.Lyli Virus

lyli

.Lyli

.Lyli is a computer virus that is coded to locate and encrypt potentially useful and highly valuable files into its victim’s computers. As soon as the targeted files have been secured with an encryption, .Lyli would then expect the victim to pay a rescue charge for their decryption in the form of a ransom.

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The Lyli virus ransom message

This cyber blackmailing strategy has been used for decades by online crooks. Over the years, however, hackers have progressed in perfecting it by creating ransomware viruses like .Lyli and turning them into some of the wildest malware that can be encountered online. A modern ransomware virus like this is extremely difficult to avoid and stop. Most antivirus programs do not have the latest ransomware-based threats included in their libraries and so, it’s almost impossible to identify a new virus in due time even though if you already have a powerful and trusted antivirus before. Thus, threats like .Lyli are very effective in sneaking in without being detected and managing to encrypt your files before you know it.

Most users discover that ransomware on the device when they attempt to access a certain file that has already been secretly encrypted, or if the ransomware virus displays a ransom-demanding notification on their monitor. In most cases, the second thing is more common and the victims are greeted by a ransom message, telling them that their only chance to access their encrypted files and recover them is by following strict instructions and fulfilling the ransom demands noted in the ransom message. Naturally, not everybody is ready to pay the amount that the hackers behind the ransomware demand.  If you are amongst those victims of .Lyli who are looking for an alternative solution, on this page you will find a removal guide with free instructions that may help.

The .Lyli virus

The .Lyli virus is a piece of malware that has the ability to prevent access to your data and demand a ransom for its decryption. Due to this, the .Lyli virus belongs to the file-encrypting ransomware category and its developers use it for money extortion.

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The Lyli virus encrypted files

Victims of .Lyli are commonly not sure what they need to do – to transfer the required ransom or to remove the virus and opt for alternative file-recovery solutions. The difficulty here is that, after fulfilling the ransom demands, you cannot really be sure what will happen to your encrypted files. If the hackers decide to vanish with the money without sending you a decryption key, you will be left with your data encrypted and no money. That’s why, normally, the advisable course of action is to first explore some alternatives that don’t involve a ransom payment and do your best to remove the infection from the system.

The .Lyli file

The .Lyli file is an encrypted file that is protected and cannot be accessed without a secret decryption key. The .Lyli file has a changed extension so you can’t open it or use it with any software.

If you need to restore your data urgently, the ransom payment is always an alternative but we suggest you to follow the directions in our guide first and if the solutions there don’t work for you, you may still opt for the ransom payment as a last resort.

.Lyli SUMMARY:

Name .Lyli
Type Ransomware
Danger Level  High (.Lyli Ransomware encrypts all types of files)
Symptoms .Lyli Ransomware is hard to detect and aside from increased use of RAM and CPU, there would barely be any other visible red flags.
Distribution Method  Most of the time, Trojans get distributed through spam e-mails and social network messages, malicious ads, shady and pirated downloads, questionable torrents and other similar methods.

Remove .Lyli Ransomware Guide

1: Preparations

Note: Before you go any further, we advise you to bookmark this page or have it open on a separate device such as your smartphone or another PC. Some of the steps might require you to exit your browser on this PC.

2: Task Manager

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to enter the Task Manager. Go to the Tab labeled Processes (Details for Win 8/10). Carefully look through the list of processes that are currently active on you PC.

If any of them seems shady, consumes too much RAM/CPU or has some strange description or no description at all, right-click on it, select Open File Location and delete everything there.

Also, even if you do not delete the files, be sure to stop the process by right-clicking on it and selecting End Process.

3: IP related to .Lyli

Go to c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts. Open the hosts file with notepad.

Find where it says Localhost and take a look below that. 

hosts_opt (1)

If you see any IP addresses there (below Localhost) send them to us here, in the comments since they might be coming from the .Lyli.

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4: Disable Startup programs

Re-open the Start Menu and type msconfig.

Click on the first search result. In the next window, go to the Startup tab. If you are on Win 10,  it will send you to the Startup part of the task manager instead, as in the picture:

If you see any sketchy/shady looking entries in the list with an unknown manufacturer or a manufacturer name that looks suspicious as there could be a link between them and .Lyli , disable those programs and select OK.

5: Registry Editor

Press Windows key + R and in the resulting window type regedit.

Now, press Ctrl + F and type the name of the virus.

Delete everything that gets found. If you are not sure about whether to delete something, do not hesitate to ask us in the comments. Keep in mind that if you delete the wrong thing, you might cause all sorts of issues to your PC.

6: Deleting potentially malicious data – .Lyli

Type each of the following locations in the Windows search box and hit enter to open the locations:

%AppData%

%LocalAppData%

%ProgramData%

%WinDir%

%Temp%

Delete everything you see in Temp linked to .Lyli RansomwareAbout the other folders, sort their contents by date and delete only the most recent entries. As always, if you are not sure about something, write to us in the comment section.

7: .Lyli Decryption

The previous steps were all aimed at removing the .Lyli Ransomware from your PC. However, in order to regain access to your files, you will also need to decrypt them or restore them. For that, we have a separate article with detailed instructions on what you have to do in order to unlock your data. Here is a link to that guide.

Author:
Daniel Sadakov has a degree in Information Technology and specializes in web and mobile cyber security. He harbors a strong detestation for anything and everything malicious and has committed his resources and time to battling all manners of web and mobile threats. He has founded MobileSecurityZone.com, a website dedicated to covering the top tech stories and providing useful tips for the everyday user, in an effort to reach and help more people.

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