Hello Ransomware

Hello Ransomware is a serious infection that can cause great damage to your personal data. When it slithers into your operating system, it immediately encrypts files that are most likely to represent photos, documents, archives, and other sensitive files. According to our research, this infection appears to have been created in the same way as the infamous Xorist Ransomware. The good news is that a decryptor was created for this specific infection, and so you should be able to use it for this malware as well. If you are having issues finding this tool, you can contact us via the comments section. What if the decryptor does not work? In this situation, the files encrypted by this malware could be lost for good. Unfortunately, most ransomware infections use encryption algorithms that are impossible to crack, and the files corrupted by them become unsalvageable. Hopefully, you are in a better position. In any way, you must remove Hello Ransomware from the operating system, and that is what our research team is here to help you with.

According to our research, Hello Ransomware employs the TEA encryption algorithm to encrypt files, and that is a pretty unique feature because, in most cases, ransomware is linked to AES and RSA ciphers. The distribution of this malware is still very mysterious, and there is a great possibility that several different methods are used for the distribution. Right now, our research team is leaning towards corrupted spam emails as the means for spreading this malicious threat. As soon as this infection slithers in, an “Error” window pops up, and a message within it suggests that files were encrypted and that a ransom of 0.05 Bitcoins must be transferred to 17pXroP4MruitlzpTa88FAPAGD5q5QAPzb. At the time of analysis, this amount converted to nearly 200 USD. Although that is not a huge sum, paying it is unlikely to give you the end-result you expect. The threat then creates a copy of itself in the %TEMP% directory, and even creates a point of execution (PoE) in the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run registry. By doing this, Hello Ransomware ensures that it runs even if you delete the original launcher.

After showcasing the “Error” window, Hello Ransomware immediately encrypts files and changes their icons. Also, it appends the “.HELLO” extension to their original names. The ransomware also creates a ransom note file named “HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt”, and it is originally placed in two startup directories, including %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. Of course, copies of the file are placed in folders containing the encrypted files. The message within the file is identical to the one represented via the “Error” window. Needless to say, the purpose of this ransom note is to convince you that you need to pay the ransom. Well, if you do, your files are unlikely to be decrypted. On top of that, if a free legitimate file decryptor exists, why would you follow the demands of cyber criminals at all? Even if the decryptor was not available, we would not recommend paying the ransom requested via Hello Ransomware. Overall, it is rare for free decryptors to become available, and so you must take better care of your personal files. If you do not want to lose them in the future, you have to back them up. We recommend using external drives or online storage to back up data.

Whether or not you get files decrypted, you need to delete Hello Ransomware as soon as possible. The guide shown below explains how to eliminate the malicious components manually, but you should also consider utilizing anti-malware software. While you can protect your files by backing them up, there are all kinds of infections that could corrupt your operating system, use it to spread malware, steal personal data, and do other terrible things. Due to this, full-time protection is necessary. If you get a trusted anti-malware tool now, you will not need to think about the removal of Hello Ransomware or the further protection of your operating system. Hopefully, things got clearer, and you know what you should do next. If you wish to discuss things further and deeper, we are ready for a conversation via the comments section below.

Hello Ransomware Removal

1. Decrypt files using a free legitimate file decryptor (make sure you do not install malware).
2. Right-click and Delete the {random name}.exe launcher that you might have downloaded via a spam email.
3. Simultaneously tap Win+E to launch Windows Explorer.
4. Enter %TEMP% into the bar at the top and then Delete the copy of the {random name}.exe launcher fil
5. Enter %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup into the bar at the top.
6. Right-click and Delete the file named HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt.
7. Enter %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup into the bar at the top.
8. Right-click and Delete the file named HOW TO DECRYPT FILES.txt.
9. Simultaneously tap Win+R keys to launch RUN and then enter regedit.exe.
10. In Registry Editor move to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RUN.
11. Right-click and Delete the value named Alcmeter (the value data should point to the copy file in %TEMP%).
12. Empty Recycle Bin and then perform a full system scan.