Urnb File Locker - How to remove

Urnb is ransomware – a malicious program created to assist in extortion. Urnb uses cryptography to corrupt files so that they can’t be opened or read. It then asks the victim to pay a ransom if they want to get their files back.

Urnb can be recognized by the extension “urnb” that it adds to the names of the files that it corrupts. It might be installed with other malware, such as spyware, that can cause additional harm.

About Urnb:

Type of threat	Ransomware.
Urnb’s features	It encrypts files, which makes them unreadable, it changes the names of your files by adding an additional extension “urnb”, it may install additional malware.
How to get your files back	Restore data from a backup, use the available decryption tool, use data recovery programs.
How to remove Urnb ransomware	Use antivirus programs (Spyhunter, others) to delete all malware, protect your accounts and personal information from spyware.

Urnb encrypts files to extort victims

It seems that, in addition to the recently-described Fdcz, Urnb ransomware is spreading at the moment.

Urnb is file-encrypting ransomware. It’s a program that encrypts user files (documents, photos, etc.), making them unreadable. It then asks the victim to send money (from $490 to $980) to the attackers responsible for Urnb. The extortionists promise to fix the files as soon as they get their money (but they don’t always keep their promise).

The malicious actors responsible for spreading Urnb are likely the same people who are responsible for all of Djvu ransomware – a family of file-locking programs. Djvu is far from the only ransomware strain out there (there’s also Phobos, Dharma, VoidCrypt, etc.), but it’s probably the most widespread.

Djvu ransomware is characterized by a few features:

• It infects pirated software and content, mods, cheats, cracking tools and keygens.
• It uses random four-letter extensions (like “Urnb”). It changes the names of your files so that they end with that extension.
• As contacts, it provides email addresses like [email protected], [email protected], and similar. It may also provide Telegram contacts.
• It may be installed together with other malicious programs – adware and spyware infections.

The ransom note that Urnb creates is called _readme.txt.

Can you get your data back?

So, if the extortionists behind Urnb can’t be trusted (or if you don’t have hundreds of dollars for a ransom just lying around), what can you do to get your files back?

As with a lot of ransomware, Urnb’s decryption tool is easily available. It is just useless without the correct decryption key. I recommend going to this Emsisoft website and downloading the decryption tool. Scan some of the data that Urnb has locked and see what the scanner says about the possibility of free decryption.

Next, look into data recovery (EaseUS) – restoring deleted files. Check how many and what files can be brought back.

Of course, it’s best to have backups of your computer that could be restored in case of an attack by Urnb or another ransomware.

You can also make a backup of your files that Urnb has encrypted. Just in case someone comes up with a fix. There’s a tiny hope that law enforcement will finally catch the extortionists or that the criminals will retire and release decryption master keys.

How to remove Urnb and other malware

You can use Spyhunter or another antivirus program to find and remove malicious programs. Delete the malicious files found by your antivirus scanner. It’s advisable to use safe mode as described below. It may also be needed to repair Task Manager and the hosts file.

If spyware was installed alongside Urnb, then it’s also important to reset your passwords, use 2-factor authentication, and be very careful of spam messages and emails.

Important -- edit the hosts file to unblock security websites

TL DR : The hosts file is edited to block security sites Before the virus can be removed, it's necessary to fix the hosts file (the file which controls which addresses connect to which IPs). That is the reason the majority of security websites is inaccessible when infected with this particular parasite. This infection edits this file to stop certain websites, including anti-malware download sites, from being accessed from the infected computer, making browsers return the "This site can't be reached" error. Luckily, it's trivial to fix the file and remove the edits that were made to it.

Find and edit the hosts file

The hosts file can be found on C:/Windows/System32/Drivers/etc/hosts. If you don't see it, change the settings to see hidden files.

1. In the Start Menu, search for Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel, find Appearance and Personalization.
3. Select Folder Options.
4. Open the View tab.
5. Open Advanced settings.
6. Select "Show hidden files...".
7. Select OK.

Open this file with administrator privileges.

1. Open the Start Menu and enter "notepad".
2. When Notepad shows up in the result, right-click on it.
3. In the menu, choose "Run as administrator"
4. File->Open and browse for the hosts file.

The hosts file should look like this: Delete additional lines that they connect various domain names to the wrong IP address. Save the file.

Download and run the antivirus program

After that, download antivirus programs and use them to remove the ransomware, the trojan, and other malware. Spyhunter (https://www.2-viruses.com/reviews/spyhunter/dwnld/).

Automatic Malware removal tools

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

 

Step 2. Complete removal of Urnb File Locker

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 Urnb File Locker. You can check other tools here.  

Step 3. Restore Urnb File Locker 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 Urnb File Locker 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 Urnb File Locker 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.