 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 Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
