RansomwareRemoval Guide

Remove Hive Virus (.hive Files Ransomware) – Scratch Ransomware

Hive Virus Ransomware

The Hive mean a ransomware-type infection. The infection comes from the Scratch ransomware family. Hive was elaborated particularly to encrypt all major file types. When the file is encrypted people are not able to use them. Hive adds the “.hive” extension for each file encrypted by it. For example, the file “myphoto.jpg“, once encrypted by Hive, will be renamed into “myphoto.jpg.hive“. As soon as the encryption is finished, Hive places a special text file into every folder containing the encrypted data.

The message given by Hive text file requesting for the ransom is absolutely the like the statements given by other ransomware representatives belonging to the Scratch type. It actually points out that the info is encrypted and that the only way to bring back it is to use a a distinct decryption key. Unfortunately, this is definitely true. The type of cryptography mechanism applied by Hive is still not properly examined. Still, it is definitely certain that each victim may be given the specific decryption key, which is totally distinct. It is impossible to bring back the files without the key available.

Another technique of Hive is that the victims cannot gain access to the key. The key is saved on a particular server run by the frauds associated with Hive ransomware. To get the key and recover the important info people need to pay the ransom.

Nonetheless, irrespective of the asked for amount, people must keep away from paying the virus. Cyber frauds are not fair, so they tend to completely disregard what their victims feel about the issue, even when the payment reaches their pockets. This is why paying the ransom generally does not provide any positive outcome and people simply waste their money for absolutely nothing.

We strongly recommend that you do not contact these crooks and definitely do not transfer money into their accounts. It is said to admit that there are no utilities able to crack Hive ransomware and to recover the data data totally free. Hence, the just best decision is to recover the lost data from the available backup.

Virus Summary

NameHive Ransomware
File Extension.hive
TypeRansomware
FamilyScratch
Short DescriptionThe 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.
SymptomsFile 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 hive extension to all the files modified by it.
Distribution MethodSpam Emails, Email Attachments
Removal Tool   GridinSoft Anti-Malware

Bear in mind that the internet is now overwhelmed with threats that look comparable to Hive ransomware. Malicious programs of such kind are usually elaborated to encrypt essential information 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 create the unique decryption key for information decryption.

Therefore, as long as the ransomware is still being developed or has some hidden bugs, manually recovering the information is simply not feasible. The only way to avoid the loss of your important information is to routinely create backups of your important information.

Keep in mind that even if you create such backups, they should be placed 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 keep your backup files on your common system they may be encrypted along with other files, so it’s definitely not a good storage place.

How did ransomware infect my system?

There are several methods used by online frauds to distribute Hive virus. Despite the fact that it doubts how exactly Hive injects your system, there are some leaks through which it may infiltrate the system:

  • integration with third-party software application, especially freeware;
  • spam emails from unknown senders;
  • sites rendering free hosting services;
  • pirated peer-to-peer (P2P) downloads.

Frequently Hive virus might exist as some legitimate software, for example, in the pop-ups advising users to execute some crucial software updates. This is the common technique used by online frauds to persuade people into downloading and installing Hive infection manually, by ways of their direct participation in the installation process.

In addition, the criminals may describe different e-mail spam methods to inject malicious codes into systems. So, they may describe 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 encouraging users to open some receipts, files, tax reports or invoices.

Needless to mention, opening such files or clicking on such dangerous links may significantly harm the system. Fictitious Adobe Flash Player update alerts may result in Hive ransom injection. As for the cracked software, these illegally downloaded programs may also contain harmful codes leading to Hive secret installation. Finally, injection of Hive may occur by means of Trojans that secretly get injected into the system and set up harmful utilities without the user’s authorization.

Is there any method to prevent the injection of Hive ransom virus?

Even though there is no 100% guarantee to prevent your computer from getting infected, there are some pieces of suggestions we want to share with with you. First off, be extremely cautious when you surf the web and particularly while downloading free programs. Keep away from opening suspicious email attachments, especially when the sender of the email is not familiar to you.

Keep in mind that some freeware installers may contain other unwanted utilities in the bundle, so they may be destructive. Ensure that your current antivirus and your entire operating system is always duly updated.

Obviously, downloading pirated software is illegal and may lead to important damage to be made for your PC. For this reason, stay away from downloading cracked software. You are likewise strongly encouraged to reconsider your existing security software and possibly switch to another security solution that can render much better services of defending your PC.

Below please find the quotation from the Hive text file:

Your network has been breached and all data is encrypted.

To decrypt all the data you will need to purchase our decryption software.
Please contact our sales department at:

hxxp://hivecust6vhekztbqgdnkks64ucehqacge3dij3gyrrpdp57zoq3ooqd.onion/

Login: -
Password: -

Follow the guidelines below to avoid losing your data:

- Do not shutdown or reboot your computers, unmount external storages.
- Do not try to decrypt data using third party software. It may cause irreversible damage.
- Do not fool yourself. Encryption has perfect secrecy and it\'s impossible to decrypt without knowing the key.
- Do not modify, rename or delete *.key.hive files. Your data will be undecryptable.
- Do not modify or rename encrypted files. You will lose them.
- Do not report to authorities. The negotiation process will be terminated immediately and the key will be erased.
- Do not reject to purchase. Your sensitive data will be publicly disclosed at hxxp://hiveleakdbtnp76ulyhi52eag6c6tyc3xw7ez7iqy6wc34gd2nekazyd.onion/

Screenshot of files with “.hive” extension added by the ransomware:
Hive Ransomware - encrypt files with .hive extension

Use GridinSoft Anti-Malware to remove Hive ransomware from your computer

1.Download GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:

  GridinSoft Anti-Malware

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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware
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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Setup

3. Press Install button for run GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Install

3.Once installed, GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically run.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware  Start

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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan

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.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan Result

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Daniel Zimmermann

Daniel Zimmermann has been writing on security and malware subjects for many years and has been working in the security industry for over 10 years. Daniel was educated at the Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany and currently lives in New York.

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