Remove NUHB Ransomware Virus (DECRYPT .nuhb FILES)

remove NUHB ransomware virus and learn how to decrypt or repair your files (free guide)

NUHB ransomware hits computers worldwide to encrypt files on them

Contents

NUHB ransomware hits computers worldwide to encrypt files on them
- Ransomware Summary
Ransomware distribution explained
Remove NUHB Ransomware Virus and Decrypt Your Files
Decrypt NUHB files
Frequently Asked Questions

NUHB ransomware is a recently released computer virus variant from the infamous STOP/DJVU ransomware family. After breaking into the target system, it encrypts all files on it, including documents, photos, videos and other data formats and marks the original filenames with an additional .nuhb extension. Following the attack, a file initially named 1.jpg appears as 1.jpg.nuhb, 1.txt becomes 1.txt.nuhb and so on. To deliver a message from the ransomware operators, the virus is designed to drop a copy of _readme.txt note in each computer folder. The message in it explains that the cybercriminals expect the computer user to pay a ransom in exchange for a NUHB file decryption tool.

Just like any other typical ransomware, NUHB virus seeks to extort the computer user by locking personal or work files stored on it and offering a solution – purchase the suggested decryption tool and a dedicated decryption key or lose files for good. The ransom note recommends writing to the criminals via provided email addresses which are support@sysmail.ch and supportsys@airmail.cc, respectively.

The _readme.txt note also contains conditions regarding the ransom payment. According to the message, the criminals are willing to provide a 50% discount on the initial ransom and settle for $490, but only in case the victim pays the ransom within 72 hours of being infected. If the victim fails to fit into this timeframe, the criminals will demand paying the full amount which is $980. In both cases, the criminals will ask you to purchase cryptocurrency worth the said amount and transfer it to the virtual wallet address they will provide. This transaction method prevents law enforcement agencies such as FBI from tracking them down.

On top of that, the ransomware operators introduce their “test decryption service” which the victim can use. They suggest attaching one encrypted file (preferably one that doesn’t contain valuable information) to the email and sending it along victim’s personal ID to the provided email addresses. They promise to reply with a decrypted file version attached. The reason behind this test decryption service is to encourage the victim to pay up.

FBI and the community of cybersecurity experts strongly advise against ransom payments because it doesn’t guarantee data recovery and helps the attackers to create even more malware. Besides, evaluate the risk of becoming a target again, because cybercriminals often tend to target those who are willing to pay up.

Analysis of this ransomware revealed that it has a tendency to avoid encrypting files in computers located in specific countries, including Russia, Belarus, Syria, Armenia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Kazachstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. To find out the infected computer’s location, the virus requests a response from https[:]//api.2ip.ua/geo.json and saves the outcome to the geo.json file. It contains IP address, city, country, zip code, longitude and latitude of the computer.

Speaking of additional damages inflicted by this ransomware, we must mention that it typically travels along VIDAR and AZORULT, both known for being dangerous Trojans capable of stealing private information from victim’s computer. For example, their functionalities include allowing remote access to victim’s computer, stealth of login credentials, banking information, browsing history and cookies and more. With their hands on such data, crooks can continue to blackmail you via email.

Computer users who have been hit by this malware are recommended to run a full system scan using a trustworthy antivirus to remove NUHB ransomware virus safely. Before doing so, do not forget to boot your PC in Safe Mode with Networking first. After the malware removal is complete, consider our recommendation to download RESTORO (secure download link) to scan, identify and repair virus damage to Windows OS files.

Ransomware Summary

Name	NUHB Ransomware Virus
Type	Ransomware; Crypto-malware; Virtual Extortion Virus
Family	STOP/DJVU
Encryption type	RSA 2048 + Salsa20
Previous versions	HAJD, QPSS, DWQS, NUHB, MSJD, DMAY, JHDD (find full list here)
Version	453rd
Extension	.nuhb
Cybercriminal emails	support@sysmail.ch and supportsys@airmail.cc
Additional malware dropped	Azorult or Vidar Trojan
Damage	The ransomware uses encryption to maliciously modify all files on the PC and marks their original names with .nuhb extension. Ransom notes called as _readme.txt will be dropped in every computer folder. This piece of malware usually drags VIDAR Stealer alongside it and also eliminates VSS from the system. On top of that, it tends to modify Windows HOSTS file to restrict computer user’s access to cybersecurity-related websites online.
Ransom note	_readme.txt
Ransom demand	$490-$980 in Bitcoin
Distribution	Victims often download this ransomware along illegal torrent downloads, cracked software, activators, key generators or tools like KMSPico.
Known software cracks to contain this malware	Corel Draw, Tenorshare 4ukey, Adobe Photoshop, Cubase, Adobe Illustrator, Internet Download Manager, Tally, League of Legends.
Detection names	Ransom:Win32/StopCrypt.PAL!MTB (Microsoft), Trojan.Crypt (A) (Emsisoft), HEUR:Trojan-Ransom.Win32.Stop.gen (Kaspersky), Trojan.GenericKD.47850419 (BitDefender), Trojan.MalPack.GS (Malwarebytes), ML.Attribute.HighConfidence (Symantec) see all detection name variations on VirusTotal
Removal	Remove ransomware and related malware from your PC using trustworthy software. To repair virus damage on Windows OS files, consider scanning with RESTORO (secure download link).

REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE

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Scan your system for FREE to detect security, hardware and stability issues. You can use the scan results and try to remove threats manually, or you can choose to get the full version of software to fix detected issues and repair virus damage to Windows OS system files automatically. Includes Avira spyware/malware detection & removal engine.

Screenshot of files encrypted by this ransomware is provided below.

Contents of _readme.txt ransom note are shown below.

Ransomware distribution explained

Computer viruses that fall into ransomware category are mostly pushed via drive-by downloads, fake software updates, malicious email attachments, pirated software versions and similar channels. When inspecting distribution methods used to spread STOP/DJVU ransomware including NUHB virus, we have noticed that the majority of victims report noticing their files encrypted after downloading a pirated software version via torrents or rogue websites online.

You should be very careful when choosing a place to download a desired computer program from. Our team advises you to avoid shady websites offering “100% free full and safe” software versions that are typically premium products that can only be activated using unique license keys. These keys should be purchased via the official software developer’s website. If you try to activate such programs using software cracks or keygens, there is a great chance that your computer will get contaminated with unwanted programs that can inflict severe damage to your personal information or files.

Victims who were previously infected with STOP/DJVU versions report being tricked by the ransomware which was hidden in pirated versions of these popular programs:

Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop/Premiere Pro;
AutoCad;
Cubase;
Virtual DJ Pro;
VMware Workstation;
Tenorshare 4ukey;
Corel Draw;
League of Legends;
Internet Download Manager.

That said, we strongly recommend that you download your programs from trustworthy websites only. The same can be said about software updates – you should never trust aggressive online ads suggesting that your programs are outdated. If you’re unsure, head to the official software developer’s website and check for secure updates here. Fake software update tools pushed via malicious ads are a very common source of malware infections.

Another ransomware distribution method that cybercriminals actively use is distributing malware through malicious email spam. They compose convincing documents named as Invoice, Order Summary, Payment Details or similar and inject some malicious script into it. Such documents typically arrive in DOCX, PDF, EXCEL or similar formats and, after being launched, the malicious script in them downloads and runs the ransomware payload on the computer.

If you want to avoid getting infected, try to avoid emails that reach you by surprise. Remember that crooks like to pretend they’re writing from a legitimate company, such as DHL, Amazon, eBay or various banks. They might even leverage email address spoofing to convince potential targets to click on attached files. Moreover, watch out for other suspicious signs such as unfamiliar greeting line or typo mistakes in the email.

We do understand that you’d like to decrypt your files as soon as possible. However, we recommend that you read about only available data decryption/repair tools at the moment that can only be used under certain circumstances. Beware that there are a lot of fake websites advertising file decryption tools, however, these tools are full of malware that can cause even more damage to your computer.

Remove NUHB Ransomware Virus and Decrypt Your Files

Take action to remove NUHB ransomware virus without a delay. To initiate a computer scan using a trustworthy antivirus software in a more secure environment, we recommend booting your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. After the antivirus does the cleaning of malicious remains, we recommend you to download this tool RESTORO (secure download link) to repair virus damage on Windows OS files.

After completing NUHB ransomware removal, read these recommendations:

Report the ransomware attack to your local police department.
Data backups can be used to restore lost files. If you didn’t have any, try recovering as much files as you can using various sources – such as your phone, SD cards, cloud storage. You can also recover the majority of files from the Downloads folder since these files were downloaded from external sources.
Read about ways STOP/DJVU encrypted files could be decrypted or repaired.
Change all passwords associated with the compromised computer.

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Our team recommends removing malware using a professional antivirus software and then using the following tool to repair virus damage to Windows system files:

REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER

DOWNLOAD RESTORO

RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically.

RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them.

Read full review here.

GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more.

NUHB Ransomware Virus Removal Guidelines

Method 1. Enter Safe Mode with Networking

Step 1. Start Windows in Safe Mode with Networking

Before you try to remove NUHB Ransomware Virus virus, you must start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Below, we provide the easiest ways to boot PC in the said mode, but you can find additional ones in this in-depth tutorial on our website – How to Start Windows in Safe Mode. Also, if you prefer a video version of the tutorial, check our guide How to Start Windows in Safe Mode on Youtube.

Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users

First of all, turn off your PC. Then press the Power button to start it again and instantly start pressing F8 button on your keyboard repeatedly in 1-second intervals. This launches the Advanced Boot Options menu.
Use arrow keys on the keyboard to navigate down to Safe Mode with Networking option and press Enter.

Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users

Open Windows Start menu, then press down the Power button. On your keyboard, press down and hold the Shift key, and then select Restart option.
This will take you to Windows Troubleshoot screen. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart. Tip: If you can't find Startup Settings, click See more recovery options.
In Startup Settings, press the right key between F1-F9 to enter Safe Mode with Networking. In this case, it is the F5 key.

Step 2. Remove files associated with the virus

Now, you can search for and remove NUHB Ransomware Virus files. It is very hard to identify files and registry keys that belong to the ransomware virus, Besides, malware creators tend to rename and change them repeatedly. Therefore, the easiest way to uninstall such type of a computer virus is to use a reliable security program such as INTEGO Antivirus, which also includes data recovery software. For virus damage repair, consider using RESTORO.

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Method 2. Use System Restore

In order to use System Restore, you must have a system restore point, created either manually or automatically.

Step 1. Boot Windows in Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users

Shut down your PC. Start it again by pressing the Power button and instantly start pressing F8 button on your keyboard repeatedly in 1-second intervals. You will see Advanced Boot Options menu.
Using arrow keys on the keyboard, navigate down to Safe Mode with Command Prompt option and press Enter.

Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users

Launch Windows Start menu, then click the Power button. On your keyboard, press down and hold the Shift key, and then choose Restart option with the mouse cursor.
This will take you to Windows Troubleshoot screen. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart. Tip: If you can't find Startup Settings, click See more recovery options.
In Startup Settings, press the right key between F1-F9 to enter Safe Mode with Command Prompt. In this case, press F6 key.

Step 2. Start System Restore process

Wait until system loads and command prompt shows up.
Type cd restore and press Enter, then type rstrui.exe and press Enter. Or you can just type %systemroot%system32restorerstrui.exe in command prompt and hit Enter.
This launches System Restore window. Click Next and then choose a System Restore point created in the past. Choose one that was created before ransomware infection.
Click Yes to begin the system restoration process.

After restoring the system, we recommend scanning the system with antivirus or anti-malware software. In most cases, there won't be any malware remains, but it never hurts to double-check. In addition, we highly recommend checking ransomware prevention guidelines provided by our experts in order to protect your PC against similar viruses in the future.

Alternative software recommendations

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

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Decrypt NUHB files

Fix and open large NUHB files easily:

It is reported that STOP/DJVU ransomware versions encrypt only the beginning 150 KB of each file to ensure that the virus manages to affect all files on the system. In some cases, the malicious program might skip some files at all. That said, we recommend testing this method on several big (>1GB) files first.

Create a copy of encrypted file to a separate folder using Copy > Paste commands.
Now, right-click the created copy and choose Rename. Select the NUHB extension and delete it. Press Enter to save changes.
In the prompt asking whether you want to make the changes as file might become unusable, click OK.
Try opening the file.

STOP/DJVU decryption tool usage guide

STOP/DJVU ransomware versions are grouped into old and new variants. NUHB Ransomware Virus is considered the new STOP/DJVU variant, just like HAJD, QPSS, DWQS, NUHB, MSJD, DMAY, JHDD (find full list here). This means full data decryption is now possible only if you have been affected by offline encryption key. To decrypt your files, you will have to download Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP DJVU, a tool created and maintained by a genius security researcher Michael Gillespie.

Note! Please do not spam the security researcher with questions whether he can recover your files encrypted with online key - it is not possible.

In order to test the tool and see if it can decrypt NUHB files, follow the given tutorial.

Download the decryption tool from Emsisoft.
Click the little arrow next to your download and choose Show in Folder.
Now, right-click the file and choose Run as Administrator. If asked, enter administrator's password.
In UAC window, click Yes.
Click Yes to agree to software terms in both windows.
The tool will automatically include C:// disk as a location to decrypt. The file recovery tool will prepopulate the locations to scan, including connected data storage drives or network drives. Click Add folder if you wish to add additional locations.
In Options tab, you can choose to keep encrypted file copies. We recommend leaving this option selected, especially if you do not know if the decryption tool will work.
Click Decrypt to start restoring NUHB files. You will see the progress in the Results tab. Here, you can see messages from the tool, such as whether the decryption procedure is successful, or you need to wait for an update.
You might also be informed that online key was used to encrypt your files. In such case, the decryption tool won't work for you, and the only way to recover your files is to use a data backup.

Meanings of decryptor's messages

The NUHB decryption tool might display several different messages after failed attempt to restore your files. You might receive one of the following messages:

Error: Unable to decrypt file with ID: [example ID]

This message typically means that there is no corresponding decryption key in the decryptor's database.

No key for New Variant online ID: [example ID]
Notice: this ID appears to be an online ID, decryption is impossible

This message informs that your files were encrypted with online key, meaning no one else has the same encryption/decryption key pair, therefore data recovery without paying the criminals is impossible.

Result: No key for new variant offline ID: [example ID]
This ID appears to be an offline ID. Decryption may be possible in the future.

If you were informed that an offline key was used, but files could not be restored, it means that the offline decryption key isn't available yet. However, receiving this message is extremely good news, meaning that it might be possible to restore your NUHB extension files in the future. It can take a few months until the decryption key gets found and uploaded to the decryptor. We recommend you to follow updates regarding the decryptable DJVU versions here. We strongly recommend backing up your encrypted data and waiting.

Report Internet crime to legal departments

Victims of NUHB Ransomware Virus should report the Internet crime incident to the official government fraud and scam website according to their country:

In the United States, go to the On Guard Online website.
In Australia, go to the SCAMwatch website.
In Germany, go to the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik website.
In Ireland, go to the An Garda Síochána website.
In New Zealand, go to the Consumer Affairs Scams website.
In the United Kingdom, go to the Action Fraud website.
In Canada, go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
In India, go to Indian National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.
In France, go to the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information.

If you can't find an authority corresponding to your location on this list, we recommend using any search engine to look up "[your country name] report cyber crime". This should lead you to the right authority website. We also recommend staying away from third-party crime report services that are often paid. It costs nothing to report Internet crime to official authorities.

Another recommendation is to contact your country's or region’s federal police or communications authority.

Frequently Asked Questions

✓ How can I open .NUHB files?

You can only open NUHB files if you have the decryption key, or if you were affected by offline encryption type.

✓ How do I know if my files were encrypted with offline or online encryption?

To figure out whether you were affected by offline encryption, please go to C:/SystemID/PersonalID.txt and see if the string inside of it ends in t1. You can also try using Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP/DJVU.

✓ My files contain very important information (family memories). Every tool I used says it is impossible to decrypt. What should I do?

Please follow the guidances provided by the official NUHB decryption tools and believe what they say. If they say it is impossible to decrypt, it really is so. There is no magic tool or human capable of decrypting your files hiding somewhere. Encryption is a technique created to be nearly impossible to decrypt without a special private key (held by the criminals).

✓ I am afraid virus is still in my computer system. What should I do?

We advise scanning with anti-virus, anti-malware, malware removal tools or software like RESTORO to eliminate virus damage on the system. If you do not trust using a single tool, try running one after another. However, we do not recommend keeping several security programs on a computer at once as they can interfere with each other's work.

✓ I saw several Youtube videos suggesting secret decryption tools. Can I trust them?

Beware of fake NUHB decryption tools circulating around the web. Cyber criminals are uploading them to various shady websites, also might be promoting them via suspicious Youtube videos. These programs can infect your computer even more heavily (Trojans, miners, etc.). We suggest being extremely cautious around the web. If there will be an official STOP/DJVU decryption tool available, it will be widely discussed in public media.

Norbert Webb

Norbert Webb is the head of Geek’s Advice team. He is the chief editor of the website who controls the quality of content published. The man also loves reading cybersecurity news, testing new software and sharing his insights on them. Norbert says that following his passion for information technology was one of the best decisions he has ever made. “I don’t feel like working while I’m doing something I love.” However, the geek has other interests, such as snowboarding and traveling.