An infection with the dangerous .tastylock Virus leads to serious security issues. Victims can restore and protect their computers by following our complete removal guide.
Remove .tastylock Virus and Restore PC
Manual Removal Guide
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Distribution of .tastylock Virus
The .tastylock Virus is a new virus which has been sighted in a limited attack campaign. At the moment the security researchers cannot determine the primary infection strategy. We presume that the most widely used tactics are going to be employed.
Among them are the email messages created in an automated way and sent to large lists of potential victims. The .tastylock Virus can be directly attached to the messages. This is one of the easiest way for the criminals to attempt the infection. However a lot of email hosting providers usually capture the signatures of the virus and as such discard such messages or label them as dangerous or spam. Other infection methods related to this one is the option of inserting hyperlinks in the body content of the messages. The links are usually labelled as leading to a familiar website or a file of user interest. Redirects can redirect to hacker-controlled sites, infected payloads or other instances that can lead to an .tastylock Virus infection.
The computer criminals behind the malware can create malicious sites or download portals which distribute malware of different kinds, including the .tastylock Virus. A popular option is the use of infected documents which may be of different types ‒ spreadsheets, rich text documents, presentations and databases. They are modified to initiate the virus once the built-in scripts are run. Usually when the files are opened a notification will ask the users to run the macros (scripts). If this is done the infection follows.
The hacker-controlled sites are specialist portals that have been created either manually or automatically by the criminals behind the .tastylock Virus. They can either directly distribute the threat by initiating various scripts or automated operations or link to such instances. Redirects are usually caused by email interaction, ad networks or other browsing activity. However one of the main sources is the availability of browser hijackers. They are malicious addons made for the most popular web browsers ‒ Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, Microsoft Edge and Safari. Once installed they not only infect the users with the malware, but also redirect the victims to a hacker-controlled site. Depending on the configuration the browser hijackers can also steal sensitive information such as any stored passwords, account credentials, history, bookmarks, form data and settings.
Impact of .tastylock Virus
Computer security experts uncovered a new strain of the CryptoMix Ransomware family. The new variant is refered to as the .tastylock virus and represents a customized version of former strains originating from the malware. At the moment the identity of the hacker or criminal collective behind it is unknown.
Like previous versions it follows a complex behavior pattern that is executed in several stages. Right after the infection has occured the malware engine creates a resource fork and accesses critical operating system components. Some of the dangerous modifications include the following:
- Boot Options — The .tastylock virus disables the startup repair option and boot recovery options that are used by the victims to attempt to remove the virus infections.
- Data Changes — All system modifications related to files are categorized in this part of the attack behavior. Examples include the deletion of the Shadow volume information and important configuration files. As a consequence the victims need to use a professional-grade data recovery solution.
- Information Gathering — The .tastylock virus has the ability to extract a lot of sensitive data from the victim machines. This includes not only the operating system itself, but also user applications. Web browsers are a often given example as the hackers can retrieve all stored data. This includes history, bookmarks, settings, site preferences, cookies, accounts and passwords.
- Operating System Changes — They often include tactics such as services shut down, registry changes and other related modifications. As a consequence the victims might face performance issues or notice that certain applications and services may stop working.
CryptoMix ransomware strains such as the .tastylock virus are known to contact hacker command and control (C&C) servers. They might send out new commands that can cause other effects on the target computers. In certain situations they can lead to a Trojan infection. It allows the hacker controllers to take over control of the victim machines at any given time.
Other malware behavior includes the ability to institute browser hijackers. This is possible by either modifying the settings of the web browsers or delivering additional executable files or extensions. The web browser’s settings can be altered in a way which actively transmits the network traffic through the hacker-controlled servers. As a result the criminal operators can spy on the users actions in real time without resorting to the use of a Trojan component.
Once all prerequisite conditions have been met the .tastylock Virus starts the ransomware component. Like previous versions of the CryptoMix ransomware family it uses a built-in list of target file type extensions. Usually they represent the most popular data: archives, documents, backups, images, videos, music, databases and etc. Consequently all victim data is renamed with the .tastylock extension. The ransomware note itself is created in a _HELP_INSTRUCTION.TXT file that reads the following:
All you files an encrypted!
For decrypt write DECRYPT ID to [email protected]
YOU DECRYPT-ID-%s number
!!!ATTENTION!!!
Do not change!
Do not move files!
Do not use other programs (they do not work)!
You can lose your files if you do not follow the instructions!
Remove .tastylock Virus and Restore PC
WARNING! Manual removal of the .tastylock Virus requires being familiar with system files and registries. Removing important data accidentally can lead to permanent system damage. If you don’t feel comfortable with manual instructions, download a powerful anti-malware tool that will scan your system for malware and clean it safely for you.
SpyHunter anti-malware tool will diagnose all current threats on the computer. By purchasing the full version, you will be able to remove all malware threats instantly. Additional information about SpyHunter / Help to uninstall SpyHunter
.tastylock Virus – Manual Removal Steps
Start the PC in Safe Mode with Network
This will isolate all files and objects created by the ransomware so they will be removed efficiently. The steps bellow are applicable to all Windows versions.
1. Hit the WIN Key + R
2. A Run window will appear. In it, write msconfig and then press Enter
3. A Configuration box shall appear. In it Choose the tab named Boot
4. Mark Safe Boot option and then go to Network under it to tick it too
5. Apply -> OK
Remove .tastylock from Windows
Here’s a way to remove the program. This method will work regardless if you’re on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP. Simply selecting the program and pressing delete won’t work, as it’ll leave a lot of small files. That’s bad because these leftovers can linger on and cause all sorts of problems. The best way to delete a program is to uninstall it. Here’s how you can do that:
1. Hold the “Windows” button (It’s between CTRL and Alt on most keyboards) and press “R”. You’ll see a pop-up window.
2. In the textbox, type “appwiz.cpl”, then press“ Enter ”.
3. The “Programs and features” menu should now appear. It’s a list of all the programs installed on the PC. Here you can find the program, select it, and press “Uninstall“.
Remove .tastylock Virus From Your Browser
Before resetting your browser’s settings, you should know that this action will wipe out all your recorded usernames, passwords, and other types of data. Make sure to save them in some way.
- 1. Start Mozilla Firefox. In the upper right corner, click on the Open menu icon and select “Add-ons“.
2. Inside the Add-ons Manager select “Extensions“. Search the list of extensions for suspicious entries. If you find any, select them and click “Remove“.
3. Click again on the Open menu icon, then click “Options“.
4. In the Options window, under “General” tab, click “Restore to Default“.
5. Select “Search” in the left menu, mark the unknown search engine and press “Remove”.
- 1. Start Google Chrome. On the upper-right corner, there a “Customize and Control” menu icon. Click on it, then click on “Settings“.
2. Click “Extensions” in the left menu. Then click on the trash bin icon to remove the suspicious extension.
3. Again in the left menu, under Chrome, Click on “Settings“. Go under “On Startup” and set a new page.
4. Afterward, scroll down to “Search“, click on “Manage search engines“.
5. In the default search settings list, find the unknown search engine and click on “X“. Then select your search engine of choice and click “Make default“. When you are ready click “Done” button in the right bottom corner.
2. In the “Manage add-ons” window, bellow “Add-on Types“, select “Toolbars and Extensions“. If you see a suspicious toolbar, select it and click “Remove“.
3. Then again in the “Manage Add-ons” window, in “Add-on Types“, Select “Search Providers“. Chose a search engine and click “Set as default“. Select the unknown search engine and click “Remove and Close”.
4. Open the Tools menu, select “Internet Options”.
5. In the “General” tab, in “Home page”, enter your preferred page. Click “Apply” and “OK”.
Repair Windows Registry
1. Again type simultaneously the WIN Key + R key combination
2. In the box, write regedit and hit Enter
3. Type the CTRL+ F and then write the malicious name in the search type field to locate the malicious executable
4. In case you have discovered registry keys and values related to the name, you should delete them, but be careful not to delete legitimate keys
Click for more information about Windows Registry and further repair help
