Godra ransomware - How to remove

Godra ransomware virus suddenly surfaced at the end of December (2017), not too long after the discovery of File Spider virus. The main attack appears to have been primarily focused on people from Croatia. Croatian Financial Agency (FINA) even published a warning message on their website. The message informed them that a series of deceptive letters had been sent out in Croatia. Email letters pretended to be from the FINA while they were actually delivered from hackers, attempting to distribute Godra crypto-malware.

Godra crypto-virus uses 64 bit executable and targets people from Croatia

Security researchers have emphasized that this Godra virus is not an ordinary ransomware infection. It features 64 bit executable which is a not a common selection for file-encoders. In a regular version, different ransomware variants could exploit 32 bit executables (64-bit malware threat may be itty-bitty now, but its only set to grow). CryptoWall is one of the few versions that also include some 64 bit code.

On the other hand, Godra ransomware is standard when it comes to the actual encryption process as the digital data is ruined with AES algorithm. The ruined files are going to be marked with a .godra extension: the whole infection is named after it. As a ransom, hackers are expecting victims to pay 2000 euros. Of course, the transactions have to be made through the anonymous Bitcoin system. According to the current exchange rates, the demanded ransomware equals 0.124257 BTC. Paying the fee is never the recommended option as hackers might not be interested in helping victims recover their files.

The malspam attack against Croatians supposedly has to deliver the Prijedlog_za_ovrhu_urbr_220-2017.pdf.exe file. Some recipients might believe that the message their received is really from the (Croatian Financial Agency). By downloading the .pdf file, they will unknowingly infect their operating systems with a devious infection. However, in order for the ransomware to be fully activated, the victims has to run the .pdf files. The program is going to suggest that the file cannot be opened. After this, Godra crypto-infection will begin pursuing its main objective.

KAKO OTKLJUČATI Vaše DATOTEKE.txt KAKO OTKLJUČATI Vaše DATOTEKE.log files are going to serve as ransom notes, explaining the main features of this infection and urging people to pay the Bitcoin sum before it is too late. It is also explained that after the ransoms are paid, unique ID numbers are supposed to be sent to hackers’ email address [email protected].

Is it worth paying the money to the authors of Godra crypto-virus?

This question bothers all security researchers and victims of ransomware. On one hand, people are afraid of losing their files and would do anything to get them back. On the other, the required ransoms are usually steep and it still remains unknown whether the files are actually going to be decrypted as promised. Godra malware creators explain the same details as all ransomware authors do (Before You Pay that Ransomware Demand…). They also insist that no alternative file-recovery methods would be applied because the encrypted data is going to be permanently deleted.

The alternative methods include the usage of universal file-recovery tools, Shadow Volume copies and backups. First of all, it is possible that the infection does not initiate a command to eliminate all Shadow Volume copies. Check this possibility and determine whether it is possible to restore your data. On the other hand, you might have stored your digital files in a backup storage. This is a very beneficial decision as your data will be properly secured from hackers. We strongly recommend you to back up your digital files before a ransomware encodes them.

How can this Godra ransomware virus be prevented?

According to the analysis of Godra virus payload, it appears that its distribution might also have something to do with improperly protected RDP’s. However, the malspam is also an evident technique to target people and their computers. Remember that opening email messages from unknown sources can lead to unsatisfactory results. In this case, a ransomware. Before you download an attachment or follow a link, make sure that the sender would be recognizable and legitimate.

For the removal of malicious infections, we recommend keeping an anti-malware tool installed into your operating system. Efficient tools like Spyhunter will not take too long to determine the security issues in your device. It will help you clean and maintain a secure environment in your computer. You will be able to run regular scans and check whether everything is in order. Without an anti-malware tool to protect, you could be exposed to a variety of different dangers of malware. Continue on reading this article to find out more about the removal of ransomware and decryption.

How to recover Godra ransomware encrypted files and remove the virus

Step 1. Restore system into last known good state using system restore

1. Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt:

for Windows 7 / Vista/ XP

• Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
• Press F8 key repeatedly until Advanced Boot Options window appears.
• Choose Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

for Windows 8 / 10

• Press Power at Windows login screen. Then press and hold Shift key and click Restart.
• Choose Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Startup Settings and click Restart.
• When it loads, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt from the list of Startup Settings.

 

2.Restore System files and settings.

• When Command Prompt mode loads, enter cd restore and press Enter.
• Then enter rstrui.exe and press Enter again.
• Click “Next” in the windows that appeared.
• Select one of the Restore Points that are available before Godra ransomware has infiltrated to your system and then click “Next”.
• To start System restore click “Yes”.

 

Step 2. Complete removal of Godra ransomware

After restoring your system, it is recommended to scan your computer with an anti-malware program, like Spyhunter and remove all malicious files related to Godra ransomware . You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore Godra ransomware affected files using Shadow Volume Copies

If you do not use System Restore option on your operating system, there is a chance to use shadow copy snapshots. They store copies of your files that point of time when the system restore snapshot was created. Usually Godra ransomware tries to delete all possible Shadow Volume Copies, so this methods may not work on all computers. However, it may fail to do so. Shadow Volume Copies are only available with Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. There are two ways to retrieve your files via Shadow Volume Copy. You can do it using native Windows Previous Versions or via Shadow Explorer. a) Native Windows Previous Versions Right-click on an encrypted file and select Properties → Previous versions tab. Now you will see all available copies of that particular file and the time when it was stored in a Shadow Volume Copy. Choose the version of the file you want to retrieve and click Copy if you want to save it to some directory of your own, or Restore if you want to replace existing, encrypted file. If you want to see the content of file first, just click Open.

b) Shadow Explorer It is a program that can be found online for free. You can download either a full or a portable version of Shadow Explorer. Open the program. On the left top corner select the drive where the file you are looking for is a stored. You will see all folders on that drive. To retrieve a whole folder, right-click on it and select “Export”. Then choose where you want it to be stored.

Step 4. Use Data Recovery programs to recover Godra ransomware encrypted files

There are several data recovery programs that might recover encrypted files as well. This does not work in all cases but you can try this:

• We suggest using another PC and connect the infected hard drive as slave. It is still possible to do this on infected PC though.
• Download a data recovery program.
• Install and scan for recently deleted files.

Note: In many cases it is impossible to restore data files affected by modern ransomware. Thus I recommend using decent cloud backup software as precaution. We recommend checking out Carbonite, BackBlaze, CrashPlan or Mozy Home.