REVENLOCK Virus (.REVENLOCK7 Files) — How to Remove?

The Revenlock virus belongs under the MedusaLocker ransomware family. Harmful software of this type encrypts all the data on your computer (images, text files, excel sheets, music, videos, etc) and appends its specific extension to every file, leaving the HOW_TO_RECOVER_DATA.html files in every directory containing encrypted files.

What is known about the Revenlockvirus?

☝️ A strictly accurate description for the Revenlock would be “a MedusaLocker family ransomware-type infection”.

Revenlock will append its own .REVENLOCK7 extension to the title of each encoded file. For instance, an image named “photo.jpg” will be turned into “photo.jpg.REVENLOCK7”. Likewise, the Excel file named “table.xlsx” will be altered to “table.xlsx.REVENLOCK7”, and so forth.

In each directory with the encoded files, a HOW_TO_RECOVER_DATA.html file will be found. 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 most probably contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the Revenlock developers. That is pretty much the scheme of the crime.

Revenlock outline:

In the screenshot below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Revenlock looks like. Each filename has the “.REVENLOCK7” extension added to it.

How did Revenlock ransomware end up on my PC?

There are many possible ways of ransomware injection.

There are currently three most exploited ways for hackers to have the Revenlock virus settled in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan injection and peer-to-peer file transfer.

If you access your inbox and see emails that look like familiar notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, Internet providers, and whatnot, but whose mailer is unknown to you, beware of opening those letters. They are very likely to have a malware file enclosed in them. So it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with emails like these.

As for the peer-to-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. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy websites. Also, it is a good idea to scan the directory containing the downloaded items with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.

How do I get rid of the Revenlock virus?

It is important to inform you that besides encrypting your files, the Revenlock virus will most likely deploy the Azorult Spyware on your computer to seize your credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That spyware³ can extract your credentials from your browser’s auto-filling cardfile.

Often tamperers would decrypt few of your files to prove that they do have the decryption program. As Revenlock virus is a relatively new ransomware, anti-malware designers have not yet found a method to undo its work. Nevertheless, the decoding instruments are frequently upgraded, so the solution may soon arrive.

Sure thing, if the criminals succeed in encoding someone’s critical data, the desperate person will probably comply with their demands. Nevertheless, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your blocked information back. It is still risky. After receiving the money, the racketeers may send a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports about hackers just disappearing after getting the ransom without even writing back.

The best safety measure against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your critical files in the cloud storage or at least on an external disk. Of course, that might be not enough. The most crucial thing could be that file you were working on when it all happened. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also advisable to scan your PC for viruses with the anti-malware utility after the system is rolled back.

Revenlock 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 Bbyy, Bbzz, Bnrs, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Revenlock are the ransom amount and the method of encryption. The rest is the same: documents become blocked, their extensions changed, ransom notes are created in each directory containing encoded files.

Some lucky people were able to decode the blocked files with the aid of the free software provided by anti-ransomware developers. Sometimes the hackers accidentally send the decoding code to the victims in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the injured part to restore the files. But obviously, one should never rely on such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a tamperers’ instrument to pull the money out of their victims.

How сan I avoid ransomware injection?

Revenlock ransomware has no superpower, neither does any similar malware.

You can defend your computer from its injection taking three easy steps:

• Never open any letters from unknown senders with strange addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are waiting for (how can you win in a lottery without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, scrutinize all elements of the dubious email carefully. A fake letter will always have mistakes.
• Do not use cracked or untrusted software. Trojan viruses are often distributed as an element of cracked software, possibly under the guise of “patch” which prevents the license check. Understandably, potentially dangerous programs are very hard to tell from trustworthy software, because trojans sometimes have the functionality you need. Try searching for information on this program on the anti-malware message boards, but the optimal way is not to use such programs at all.

Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft⁴

Download Removal Tool.

Run the setup file.

Press “Install” button.

Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.

Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.

Click on “Clean Now”.

FAQ

🤔 How can I open “.REVENLOCK7” files?Are the “.REVENLOCK7” files accessible?

There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.REVENLOCK7” files are decrypted.

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

If the “.REVENLOCK7” files contain some really important information, then you probably have them backed up. If not, there is still a function of System Restore but it needs a Restore Point to be previously saved. All other solutions require time.

🤔 What actions should I take if the Revenlock ransomware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation code.

🤔 What could help the situation right now?

Some of the blocked files can be located elsewhere.

• If you exchanged 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. Simply ask them to send those pictures back to you.
• If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Internet, you can try doing it again.
• Your messengers, social networks pages, and cloud storage might have all those files as well.
• It might be that you still have the needed files on your old computer, a notebook, phone, memory stick, etc.

HINT: You can use file recovery utilities⁶ to get your lost data back since ransomware arrests the copies of your files, deleting the authentic ones. In the tutorial below, you can learn how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but remember: you won’t be able to do it before you eradicate the ransomware itself with an anti-malware 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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