Bart is a file-encrypting ransomware, which will encrypt the personal documents found on victim’s computer by appending the .bart.zip extension. Bart then displays a message which offers to decrypt the data if a payment of about 3 bitcoins, or approximately $2000 is made.
We cannot help your recover your files, and we can only recommend that you use ShadowExplorer or (free) file recovery software to restore your documents. This guide was written to help you remove the infection itself, and if a 100% proven method to recover the encrypted files is found, we will update this guide.
At this moment, there is no decryptor available for the Bart ransomware. However, you can try to search these webpages for updates: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/618157/bart-ransomware-help-support-bartzip-recoverytxt/ or https://id-ransomware.malwarehunterteam.com/
1. How did the Bart virus got on my computer?
2. What is Bart Ransomware?
3. Is my computer infected with Bart virus?
4. Is it possible to decrypt files encrypted by Bart?
5. How to remove the Bart ransomware (Virus Removal Guide)
6. How to prevent your computer from becoming infected by Bart
1. How did the Bart ransomware got on my computer?
The Bart ransomware is distributed via spam email containing infected attachments or links to malicious websites. Cyber-criminals spam out an email, with forged header information, tricking you into believing that it is from a shipping company like DHL or FedEx. The email tells you that they tried to deliver a package to you, but failed for some reason. Sometimes the emails claim to be notifications of a shipment you have made. Either way, you can’t resist being curious as to what the email is referring to – and open the attached file (or click on a link embedded inside the email). And with that, your computer is infected with the Bart ransomware.
2. What is Bart Ransomware?
The Bart ransomware targets all versions of Windows including Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10. This infection is notable due to how it encrypts the user’s files, unlike most ransomware, the Bart ransowmare simply places its targeted files in individual zip archives and applies password protection to these archives.
When the Bart ransomware is first installed on your computer it will create a random named executable in the %AppData% or %LocalAppData% folder. This executable will be launched and begin to scan all the drive letters on your computer for data files to encrypt.
Bart ransomware searches for files with certain file extensions to encrypt. The files it encrypts include important productivity documents and files such as .doc, .docx, .xls, .pdf, among others. When these files are detected, this infection will change the extension to .bart.zip, so they are no longer able to be opened. This ransomware places its targeted files in individual zip archives and applies password protection to these archives.
Files targeted are those commonly found on most PCs today; a list of file extensions for targeted files include:
.sql, .mp4, .7z, .rar, .m4a, .wma, .avi, .wmv, .csv, .d3dbsp, .zip, .sie, .sum, .ibank, .t13, .t12, .qdf, .gdb, .tax, .pkpass, .bc6, .bc7, .bkp, .qic, .bkf, .sidn, .sidd, .mddata, .itl, .itdb, .icxs, .hvpl, .hplg, .hkdb, .mdbackup, .syncdb, .gho, .cas, .svg, .map, .wmo, .itm, .sb, .fos, .mov, .vdf, .ztmp, .sis, .sid, .ncf, .menu, .layout, .dmp, .blob, .esm, .vcf, .vtf, .dazip, .fpk, .mlx, .kf, .iwd, .vpk, .tor, .psk, .rim, .w3x, .fsh, .ntl, .arch00, .lvl, .snx, .cfr, .ff, .vpp_pc, .lrf, .m2, .mcmeta, .vfs0, .mpqge, .kdb, .db0, .dba, .rofl, .hkx, .bar, .upk, .das, .iwi, .litemod, .asset, .forge, .ltx, .bsa, .apk, .re4, .sav, .lbf, .slm, .bik, .epk, .rgss3a, .pak, .big, wallet, .wotreplay, .xxx, .desc, .py, .m3u, .flv, .js, .css, .rb, .png, .jpeg, .txt, .p7c, .p7b, .p12, .pfx, .pem, .crt, .cer, .der, .x3f, .srw, .pef, .ptx, .r3d, .rw2, .rwl, .raw, .raf, .orf, .nrw, .mrwref, .mef, .erf, .kdc, .dcr, .cr2, .crw, .bay, .sr2, .srf, .arw, .3fr, .dng, .jpe, .jpg, .cdr, .indd, .ai, .eps, .pdf, .pdd, .psd, .dbf, .mdf, .wb2, .rtf, .wpd, .dxg, .xf, .dwg, .pst, .accdb, .mdb, .pptm, .pptx, .ppt, .xlk, .xlsb, .xlsm, .xlsx, .xls, .wps, .docm, .docx, .doc, .odb, .odc, .odm, .odp, .ods, .odt
Once your files are encrypted with the .bart.zip extension, the Bart ransomware will create the recover.txt ransom note in each folder that a file has been encrypted and on the Windows desktop. The ransomware will also change your Windows desktop wallpaper to recover.bmp.
These files are located in every folder that a file was encrypted as well as in the user’s Startup folder so that they are automatically displayed when a user logs in. These files will contain the information on how to access the payment site and get your files back.
When the infection has finished scanning your computer it will also delete all of the Shadow Volume Copies that are on the affected computer. It does this so that you cannot use the shadow volume copies to restore your encrypted files.
3. Is my computer infected with Bart virus?
When Bart infects your computer it will scan all the drive letters for targeted file types, encrypt them, and then append the .bart.zip extension to them. Once these files are encrypted, they will no longer able to be opened by your normal programs. When Bart has finished encrypting the victim’s files, it will change the desktop wallpaper to an image that acts like a ransom note. It will also display a HTML ransom note (recover.html) in your default browser. These ransom notes include instructions on how to connect to the Bart Decrypt Service where you can learn more about what happened to your files and how you can make a Bart ransom payment.
The messages displayed by this ransomware infection can be localized depending on the user’s location, with text written in the appropriate language.
This the message that the Bart ransomware may display:
!!! IMPORTANT INFORMATION !!!
All your files are encrypted.
Decrypting of your files is only possible with the private key, which is on our secret server.
To receive your private key follow one of the links:
1. hxxp://khh5cmzh5q7yp7th.tor2web.org/
2. hxxp://khh5cmzh5q7yp7th.onion.to/
3. hxxp://khh5cmzh5q7yp7th.onion.cab/
4. hxxp://khh5cmzh5q7yp7th.onion.link/If all addresses are not available, follow these steps:
1. Download and install Tor Browser: hxxps://torproject.org/download/download-easy.html
2. After successfull installation, run the browser and wait for initialization.
3. Type in the address bar:
khh5cmzh5q7yp7th.onion/
4. Follow the instructions on the site.!!! Your personal identification ID:
Decryptor Bart
We present a special software – Decryptor Bart –
which allows to decrypt and return control to all your encrypted files.
How to buy Decryptor Bart™
You can make a payment with BitCoins, there are many methods to get them.
You should register BitCoin wallet:
Simplest online wallet or Some other methods of creating wallet
Purchasing Bitcoins, although it’s not yet easy to buy bitcoins, it’s getting simpler every day.
Here are our recommendations:
localbitcoins.com (WU) Buy Bitcoins with Western Union.
coincafe.com Recommended for fast, simple service.
Payment Methods: Western Union, Bank of America, Cash by FedEx, Moneygram, Money Order. In NYC: Bitcoin ATM, in person.
localbitcoins.com Service allows you to search for people in your community willing to sell bitcoins to you directly.
cex.io Buy Bitcoins with VISA/MASTERCARD or wire transfer.
btcdirect.eu The best for Europe.
bitquick.co Buy Bitcoins instantly for cash.
howtobuybitcoins.info An international directory of bitcoin exchanges.
cashintocoins.com Bitcoin for cash.
coinjar.com CoinJar allows direct bitcoin purchases on their site.
anxpro.com
bittylicious.comSend 3 BTC to Bitcoin address:
Note: Payment pending up to 30 mins or more for transaction confirmation, please be patient…
Date Amount BTC Transaction ID Confirmations
not found
Refresh the page and download decryptor.
When Bitcoin transactions will receive one confirmation, you will be redirected to the page for downloading the decryptor.
4. Is it possible to decrypt files encrypted by Bart?
No, at this time it’s not possible to recover the files encrypted by the Bart ransomware. Unfortunately, once the Bart encryption of the data is complete, decryption is not feasible without paying the ransom.
Because the needed zip password to unlock the encrypted file is only available through the cyber criminals, victims may be tempted to purchase it and pay the exorbitant fee. However, doing so may encourage these bad guys to continue and even expand their operations. We strongly suggest that you do not send any money to these cyber criminals, and instead address to the law enforcement agency in your country to report this attack.
Restore your files encrypted by Bart ransomware with recovery software
In some cases, it may be possible to recover previous versions of the encrypted files using System Restore or other recovery software used to obtain “shadow copies” of files.
Option 1: Restore your files encrypted by Bart ransomware with ShadowExplorer
Bart will attempt to delete all shadow copies when you first start any executable on your computer after becoming infected. Thankfully, the infection is not always able to remove the shadow copies, so you should continue to try restoring your files using this method.
- You can download ShadowExplorer from the below link:
SHADOW EXPLORER DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “ShadowExplorer”) - Once you have downloaded and installed ShadowExplorer, you can follow the below video guide on how to restore your files while using this program.
Alternatively, you can use the System Restore to try to recover the encrypted documents.
Option 2: Restore your files encrypted by Bart ransomware with File Recovery Software
When Bart encrypts a file it first makes a copy of it, encrypts the copy, and then deletes the original. Due to this you can use file recovery software such as:
- Recuva
You can follow the below guide on how to use Recuva:
- EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free
- R-Studio
5. How to remove the Bart ransomware (Virus Removal Guide)
It’s important to understand that by starting the removal process you risk losing your files, as we cannot guarantee that you will be able to recover them. Furthermore, your files may be permanently compromised when trying to remove this infection or trying to recover the encrypted documents.
This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove the Bart infection from your computer, however we cannot guarantee that your personal files will be recovered. We cannot be held responsible for losing the documents during this removal process.
A. Remove Bart ransomware from your computer
Malwarebytes and HitmanPro can detect and remove this infection, but these programs cannot recover your encrypted files due to the nature of asymmetric encryption, which requires a private key to decrypt files encrypted with the public key.
STEP 1: Remove Bart virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free uses industry-leading technology to detect and remove all traces of malware, including worms, Trojans, rootkits, rogues, dialers, spyware, and more.
It is important to note that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware works well and should run alongside antivirus software without conflicts.
- You can download download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware from the below link.
MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free”) - Once downloaded, close all programs, then double-click on the icon on your desktop named “mbam-setup” to start the installation of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
You may be presented with a User Account Control dialog asking you if you want to run this file. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation. - When the installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard which will guide you through the installation process.
To install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware on your machine, keep following the prompts by clicking the “Next” button.
- Once installed, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically start and you will see a message stating that you should update the program, and that a scan has never been run on your system. To start a system scan you can click on the “Scan Now” button.
- Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for malware. When Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is scanning it will look like the image below.
- When the scan has completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has detected. To remove the malicious programs that Malwarebytes Anti-malware has found, click on the “Remove Selected” button.
Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image. - Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now quarantine all the malicious files and registry keys that it has found. When removing the files, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware may require a reboot in order to remove some of them. If it displays a message stating that it needs to reboot your computer, please allow it to do so.
After your computer will restart, you should open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform another “Threat Scan” scan to verify that there are no remaining threats
You may be presented with a User Account Control dialog asking you if you want to run this file. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
STEP 2: Double-check for the Bart malware infection with HitmanPro
HitmanPro is a second opinion scanner, designed to rescue your computer from malware (viruses, trojans, rootkits, etc.) that have infected your computer despite all the security measures you have taken (such as anti-virus software, firewalls, etc.). HitmanPro is designed to work alongside existing security programs without any conflicts. It scans the computer quickly (less than 5 minutes) and does not slow down the computer.
- You can download HitmanPro from the below link:
HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “HitmanPro”) - Double-click on the file named “HitmanPro.exe” (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or “HitmanPro_x64.exe” (for 64-bit versions of Windows). When the program starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below.
Click on the “Next” button, to install HitmanPro on your computer.
- HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for Bart malicious files.
- When it has finished it will display a list of all the malware that the program found as shown in the image below. Click on the “Next” button, to remove Bart virus.
- Click on the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial, and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
How to prevent your computer from becoming infected by Bart
To protect your computer from the Cryptowall ransomware, you should always have an antivirus installed on your computer and always have a backup for your personal documents. As an extra protection method, you can use programs called HitmanPro.Alert or CryptoPrevent, which will prevent any file encrypting malware from running.
Your computer should now be free of the Bart ransomware infection.
If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove virus from your machine, please do one of the following:
- Run a system scan with Emsisoft Emergency Kit.
- Start a new thread in our Malware Removal Assistance forum.
