The Termite virus falls under the Babuk ransomware family. Malware of such sort encrypts all the data on your PC (images, text files, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and appends its extra extension to every file, creating the How To Restore Your Files.txt text files in every folder containing encrypted files.
What is Termite virus?
☝️ Termite is a Babuk family ransomware malicious agent.
Termite adds its own .termite extension to every file’s name. For example, a file named “photo.jpg” will be changed to “photo.jpg.termite”. Just like the Excel file named “table.xlsx” will be changed to “table.xlsx.termite”, and so on.
In each directory with the encrypted files, a How To Restore Your Files.txt text document will appear. It is a ransom money note. It contains information about the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other information. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to purchase the decryption tool from the ransomware developers. You can obtain this decryptor after contacting rgagfhiuehrf@proton.me through email. That is it.
Termite Summary:
| Name | Termite Virus |
| Ransomware family1 | Babuk ransomware |
| Extension | .termite |
| Ransomware note | How To Restore Your Files.txt |
| Contact | rgagfhiuehrf@proton.me |
| Detection | Trojan:Win32/Tnega!MSR Removal, Win32:Adware-DNA [Adw] Virus Removal, Win32:Secat [Trj] Virus Removal |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) have a .termite extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Termite virus |
In the screenshot below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Termite looks like. Each filename has the “.termite” extension added to it.
An example of encrypted .termite files.
How did my computer get infected with Termite ransomware?
There are plenty of possible ways of ransomware injection.
There are currently three most popular methods for hackers to have the Termite virus settled in your system. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer networks.
- If you access 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 mailer is unknown to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are most likely to have a viral item enclosed in them. Therefore, it is even more dangerous to open any attachments that come with emails like these.
- Another thing the hackers might try is a Trojan file scheme. A Trojan is a program that gets into your machine disguised as something legal. For example, you download an installer for some program you need or an update for some service. However, what is unpacked turns out to be a harmful program that compromises your data. Since the update file can have any title and any icon, you have to make sure that you can trust the source of the files you’re downloading. The best thing is to trust the software companies’ official websites.
- As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like torrents or eMule, the danger is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Web. You can never guess 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 items with the antivirus as soon as the downloading is done.
How to remove ransomware?
It is important to note that besides encrypting your data, the Termite virus will probably deploy Vidar Stealer on your machine 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 Termite 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 Termite 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 “Termite” 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 Termite 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 criminals would decode several of your files so you know that they do have the decryption program. Since Termite virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software engineers have not yet found a method to undo its work. However, the decryption tools are frequently updated, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.
Sure thing, if the malefactors do the job of encrypting someone’s critical data, the hopeless person will probably fulfill their demands. Despite that, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your data back. It is still dangerous. After getting the money, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption key to the injured party. There were reports of malefactors just vanishing after getting the money without even bothering to reply.
The best safety measure 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. Of course, that might be insufficient. Your most crucial thing could be that one you were working on when it all went down. But at least it is something. It is also reasonable to scan your PC for viruses with the antivirus program after the system is rolled back.
There are other ransomware products, besides Termite, that work similarly. Examples of those are Xshc, Frag, Revrac, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Termite are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is the same: files become encrypted, their extensions altered, ransom notes appear in every folder containing encoded files.
Some fortunate users were able to decrypt the blocked files with the help of the free software provided by anti-malware specialists. Sometimes the racketeers mistakenly send the decoding code to the victims in the ransom note. Such an epic fail allows the user to restore the files. But naturally, one should never rely on such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a bandits’ technology to pull the money out of their victims.
How to avert ransomware infection?
Termite ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, so as any similar malware.
You can armour your system from ransomware injection taking several easy steps:
- Never open any letters from unknown senders with strange addresses, or with content that has likely no connection to something you are expecting (how can you win in a lottery without even taking part in it?). If the email subject is likely something you are waiting for, check all elements of the questionable letter carefully. A fake letter will surely have a mistake.
- Avoid using cracked or unknown programs. Trojan viruses are often distributed as a part of cracked products, most likely as a “patch” which prevents the license check. But untrusted programs are very hard to distinguish from trustworthy ones, as trojans may also have the functionality you seek. You can try to find information about 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 objects you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful defense for your PC.
FAQ
🤔 How can I open “.termite” files?Is it possible to open“.termite” files?
Negative. That is why ransomware is so frustrating. Until you decode the “.termite” files you will not be able to access them.
🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.termite” files ASAP. How can I do that?
Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. 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.
🤔 Will GridinSoft Anti-Malware remove all the encrypted files alongside the Termite virus?
Absolutely not! Unlike the ransomware program itself, the encrypted files do not jeopardize your system.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will delete the viruses from your system. The ransomware that has infiltrated your system is most likely still active and launching checks periodically to encrypt any new files you might create on your PC after the infection. As it has already been said, the Termite virus comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can steal your account credentials and provide malefactors with easy access to your computer in the future.
🤔 What should I do if the Termite malware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation code.
In such an unfortunate situation, you need to prepare a flash memory card with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to execute the procedure. You see, the ransomware runs automatically as the system boots and encodes any new files created or imported into your PC. To block this process – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential programs to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What can I do right now?
Many of the encrypted files might still be at your disposal
- If you exchanged your important files via email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
- You may have shared images or videos with your friends or family members. Simply ask them to give those pictures 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 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, cellphone, flash memory, etc.
HINT: You can employ file recovery utilities2 to get your lost data back since ransomware blocks 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 can do it only after you eradicate the ransomware itself with an anti-malware program.
