Nifr is a type of ransomware that can wreak havoc on personal or business data. Once infected, it encrypts files on a victim’s computer and demands payment to restore access to the encrypted files. The malware is often disguised as freeware, cracks, activators, or key generators, making it challenging to detect and prevent. Nifr is a significant threat, and it is crucial to be cautious to prevent severe consequences. In this article, we will explore the Nifr ransomware in detail and provide tips to protect yourself from it.
Screenshot of files encrypted by Nifr virus (‘.Nifr’ file extension):
QUICK LINKS
- What is Nifr virus?
- Remove Nifr virus (ransomware)
- Decrypt .Nifr files
- Restore .Nifr files
- Video Guide
What is Nifr virus/ransomware?
Nifr is a type of ransomware that primarily targets Microsoft Windows users. The malware uses advanced techniques to lock a victim’s data and demands payment from the victim to provide the key to decrypt the files. Nifr is usually spread through social engineering, and malicious software bundling.
Once Nifr is executed, it creates a folder in the Windows system directory and changes some settings to ensure it starts up every time the computer is restarted. The malware then attempts to establish a connection with its command server to receive an encryption key. If a connection is established, Nifr sends information about the infected computer to the server and receives the key in return. If the virus cannot connect to its command server, it uses a fixed encryption key.
Nifr uses a strong encryption algorithm to encrypt files and skips some files, including those located in Windows system directories and those with specific extensions or names. Each encrypted file is renamed with the “.Nifr” extension, and the virus places a file called “_readme.txt” in every directory with encrypted files. The file contains a message from the attackers demanding payment to restore access to the encrypted files.
The ransom note typically warns the victim not to attempt to decrypt the files using third-party tools, as it may lead to permanent data loss. The attackers also provide instructions on how to purchase the decryption tool and unique key to restore the encrypted files.
It is worth noting that there are free decryptors available that can restore files encrypted by Nifr, such as the Emsisoft decryptor. Additionally, victims can explore alternative ways of restoring their data. However, as Nifr is a severe threat that can cause significant damage, it is crucial to take precautionary measures to prevent infection in the first place. Users can protect themselves from Nifr and other ransomware threats by avoiding suspicious links and email attachments, using reputable anti-virus software, and regularly backing up their data to an external source. Being aware of the latest trends in cybersecurity and keeping your operating system and software up-to-date are also essential to minimize the risk of a ransomware attack.
Text presented on the Nifr ransom note:
ATTENTION!
Don’t worry, you can return all your files!
All your files like pictures, databases, documents and other important are encrypted with strongest encryption and unique key.
The only method of recovering files is to purchase decrypt tool and unique key for you.
This software will decrypt all your encrypted files.
What guarantees you have?
You can send one of your encrypted file from your PC and we decrypt it for free.
But we can decrypt only 1 file for free. File must not contain valuable information.
You can get and look video overview decrypt tool:
https://we.tl/t-v8HcfXTy5x
Price of private key and decrypt software is $980.
Discount 50% available if you contact us first 72 hours, that’s price for you is $490.
Please note that you’ll never restore your data without payment.
Check your e-mail “Spam” or “Junk” folder if you don’t get answer more than 6 hours.To get this software you need write on our e-mail:
support@freshmail.topReserve e-mail address to contact us:
datarestorehelp@airmail.ccYour personal ID:
Threat Summary
Name | Nifr ransomware, Nifr file virus |
Type | Ransomware, Crypto malware, File locker, Crypto virus, Filecoder |
File extension | .Nifr |
Ransom note | _readme.txt |
Contact | support@freshmail.top, datarestorehelp@airmail.cc |
Ransom amount | $490 or $980 in Bitcoins |
Detection Names | RansomX-gen [Ransom], Ransom.Win32.STOP.dd!n, Ransom:Win32/StopCrypt.MK!MTB, ML/PE-A, Ransom.Stop.P5, Trojan.Win32.Save.a, BScope.Trojan.Khalesi |
Symptoms | Encrypted files marked with .Nifr extension, “_readme.txt” ransom note in each folder, demanding payment to decrypt files |
Distribution ways | Malicious downloads, email attachments, software vulnerabilities |
Damage | Loss of access to encrypted files, financial loss due to ransom payment, potential data theft or loss |
Removal | Use reputable anti-virus software to remove the malware, restore files, use free decryptors available |
Decryption | Nifr File Decrypt Tool |
How to remove Nifr virus (ransomware)
To successfully decrypt or recover .Nifr files, it is essential to eliminate Nifr ransomware and its autostart entries. Failing to do so may result in the ransomware re-encrypting the restored files. Stopping the ransomware is a straightforward process and can be accomplished through various methods. One way is to perform a complete system scan using malware removal tools that can detect and remove ransomware infections for free. To make the process more convenient, consider reading this entire guide and saving it on your smartphone or printing it out. This way, you will have easy access to all the necessary steps.
Scanning your computer for malware is crucial since security researchers have discovered that Nifr ransomware may install spyware alongside it. Spyware poses a significant security risk as it can steal sensitive information like passwords, login credentials, and contact details from the user. If you encounter any issues removing the Nifr virus, feel free to inform us in the comments section, and we will attempt to assist you.
To remove Nifr ransomware, follow the steps below:
Kill Nifr virus
Press CTRL, ALT, DEL keys together.
Click Task Manager. Select the “Processes” tab, look for something suspicious that is the Nifr ransomware then right-click it and select “End Task” or “End Process” option. If your Task Manager does not open or the Windows reports “Task manager has been disabled by your administrator”, then follow the guide: How to Fix Task manager has been disabled by your administrator.
Detecting a process associated with Nifr ransomware is not a complicated task. To identify a malicious process, you need to scrutinize the process icon and its name. Typically, this ransomware employs a process name with four characters in the format of 4-characters.tmp.exe or 4-characters.exe. For instance, A4b1.exe, 7533.tmp.exe, 19b2.exe, or CD15.tmp.exe. You may also come across the phrase “(32 bit)” in the process name. If you do not locate a process with a similar name on the processes list, it is likely that the Nifr ransomware has stopped functioning. However, it is crucial to note that if you do not eliminate the ransomware autostart entries and fail to delete its file, it may reappear after a while and immediately encrypt any unencrypted files it finds.
Disable Nifr Start-Up
Select the “Start-Up” tab, look for something similar to the one shown in the example below, right click to it and select Disable.
Close Task Manager.
Delete Nifr Task
Type “Task Scheduler” in the search bar. Click Task Scheduler app in the search results. Click “Task Scheduler Library” in the left panel. On the right panel, right-click to “Time Trigger Task” and select Delete.
Close Task Scheduler.
Remove Nifr virus
Run Task Manager and select the “Start-Up” tab. Right click to the Nifr ransomware Start-Up entry and select Open File Location as shown below.
A directory containing one file will open in front of you, this file is the Nifr virus. It needs to be removed. If you try to delete it immediately, then you will not succeed, since this file is protected from deletion.
To delete this file, you need to do the following. Right-click on the file, select Properties. In the window that opens, select Security tab. Next, click the Advanced button below. A window will open as shown in the following example.
Click Disable inheritance. In the Block inheritance dialog box that opens, select the first item (Convert inherited permissions…) as shown below.
In the Permission entries list, select “Deny Everyone”, click Remove button and then OK. Close the file properties window. You should now be able to remove the Nifr virus. Right-click on the file and select Delete.
Scan computer for malware
Malwarebytes is a reputable antivirus and anti-malware software that can be used to remove various types of malware from infected devices. However, the effectiveness of Malwarebytes in removing ransomware depends on the type and severity of the ransomware infection.
Malwarebytes can detect and remove most ransomware threats, including Nifr ransomware, which is a type of ransomware that encrypts victims’ files and demands a ransom for decryption. Malwarebytes uses advanced scanning algorithms and heuristics to detect and remove malicious files, processes, and registry entries associated with ransomware.
However, if the ransomware has already encrypted the victim’s files, Malwarebytes alone cannot decrypt them. In this case, the victim would need to use Stop (Djvu) Decryptor, or restore the encrypted files using the steps below.
Click the following link and download the latest version of Malwarebytes for your operating system.
326462 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
Once the download is complete, double-click on the downloaded file to start the installation process.
Follow the instructions provided by the Malwarebytes installer to complete the installation process.
After the installation is complete, launch Malwarebytes by double-clicking on its desktop icon or through the Start menu.
In the Malwarebytes main screen, click on the “Scan” button to start a system scan. Malwarebytes will automatically scan your system for ransomware, malware, adware, and other potentially unwanted programs (PUPs).
After the scan is complete, Malwarebytes will display a list of threats found on your system. To remove the threats, click on the “Quarantine” button.
Malwarebytes will quarantine the detected threats, which will prevent them from harming your computer. Once the quarantine process is complete, you can choose to either delete the quarantined files or restore them if you believe they are legitimate. After you have selected the appropriate action, restart your computer to complete the removal process.
To ensure complete removal of the Nifr virus from your computer, we suggest utilizing the Kaspersky virus removal tool (KVRT) which is both cost-free and user-friendly. With its ability to detect and delete different types of malware, including ransomware, spyware, adware, worms, trojans, potentially unwanted apps, and more, KVRT is a powerful tool. Additionally, it can locate and remove malicious files and registry entries that may be concealed on your system.
Download Kaspersky virus removal tool from the following link. Save it to your Desktop.
129082 downloads
Author: Kaspersky® lab
Category: Security tools
Update: March 5, 2018
When downloading is finished, double-click on the Kaspersky virus removal tool icon. Once initialization process is finished, you will see the KVRT screen as shown in the figure below.
Click Change Parameters and set a check near all your drives. Press OK to close the Parameters window. Next click Start scan button . KVRT tool will begin scanning the whole PC to detect the Nifr ransomware. This procedure can take some time, so please be patient.
When Kaspersky virus removal tool has completed scanning, it will open the Scan Results like below.
Review the results once the utility has finished the system scan. If you think an entry should not be quarantined, then uncheck it. Otherwise, simply click on Continue to begin a cleaning process.
How to decrypt .Nifr files
To access the contents of files with the ‘.Nifr’ extension, a decryptor is required since they have been encrypted and cannot be unlocked by simply renaming or changing the file name. Fortunately, a Nifr File Decrypt Tool is available for free that can decrypt such files. Instructions on how to download and use this tool are provided below.
To decrypt .Nifr files, use Nifr File Decrypt Tool
- Download Nifr File Decrypt Tool from the following link.
STOP Djvu decryptor - Scroll down to ‘New Djvu ransomware’ section.
- Click the download link and save the ‘decrypt_STOPDjvu.exe’ file to your desktop.
- Run decrypt_STOPDjvu.exe, read the license terms and instructions.
- On the ‘Decryptor’ tab, using the ‘Add a folder’ button, add the directory or disk where the encrypted files are located.
- Click the ‘Decrypt’ button.
The Nifr File Decrypt Tool is a free software that allows individuals to decrypt .Nifr files without any charges. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy that the decryptor can solely decrypt files that were encrypted using an offline key. If the files were encrypted with an online key, then the free decryptor will be useless. Despite this limitation, other methods are available to recover encrypted files in such situations, which are elaborated below.
Steps to determine the type of key used for file encryption
To decrypt files encrypted by Nifr File Decrypt Tool, it is important to know which key was used during encryption. You can find out the type of key used through two methods. Both methods are effective, but the second method is considered to be more accurate and therefore recommended.
Identifying the Type of Key Using the ‘_readme.txt’ File
- Open the ‘_readme.txt’ file, which is the ransom demand message created by the Nifr ransomware.
- Scroll down to the end of the file.
- Look for a line of text that says ‘Your personal ID’.
- Below this line, you should see a string of characters. This is your personal ID, which is unique to your computer and is used to generate the decryption key.
Identifying the Type of Key Using the ‘_readme.txt’ File
- Open the C drive on your computer.
- Open the ‘SystemID’ directory.
- Look for the ‘PersonalID.txt’ file and open it./li>
- This file contains a list of ‘Personal IDs’ that match the keys that the ransomware used to encrypt files./li>
The ‘Personal ID’ is not the actual key that was used to encrypt files, but rather an identifier that corresponds to it. If the ID ends with ‘t1’, the files were encrypted with an offline key, whereas if it does not, the Nifr virus used an online key. If you are unable to determine which key was used, you can request assistance by submitting a query here or in the comments section.
Nifr File Decrypt Tool : “No key for New Variant online ID”
If, when you try to decrypt .Nifr files, Nifr File Decrypt Tool reports:
No key for New Variant online ID: *
Notice: this ID appears to be an online ID, decryption is impossible
It means that your files are encrypted with an ‘online key’ and their decryption is impossible, since only the vari authors have the key necessary for decryption. In this case, you need to use alternative methods listed below to restore the contents of encrypted files.
Nifr File Decrypt Tool : “No key for New Variant offline ID”
If, during decryption of .Nifr files, Nifr File Decrypt Tool reports:
No key for New Variant offline ID: *t1
Notice: this ID appears be an offline ID, decryption MAY be possible in the future.
It means the following: your files are encrypted with an ‘offline key’, but the key itself has not yet been obtained by security researchers, in this case, you need to be patient and wait a while, in addition, you can also use alternative ways for recovering encrypted data.
If for some reason you were unable to decrypt the encrypted files, then We recommend to follow the news on our Facebook or YouTube channels. So you ‘ll know right away that it ‘s possible to decrypt .Nifr files.
This video step-by-step guide will demonstrate How to use STOP Djvu decryptor to decrypt encrypted files.
How to restore .Nifr files
Thankfully, there are other ways to recover encrypted files that don’t require a decryption tool or key. These methods can be used by any ransomware victim, no matter which encryption key was used. It’s also worth noting that using these methods won’t interfere with the decryption process using the free Nifr File Decrypt Tool. However, before attempting to recover your files, it’s important to scan your computer for malware using free malware removal tools. It’s crucial to make sure that the ransomware has been completely removed before proceeding with file recovery.
Recover .Nifr files with ShadowExplorer
A tool called ShadowExplorer is available for free and can be used to restore files that have been encrypted by the Nifr crypto malware using the ‘Previous Versions’ feature of Microsoft Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, or Vista. This tool can restore photos, documents, and music from Shadow Copies without any cost.
Visit the following page to download the latest version of ShadowExplorer for MS Windows. Save it on your Microsoft Windows desktop or in any other place.
438819 downloads
Author: ShadowExplorer.com
Category: Security tools
Update: September 15, 2019
After the downloading process is done, open a directory in which you saved it. Right click to ShadowExplorer-0.9-portable and select Extract all. Follow the prompts. Next please open the ShadowExplorerPortable folder as shown on the screen below.
Start the ShadowExplorer utility and then choose the disk (1) and the date (2) that you wish to recover the shadow copy of file(s) encrypted by the Nifr virus as displayed on the image below.
Now navigate to the file or folder that you wish to recover. When ready right-click on it and click ‘Export’ button like below.
This video step-by-step guide will demonstrate How to recover encrypted files using Shadow Explorer.
Use PhotoRec to restore .Nifr files
One final option to restore encrypted files is through the use of data recovery tools. We suggest using a free tool called PhotoRec, which is equipped with all the essential functions needed to restore the contents of encrypted files. It has been proven to help many victims successfully recover their data, even when it appeared to be impossible.
Download PhotoRec on your Windows Desktop by clicking on the following link.
When downloading is done, open a directory in which you saved it. Right click to testdisk-7.0.win and choose Extract all. Follow the prompts. Next please open the testdisk-7.0 folder as shown in the following example.
Double click on qphotorec_win to run PhotoRec for MS Windows. It’ll open a screen as displayed in the figure below.
Select a drive to recover as shown on the screen below.
You will see a list of available partitions. Select a partition that holds encrypted documents, photos and music as displayed on the screen below.
Click File Formats button and choose file types to recover. You can to enable or disable the restore of certain file types. When this is done, click OK button.
Next, click Browse button to choose where restored photos, documents and music should be written, then click Search. We strongly recommend that you save the recovered files to an external drive.
Count of recovered files is updated in real time. All restored personal files are written in a folder that you have chosen on the previous step. You can to access the files even if the restore process is not finished.
When the recovery is finished, click on Quit button. Next, open the directory where restored personal files are stored. You will see a contents like below.
All recovered files are written in recup_dir.1, recup_dir.2 … sub-directories. If you’re looking for a specific file, then you can to sort your restored files by extension and/or date/time.
This video step-by-step guide will demonstrate How to recover encrypted files using PhotoRec.
How to protect your PC from Nifr ransomware
Most antivirus apps already have built-in protection system against the ransomware. Therefore, if your personal computer does not have an antivirus program, make sure you install it. As an extra protection, run the HitmanPro.Alert. All-in-all, HitmanPro.Alert is a fantastic tool to protect your computer from any ransomware. If ransomware is detected, then HitmanPro.Alert automatically neutralizes malware and restores the encrypted files. HitmanPro.Alert is compatible with all versions of MS Windows operating system from Windows XP to Windows 10.
Installing the HitmanPro Alert is simple. First you’ll need to download HitmanPro.Alert by clicking on the link below. Save it directly to your Microsoft Windows Desktop.
When the download is done, open the file location. You will see an icon like below.
Double click the HitmanPro Alert desktop icon. When the tool is launched, you will be displayed a window where you can choose a level of protection, as shown on the screen below.
Now press the Install button to activate the protection.
To sum up
In summary, the purpose of this guide is to assist those who have been impacted by the Nifr ransomware virus. Our aim is to provide helpful insights on how to eliminate the ransomware, decrypt .Nifr files, and restore encrypted files. In addition, we also explain the differences between an online key and an offline key. We sincerely hope that the information we have provided in this guide has proven to be useful for you.
If you have questions, then write to us, leaving a comment below. If you need more help with Nifr ransomware related issues, go to here.