Gru – General Info
The Gru mean a ransomware-type infection. The infection comes from the HiddenTear ransomware family. Gru was elaborated specifically to encrypt all major file types. As soon as the file is encrypted people are unable to use them. Gru adds the “.Gru” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, when encrypted by Gru, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.Gru“. As soon as the encryption is finished, Gru places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.The message given by Gru text file asking for the ransom is absolutely the same as the statements given by other ransomware representatives coming from the HiddenTear clan. It literally points out that the info is encrypted and that the only way to restore it is to use a an unique decryption key. Unfortunately, this is definitely true. The sort of cryptography mechanism used by Gru is still not appropriately examined. Still, it is absolutely certain that each victim might be given the specific decryption key, which is absolutely distinct. It is difficult to restore the files without the key available.
Another technique of Gru is that the victims cannot get to the key. The key is saved on a particular server run by the frauds related to Gru ransomware. To get the key and recover the important information people have to pay the ransom.
Gru encrypted your documents, but that might not be the only damage done to you. The ransomware might still be hidingon your computer. To identify whether this holds true, we suggest downloading GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
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Nonetheless, irrespective of the asked for amount, people need to stay away from paying the virus. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to totally ignore what their victims feel about the problem, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom typically does not give any positive result and people simply waste their money for absolutely nothing.
We highly encourage that you do not contact these crooks and certainly do not transfer money into their accounts. It is said to admit that there are no utilities able to crack Gru ransomware and to recover the data data totally free. Thus, the only best decision is to recover the lost information from the available backup.
Virus Summary
| Name | Gru Ransomware |
| File Extension | .Gru |
| Type | Ransomware |
| Family | HiddenTear |
| Short Description | The ransomware encrypts all the data stored on your system and requires a ransom to be paid on your part supposedly to recover your important files. |
| Symptoms | File encryption by the ransomware is performed by means of the AES and RSA encryption algorithms. Once the encryption is completed, the ransomware adds its special Gru extension to all the files modified by it. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments |
| Removal Tool | GridinSoft Anti-Malware |
Keep in mind that the internet is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to Gru ransomware. Destructive programs of such kind are normally elaborated to encrypt essential data and to state the need before the user to pay the ransom. The peculiarity of all such ransomware threats is that all apply a similar algorithm to generate the special decryption key for files decryption.
Therefore, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, by hand recovering the information is just not feasible. The only method to prevent the loss of your crucial data is to routinely create backups of your important information.
Bear in mind that even if you create such backups, they need to be put into a special storage utility not connect to your main computer. You may use the Memory Stick or external hard disk for this purpose, or refer to the help of the cloud storage. If you save your backup files on your common system they may be encrypted together with other files, so it’s certainly not a good storage place.
How did ransomware infect my computer?
There are numerous ways used by online frauds to distribute Gru ransom virus. Although it doubts how exactly Gru injects your computer, there are some leaks through which it may infiltrate the system:
- integration with third-party software, especially freeware;
- spam emails from unidentified senders;
- websites rendering free hosting services;
- pirated peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads.
Typically Gru ransomware may be presented as some legitimate software application, for instance, in the pop-ups advising users to carry out some crucial software updates. This is the typical trick used by online frauds to persuade people into downloading and installing Gru infection manually, by methods of their direct participation in the installation process.
Additionally, the criminals may refer to numerous email spam techniques to inject destructive codes into Windows PC. So, they may refer to to sending unsolicited spam e-mails with tricky notices promoting users to download the attachments or click on certain download links, for example, the ones motivating users to open some video, documents, tax reports or invoices.
Needless to mention, opening such files or clicking on such dangerous links may badly harm the PC. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player upgrade alerts may result in Gru virus injection. When it comes to the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may likewise include harmful codes leading to Gru secret installation. Lastly, injection of Gru may occur by ways of Trojans that covertly get injected into the system and set up harmful tools without the user’s approval.
Is there any way to prevent the injection of Gru ransom virus?
Even though there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your computer from getting infected, there are some pieces of advice we wish to show with you. First of all, be very cautious when you browse the web and particularly while downloading complimentary apps. Stay away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.
Bear in mind that some freeware installers may contain other unwanted utilities in the bundle, so they may be malicious. Make sure that your current anti-virus and your entire operating system is always duly updated.
Naturally, downloading pirated software is unlawful and may result in essential damage to be produced your PC. For this reason, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise highly recommended to reconsider your existing security software and possibly change to another security solution that can render far better services of protecting your Windows.
Below please find the quotation from the Gru text file:
HEY !!! 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 $1,500. 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 - hxxps://www.coinmama.com Bitpanda - hxxps://www.bitpanda.com Payment informationAmount: 0.1473766 BTC Bitcoin Address: bc1qw0ll8p9m8uezhqhyd7z459ajrk722yn8c5j4fg
Screenshot of files with “.Gru” extension added by the ransomware:
Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove Gru ransomware from your computer
1.Download GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:
2. Double-click on the setup file.
When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-ag.exe file to install GridinSoft Anti-Malware on your computer.
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.
3. Press Install button for run GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
3.Once installed, GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically run.
4. Wait for the GridinSoft Anti-Malware scan to complete.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your computer for Win Speedup 2018 and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so we suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.
5. 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.
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