AdvisorsBot Trojan is a newly discovered hacking weapon which is being distributed against targets worldwide. Its modular engine allows the criminal operators to carry out complex infections utilizing a variety of modules. Our article looks at the typical samples and shows how users can remove active infections.
Threat Summary
| Name | AdvisorsBot Trojan |
| Type | Trojan |
| Short Description | The AdvisorsBot Trojan is a utility malware that is designed to silently infiltrate computer systems, active infections will spy on the victim users. |
| Symptoms | The victims may not experience any apparent symptoms of infection. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages, Scripts and others. |
| Detection Tool |
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss AdvisorsBot Trojan. |
AdvisorsBot Trojan – Distribution Methods
The AdvisorsBot Trojan has been found in a recent attack campaign, the first instances of which were reported in May 2018. It appears that the ongoing infiltration attempts target primarily companies and businesses: restaurants, telecom providers and hotels. It appears that the hackers are using it as a weapon for global infiltration — reports of infected machines have been received from different parts of the world.
One of the most popular distribution methods for spreading the AdvisorsBot Trojan is the coordinated distribution of email messages. The hackers use several templates tht attempt to blackmail the victims into thinking that they are receiving messages from partners, customer or Internet services that they use. Interaction with them will lead to the malware infection. Examples of social engineering tactics include the following message types:
- Fake Customer Complaint — Hotel owners and staff can receive a fake message that appears to be coming from a guest claiming that they have been double charged for a room reservation or service. The emails feature a rich text document (.doc Word file format) containing further information about the incident.
- Restaurant Food Poisoning — Restaurant managers can receive messages claiming to have been sent by unhappy clients. The criminals pretend to have been clients of the target company and that they have been poisoned by the offered food. They state that they will file a lawsuit against the company and that the attached document presents an attorney’s case details or medical report from a doctor.
- Fake CV Submission — Telecom service providers can receive CV submissions for open positions. The attached files will include dangerous macros that upon activation will lead to the virus infections.
- Software Updates — The staff may receive fake messages that appear as being sent by the vendors that maintain software used in their business. The messages resemble a software update notification with a hyperlink or direct attachment to an executable file. Upon interaction with it the virus infection will be triggered.
These scenarios also depend on the creation of numerous fake download sites. They are used to blackmail the users into thinking that they have accessed a vendor download page or a popular portal where they can acquire documents or application installers.
A popular mechanism for spreading the AdvisorsBot Trojan is to embed the virus code into infected payloads. Two of the most popular types include the following:
- Documents — The macro-infected documents can be made into various types: rich text documents, presentations, databases and spreadsheets. Once they are opened by the victim users a notification prompt will appear asking them to enable the built-in macros. This will trigger the commands that will download the threat from a remote site and execute it on the local computer.
- Application Installers — The Trojan code can be embedded in setup files of popular software: system utilities, creativity suites and productivity applications. They are made by taking the legitimate installers from the official vendor download sites and bundling the Trojan payload.
Advanced infection campaigns can make use of browser hijackers as another delivery method. They represent malicious extensions that are described as useful additions to the web browsers and are most often found on the associated repositories. This is done via fake user reviews and developer credentials along with a detailed description of the promised enhancements. As soon as the plugins are installed the built-in commands will modify the settings by redirecting the users to a hacker-controlled site. Following this the next step would be to deploy the AdvisorsBot Trojan to the infected hosts.
AdvisorsBot Trojan – Detailed Description
The security analysis of the captured AdvisorsBot Trojan shows that it does feature a complex infection algorithm. While the earlier versions of the took advantage of payload infections via documents and the other common strategies, later versions shifted to a step-by-step pattern.
The macros, payloads and other infection methods execute a PowerShell script which downloads another set of scripts. The second dropper downloads the Trojan instance and runs the actual Trojan infection without writing any log files to the disk.
As soon as the threat is deployed a series of anti-spyware detection measures will be launched. This is done by scanning the local computer for signs of installed applications that can interfere with the virus infection: anti-virus software, virtual machine hosts or debug environments. Their real-time engines can be bypassed or entirely removed.
Other actions include the addition of extra instructions and system code instructions that can maek it harder to perform analysis on the captured samples. This means that even when placed under observation by a security researcher or system administrator it may be difficult to discover that there might be an active infection.
This step can be accompanied with a data harvesting module. it can harvest sensitive data that can be grouped into two main types:
- Personal Data — This information can be used to expose the identity of the users. This is done by programming the engine to harvest information such as their name, address, phone number, interests, location and account credentials.
- Campaign Optimization Metrics — The engine can retrieve information that can be used to optimize the ongoing attack campaigns. The bulk of the harvested used for this purpose includes a report of the installed hardware components and certain operating system values.
The analysis of the AdvisorsBot Trojan shows that the fingerprint component can process the collected data and adapt the virus to the infected hosts.
AdvisorsBot Trojan – Trojan Operations
The main goal of the AdvisorsBot Trojan is to allow the hackers control of the infected computers. The most common way to achieve this is to create a secure connection to a hacker-controlled server. The encrypted connection will be maintained during the Trojan’s presence and allows the hackers to constantly spy on the victims, take over control of their machines and deploy additional threats.
The analysis shows that some of the noteworthy features found in this virus is its ability to automatically capture screenshots which are encoded using a special cipher and transferred to the operators. The other unique feature is the ability to hoop up to the installed Microsoft Outlook and retrieve all stored account credentials.
One of the possible uses of this Trojan is to perform social engineering scams with the aid of interactive elements and system manipulation. The most common scenario is to hook up to the web browsers and monitor for logins to sensitive Internet services — payment gateways, banking sites and etc. Whenever a user accesses a certain site the criminals can automatically redirect them to a fake login page automatically, in many cases they will not even notice the page change. Whenever the account credentials are entered they will be automatically sent to the controllers. In certain configurations this can be done in a more intrusive way by installing a keylogger component. It will automatically collect all entered keystrokes and mouse movement.
The Trojan code can also be programmed to carry out system modifications such as the following:
- Windows Registry Changes — The Trojan can be instructed into modifying the registry entries belonging to the system. If the ones related to service components components overall performance can greatly suffer. In addition if user-installed applications are affected then certain functions can stop working properly.
- System Data Deletion — To make recovery more difficult the virus code can delete the identified System Restore Data and Shadow Volume Copies. This means that the victims will have to resort to a professional restore solution. Refer to our instructions for more information.
- Miner Installation — Many newer viruses can install a cryptocurrency miner which will take advantage of the available system resources to perform complex calculations. In return of the reported results the hacker operators will receive funds in the form of digital currencies such as Bitcoin and Monero.
The AdvisorsBot Trojan has been found to contain a modular engine which means that for each attack campaign the hackers can prepare different instructions. In the hands of experienced criminals this can be a really powerful weapon that can be used to both deploy other malicious payloads and to carry out different scam attacks.
Remove AdvisorsBot Trojan
If your computer system got infected with the AdvisorsBot Trojan, you should have a bit of experience in removing malware. You should get rid of this Trojan as quickly as possible before it can have the chance to spread further and infect other computers. You should remove the Trojan and follow the step-by-step instructions guide provided below.
Martin Beltov
Martin graduated with a degree in Publishing from Sofia University. As a cyber security enthusiast he enjoys writing about the latest threats and mechanisms of intrusion.
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Preparation before removing AdvisorsBot Trojan.
Before starting the actual removal process, we recommend that you do the following preparation steps.
- Make sure you have these instructions always open and in front of your eyes.
- Do a backup of all of your files, even if they could be damaged. You should back up your data with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats.
- Be patient as this could take a while.
- Scan for Malware
- Fix Registries
- Remove Virus Files
Step 1: Scan for AdvisorsBot Trojan with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Clean any registries, created by AdvisorsBot Trojan on your computer.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by AdvisorsBot Trojan there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.Step 3: Find virus files created by AdvisorsBot Trojan on your PC.
1.For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.
For Newer Windows Operating Systems
1: On your keyboard press + R and write explorer.exe in the Run text box and then click on the Ok button.
2: Click on your PC from the quick access bar. This is usually an icon with a monitor and its name is either “My Computer”, “My PC” or “This PC” or whatever you have named it.
3: Navigate to the search box in the top-right of your PC's screen and type “fileextension:” and after which type the file extension. If you are looking for malicious executables, an example may be "fileextension:exe". After doing that, leave a space and type the file name you believe the malware has created. Here is how it may appear if your file has been found:
N.B. We recommend to wait for the green loading bar in the navigation box to fill up in case the PC is looking for the file and hasn't found it yet.
2.For Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
For Older Windows Operating Systems
In older Windows OS's the conventional approach should be the effective one:
1: Click on the Start Menu icon (usually on your bottom-left) and then choose the Search preference.
2: After the search window appears, choose More Advanced Options from the search assistant box. Another way is by clicking on All Files and Folders.
3: After that type the name of the file you are looking for and click on the Search button. This might take some time after which results will appear. If you have found the malicious file, you may copy or open its location by right-clicking on it.
Now you should be able to discover any file on Windows as long as it is on your hard drive and is not concealed via special software.
AdvisorsBot Trojan FAQ
What Does AdvisorsBot Trojan Trojan Do?
The AdvisorsBot Trojan Trojan is a malicious computer program designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system. It can be used to steal sensitive data, gain control over a system, or launch other malicious activities.
Can Trojans Steal Passwords?
Yes, Trojans, like AdvisorsBot Trojan, can steal passwords. These malicious programs are designed to gain access to a user's computer, spy on victims and steal sensitive information such as banking details and passwords.
Can AdvisorsBot Trojan Trojan Hide Itself?
Yes, it can. A Trojan can use various techniques to mask itself, including rootkits, encryption, and obfuscation, to hide from security scanners and evade detection.
Can a Trojan be Removed by Factory Reset?
Yes, a Trojan can be removed by factory resetting your device. This is because it will restore the device to its original state, eliminating any malicious software that may have been installed. Bear in mind that there are more sophisticated Trojans that leave backdoors and reinfect even after a factory reset.
Can AdvisorsBot Trojan Trojan Infect WiFi?
Yes, it is possible for a Trojan to infect WiFi networks. When a user connects to the infected network, the Trojan can spread to other connected devices and can access sensitive information on the network.
Can Trojans Be Deleted?
Yes, Trojans can be deleted. This is typically done by running a powerful anti-virus or anti-malware program that is designed to detect and remove malicious files. In some cases, manual deletion of the Trojan may also be necessary.
Can Trojans Steal Files?
Yes, Trojans can steal files if they are installed on a computer. This is done by allowing the malware author or user to gain access to the computer and then steal the files stored on it.
Which Anti-Malware Can Remove Trojans?
Anti-malware programs such as SpyHunter are capable of scanning for and removing Trojans from your computer. It is important to keep your anti-malware up to date and regularly scan your system for any malicious software.
Can Trojans Infect USB?
Yes, Trojans can infect USB devices. USB Trojans typically spread through malicious files downloaded from the internet or shared via email, allowing the hacker to gain access to a user's confidential data.
About the AdvisorsBot Trojan Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this AdvisorsBot Trojan how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific trojan problem.
How did we conduct the research on AdvisorsBot Trojan?
Please note that our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware definitions, including the various types of trojans (backdoor, downloader, infostealer, ransom, etc.)
Furthermore, the research behind the AdvisorsBot Trojan threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by trojans, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.