PyteHole ransomware - How to remove

PyteHole crypto-virus stands out from the current trend of ransomware infections by not trying to swindle money out of users. Surprisingly, PyteHole does not feature any .txt or .hmtl files which would visualize instructions that victims have to follow. For the time being, this variant does not exploit techniques for transmission as its payload still waits for a chance to be spread on the World Wide Web. Hackers’ C&C server might be hosted on Websupport.sk and some security researchers have explained that if this turns out to be true, analysts might have a chance to take it down. PyteHole ransomware does have the capacity of encrypting data, and ads an .adr extension. All of the data will become corrupted after ransomware infections apply algorithms for encryption on it.

Analysis of PyteHole ransomware

Even though PyteHole ransomware is not being transmitted rapidly right now, it does not mean that this situation won’t change. It is possible that ransomware is still in development and hackers will introduce a variant which will start featuring a ransom note and other necessary instructions for victims. However, for now, no prices are set and if you become infected, people won’t be introduced with a way out of this mess. PyteHole virus uses an original mark of .adr extension to separate encrypted data from untouched one.

Activity of a ransomware infection could be spotted if you know to properly review Windows Task Manager and the processes that are indicated to be running. Among them, you should attempt to discover procedures that look bizarre. For instance, payload of this infection is pyte-hole.exe. The file could be identified as it is, but we are more eager to speculate that creators of ransomware could hide this process behind a more ordinary title. Pyte-hole.exe is identified to be a Win32 EXE.

Download.windowsupdate.com and Traffic.pasmik.net could be related with the virus, meaning that a C&C server of hackers is hosted on one of these websites. Additionally, considering the title of the first domain, it is possible that the payload could be planned to be distributed via this page. If PyteHole virus starts demanding ransom to be sent in bitcoins, you should not agree with such terms. You have to think rationally and bear in mind that hackers can easily trick you into paying. They might encrypt files and abandon you. On the other hand, sending payments would mean that you offering financial support to hackers.

Protect yourself from ransomware infections

How can you protect yourself from ransomware? One of the easiest ways is to store your data in backup storages. These facilities will surely keep your data safe from hackers. Additionally, you can consider other additional locations, like USB flash drives or etc. If crypto-virus ruins your data, you will have a secure source to retrieve executables. Victims should never pay demanded sums of ransom as they will only be encouraging crooks to create more infections.

Methods of distribution that PyteHole ransomware could select

The most notable methods for distribution are pretty well-known. Malicious spam campaigns, featuring harmful attachments, could be sent to random email addresses. Before opening messages or downloading content from them, you should make sure that it is not fraudulent. Check the email addresses that messages originate from. If it appears suspicious, contact the official authority and learn whether the message is legitimate.

Spyhunter, Malwarebytes and Hitman are the worker-bees that will help you get rid of malware: even frightening samples of ransomware. PyteHole ransomware might not be actively transmitted at the moment, but we advise you to keep yourself safe from rogue content. Many Internet websites would be affected by exploit kits, trying to infect users with crypto-viruses.

How to recover PyteHole 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 PyteHole ransomware has infiltrated to your system and then click “Next”.
• To start System restore click “Yes”.

 

Step 2. Complete removal of PyteHole virus

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 PyteHole ransomware. You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore PyteHole 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 PyteHole virus 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 PyteHole 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.