The Tyson Ransomware falls under the Chaos ransomware family. A harmful program of this type encrypts all user’s data on the PC (images, documents, excel sheets, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its own extension to every file, leaving the DECRYPTION INSTRUCTIONS.txt text files in each directory which contains the encrypted files.
What is known about the Tyson Ransomware?
☝️ Tyson is a Chaos family agent.
Tyson will add its own .tyson extension to every file’s title. For instance, a file entitled “photo.jpg” will be turned into “photo.jpg.tyson”. Likewise, the Excel file with the name “table.xlsx” will end up as “table.xlsx.tyson”, and so on.
In each directory containing the encrypted files, a DECRYPTION INSTRUCTIONS.txt text file will appear. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information on the ways of contacting the racketeers and some other remarks. The ransom note most probably contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the racketeers. That is how they do it.
Tyson Overview:
| Name | Tyson Ransomware |
| Ransomware family1 | Chaos ransomware |
| Extension | .tyson |
| Ransomware note | DECRYPTION INSTRUCTIONS.txt |
| Ransom | $65 |
| 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 .tyson extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Tyson virus |
The DECRYPTION INSTRUCTIONS.txt file coming in package with the Tyson malware provides the following dispiriting information:
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 $300. 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 - https://www.coinmama.com Bitpanda - https://www.bitpanda.com Payment information Amount: 0.0051 BTC Bitcoin Address: 19DpJAWr6NCVT2oAnWieozQPsRK7Bj83r4
In the screenshot below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Tyson looks like. Each filename has the “.tyson” extension added to it.
An example of encrypted .tyson files.
How did my machine catch Tyson ransomware?
There are many possible ways of ransomware infiltration.
Nowadays, there are three most exploited methods for criminals to have ransomware working in your system. These are email spam, Trojan introduction and peer-to-peer networks.
- If you open your inbox and see emails that look just like notifications from utility services providers, postal 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 harmful item attached to them. Thus it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with letters like these.
- Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan horse scheme. A Trojan is a program that gets into your PC disguised as something legal. For instance, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some service. But what is unboxed reveals itself a harmful agent that encrypts your data. Since the installation wizard can have any title and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the resource of the files you’re downloading. The best way is to trust the software companies’ official websites.
- As for the peer-to-peer file transfer protocols like torrent trackers 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. Our suggestion is that you use trustworthy resources. Also, it is a good idea to scan the folder containing the downloaded objects with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is finished.
How do I get rid of ransomware?
It is crucial to inform you that besides encrypting your data, the Tyson Ransomware will most likely install Vidar Stealer on your PC to get access to credentials to different accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). That program can derive your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling data.
Remove Tyson 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 Tyson 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 “Tyson” 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 Tyson 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 decrypt some of your files so you know that they indeed have the decryption tool. Since Tyson Ransomware is a relatively new ransomware, anti-malware engineers have not yet found a way to undo its work. However, the anti-ransomware instruments are frequently upgraded, so the effective countermeasure may soon be available.
Understandably, if the hackers succeed in encoding victim’s essential data, the hopeless person will probably comply with their demands. Despite that, paying to racketeers gives no guarantee that you’re getting your files back. It is still dangerous. After obtaining the money, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the victim. There were reports of hackers simply vanishing after getting the money without even bothering to reply.
The optimal safety measure against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud drive or at least on an external disk. Obviously, that might be insufficient. Your most important thing could be that one you were working on when it all happened. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also wise to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the system is rolled back.
There are other ransomware products, besides Tyson, that work similarly. Examples of those are Bixi, Hlas, Ior, and some others. The two major differences between them and the Tyson are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is almost identical: files become inaccessible, their extensions altered, ransom notes are created in each directory containing encrypted files.
Some fortunate victims were able to decode the blocked files with the aid of the free tools provided by anti-ransomware developers. Sometimes the racketeers mistakenly send the decryption key to the wronged in the ransom note. Such an extraordinary fail allows the user to restore the files. But naturally, one should never expect such a chance. Remember, ransomware is a tamperers’ tool to pull the money out of their victims.
How do I avert ransomware infiltration?
Tyson ransomware doesn’t have a superpower, so as any similar malware.
You can protect your system from ransomware infiltration within several easy steps:
- Never open any letters from unknown mailers with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (how can you win in a money prize draw without participating in it?). In case the email subject is likely something you are expecting, check all elements of the questionable letter with caution. A fake letter will always have a mistake.
- Do not use cracked or unknown programs. Trojan viruses are often shared as an element of cracked software, most likely 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 seek. Try to find information on this program on the anti-malware forums, but the optimal solution is not to use such software.
- And to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, use GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This program will be a perfect armor for your PC.
FAQ
🤔 How can I open “.tyson” files?Is it possible to open“.tyson” files?
There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.tyson” files are decrypted.
🤔 The encrypted files are very important to me. How can I decrypt them quickly?
Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. Otherwise, you might try to employ System Restore. The only question is whether you have saved any Restore Points that would be helpful now. There are other ways to beat ransomware, but they take time.
🤔 You have advised using GridinSoft Anti-Malware to get rid of the Tyson virus. Does it mean that all my files, currently encrypted, will be removed too?
No way! Unlike the ransomware program itself, the encrypted files do not jeopardize your system.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will delete the infections from your PC. The virus that has infiltrated your system is must be still active and launching checks every so often to arrest any new files you might create on your PC after the attack. As it has been said above, the Tyson Ransomware comes with the company. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide criminals with easy access to your computer after some time.
🤔 What actions should I take if the Tyson ransomware has blocked my computer and I can’t get the activation code.
In such an unfortunate situation, you need to have a memory stick with a pre-installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to do the cleaning. The point is that the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encodes any new files created or brought into your machine. To block this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential programs to run automatically. Consider reading our manual on running Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 What can I do right now?
Some of the blocked files can be found elsewhere.
- If you exchanged your important files through email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
- You might have shared images or videos with your friends or relatives. 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 media pages, and cloud storage might have all those files too.
- Maybe you still have the needed files on your old computer, a notebook, cellphone, memory stick, etc.
USEFUL TIP: You can employ data recovery utilities2 to get your lost data back since ransomware blocks the copies of your files, removing the original ones. In the tutorial below, you can learn how to use PhotoRec for such a recovery, but be advised: you can do it only after you eradicate the virus with an anti-malware program.
