Remove UYRO Ransomware Virus (DECRYPT .uyro FILES)

remove UYRO ransomware virus and learn how to decrypt or repair files with .uyro extension (free guide)

UYRO ransomware leverages encryption to lock files on victim’s computer

Contents

UYRO ransomware leverages encryption to lock files on victim’s computer
Ways through which ransomware can come into a computer
Remove UYRO ransomware virus and restore encrypted data
Decrypt UYRO files
Frequently Asked Questions

UYRO ransomware is a malicious computer virus developed with intention to encrypt all files on the target system. It is a recognized variant from the STOP/DJVU ransomware family that appends .uyro extension to names of encrypted data. For instance, files originally named 1.jpg, 2.txt or 3.png will appear as 1.jpg.uyro, 2.txt.uyro, 3.png.uyro and the rest of the data will be renamed in the same manner. The virus also makes effort to save a copy of a ransom note named _readme.txt into each visited folder.

The aim of this malware is to extort money from computer users who do not have data backups. It operates by locking the data with military-grade encryption, which can be reversed only with the help of UYRO decryption key, typically unique per each victim (except cases where offline encryption key is used).

The criminals behind this malware have released over 600 variants already, and continue to threaten computer users worldwide. These viruses are mainly made available to potential targets via fake cracked software downloads. In this article, we will overview the ransom note contents, discuss additional dangers related to this virus, explain typical ransomware distribution methods and provide instructions on how to remove UYRO ransomware for good.

The ransom note promises a discount for those who rush to contact the cybercriminals

As stated previously, the ransomware encrypts files and drops a copy of _readme.txt note in every folder that contains at least one encrypted file with .uyro extension. The note holds a notification from the malware operators, who roughly state that paying money to them is the only way out of the unfortunate situation.

The note then details what types of data have been encrypted during the computer attack – documents, images, videos, databases and other types. Then follows a reassurance that the user can still revert the damage by paying a ransom, or, as the perpetrators put it, “purchasing” the decryption tool. The note also states that victims who write an email to the crooks within 72 hours can expect a 50% discount on the ransom amount (instead of $980, the ransomware operators may accept $490).

In addition, the note mentions the possibility to test the decryption service. If the victim attaches one encrypted file and the identification string to the email, the criminals may send a decrypted file version back only to prove they can restore the rest of victim’s files. However, they will also clarify that ransom can only be paid using cryptocurrency to rule out any possibility to track the perpetrators down.

Law enforcement agencies like FBI do not recommend paying ransoms due to several reasons. First of all, it never guarantees that data will be restored in full, second, it makes the victim a desirable target in future attacks since the user be identified as someone who is willing to pay up. Moreover, the more ransoms the attackers receive, the more damage they can later. Money helps them to employ more software developers, distributors and so on.

The ransomware comes with information-stealing Trojans

Another interesting discovery regarding UYRO ransomware samples we analyzed on VirusTotal is that its launcher drops additional threats on the system, namely Vidar, AZORult or RedLine Stealer, all of which fall into Remote Access Trojans (RATs) category. These threats operate by harvesting information from installed Internet browsers: login credentials, autocomplete data, and credit card information. In addition, they can steal cryptocurrency wallets and other data from the system.

With their hands on such information, the criminals can continue their attempts to blackmail and extort the computer user. This is why it is extremely vital to remove UYRO ransomware virus along other malware dropped without a delay. The best software to use for this task (according to our experts) is INTEGO Antivirus. You can also download RESTORO for repairing virus-damaged Windows OS files as an additional step. Do not forget to boot your computer in Safe Mode with Networking first, as explained in the guide prepared by us (you can find it below the article).

Ransomware Summary

Name	UYRO Ransomware Virus
Type	Ransomware; Crypto-malware; Virtual Extortion Virus
Family	STOP/DJVU
Encryption type	RSA 2048 + Salsa20
Previous versions	KAAA, BGJS, BGZQ (find full list here)
Version	609th
Extension	.uyro
Cybercriminal emails	support@fishmail.top and datarestorehelp@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 .uyro 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	Trojan:Win32/Azorult.FW!MTB (Microsoft), Gen:Heur.Mint.Zard.52 (B) (Emsisoft), HEUR:Trojan.Win32.Scarsi.gen (Kaspersky), Gen:Heur.Mint.Zard.52 (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 like INTEGO Antivirus. To repair virus damage on Windows OS files, download and try RESTORO (secure download link).

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Ways through which ransomware can come into a computer

Ransomware-type computer viruses are mainly distributed via illegal online downloads, such as pirated or cracked software, rogue ads promoting fake software update installers, or downloaded via malicious email attachments.

The primary distribution method most commonly reported by victims of STOP/DJVU ransomware specifically is through fake cracked/pirated software installers. The same method is used for distribution of UYRO virus. During our research, we have discovered that the malicious files can be downloaded via rogue website network that ranks high in Google search results whenever users search for software or game cracks and other untrustworthy locations, such as torrent listings.

It is generally advisable to avoid such websites because attempts to install premium software using cracks often results in malware installation. The only way to get genuine programs or games is via official and trustworthy websites of respective software developers or affiliates.

Malware can also be distributed in a form of an email attachment – so computer users should be very careful when checking their emails. Unfortunately, email service providers do not successfully capture all spam and phishing via their detection systems, so dangerous or deceptive messages can still slip into your inbox folder without getting caught.

That being said, remember that criminals often pretend to be someone they’re not, for example, your colleague, boss, a well-known company, etc. They tend to do a lot of grammar mistakes and use very generic greeting lines in their emails (for example, “Dear valued customer“). You can also hover your mouse over the sender’s name to reveal the email address and discover whether it comes from an enterprise email or from an individual’s email address. However, your decision whether to interact with the email’s attachments should not rely on the email address solely – because it can be spoofed.

Finally, be careful of deceptive ads that urge you to install “required updates.” Most of the time, such installers are fraudulent and contain a bunch of spyware/malware. Therefore, if you are hesitant whether some of your programs need to be updated, check for updates via the software itself or via its official developer’s website.

Remove UYRO ransomware virus and restore encrypted data

If you’ve one of those unfortunate computer users who have fallen victim to a ransomware attack, your top priority task should be to remove UYRO ransomware virus and other threats from the Windows OS as soon as possible. For deleting malware remains, we recommend following the guide provided below.

First, boot your computer in Safe Mode with Networking, then run an antivirus solution of your choice. Our team recommends using INTEGO Antivirus and also download RESTORO to repair virus damage on Windows operating system files.

Once all malware is removed and damaged files repaired, you can use a data backup to fully restore the majority of encrypted data. In addition, do not forget to change your passwords that you’ve used and saved on your computer.

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UYRO 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 UYRO 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 UYRO 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. 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.

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Decrypt UYRO files

Fix and open large UYRO 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 UYRO 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. UYRO Ransomware Virus is considered the new STOP/DJVU variant, just like KAAA, BGJS, BGZQ (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 UYRO 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 UYRO 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 UYRO 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 UYRO 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 UYRO 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 .UYRO files?

You can only open UYRO 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 UYRO 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 UYRO 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.