What is Adwind? How to remove Adwind Trojan from your PC or Mac?
The Adwind Trojan is a dangerous malware threat which is designed for Microsoft Windows computers. It can be acquired from various sources, every attack campaign can focus on one specific tactic. Usually virus infections like this one are made by interacting with an infected file — this can be either a macro-infected document or a hacker-made software installer. They are often made by taking the legitimate files from their official sources and modifying them with the necessary virus code. Other data can also be affected. All kinds of other data may be used as well — this includes malicious plugins for web browsers and etc. In other cases the hackers can use a direct attacks that will look for system vulnerabilities and weaknesses. If any are found then the Adwind Trojan will be installed.
This particular threat is known for being spread using a multitude of weaknesses. It is set against both end users and servers. After the infection has been made the Adwind Trojan can download other threats, launch multiple dangerous modules and install a cryptocurrency miner which will run a sequence of performance-demanding tasks.
Threat Summary
| Name | Adwind Trojan |
| Type | Malware, Trojan, Miner |
| Short Description | A dangerous malware which can launch a miner and start a Trojan module. |
| Symptoms | The victims may notice performance issues and can get infected with other malware. |
| Distribution Method | Common distribution tactics and direct web attacks. |
| Detection Tool |
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Adwind Trojan — Update October 2019
A new large-scale campaign has been spotted bearing the AdWind Trojan, the available information about it shows that the criminal group behind it are focusing on the US petroleum industry. The small batch of collected samples shows that the new version of the malware is sophisticated and is specifically made to infiltrate these networks.
It appears that it is coupled with other malware which are directed against the target networks. The virus files were hosted on a web server located in Australia that appears to be hacked or be loaned under with a fake identity. It appears that the hackers have attempted to hide the fact that malware is hosted there by randomly uploading image files in ready-made sequences. This aims to bypass intrusion detection system and other automated security solutions into discovering potentially dangerous activity.
The intrusion is done by clicking on malware scripts or running certain files. To facilitate this different tactics can be used by the hackers including the following:
- Social Engineering Techniques & Phishing Messages — The hackers can use the familiar techniques of sending out fake email messages and setting up associated websites that will coerce the visitors into downloading or running files or data.
- Payload Carriers — The criminals can embed the necessary code into files of all popular types which are commonly acquired from the Internet. The most common types are documents (containing dangerous macros) and application installers of popular applications.
- Direct Attacks — Direct attacks against the potentially vulnerable networks can lead to the virus installation.
- Social Network Profiles — The criminals can create special profiles or hack already existing ones in various social networks or company portals in order to deliver the necessary payload droppers.
This particular AdWind Trojan uses a several-stage sequence in order to deliver the final virus. The captured samples appear to be part of a JAR file (Java executable file) which when run will start the sequence. The first step is to copy down the main payload to a folder that belongs to the victim user and start it from there. The JAR file will be unloaded and decrypted by the system and then start the initial engine which will hookup to existing DLL files and then take over the system.
The next logical steps are to conduct changes in the Windows Registry which aim to create new strings that are special to the virus. This is done in order to set it up as as persistent threat which means that the AdWind Trojan will be run every time the computer is started. The payload delivery mechanism can also search the memory and hard disk contents for any installed security solutions. If such are found they will be removed, this is specially done for any deployed anti-virus or firewall engines.
The final AdWind Trojan will be extracted after this stage — as it is written in Java it is cross-platform and affects Windows, Linux and Mac. It will connect to a preset hacker-controlled server and additionally enable the hackers to conduct other actions as well. Commonly this is done to take over control of the systems, hijack data and deploy other threats. Among the distinct modules functionality there are also the following:
- Webcam Photo Capturing
- Scanning for Certain User Data and Their Manipulation
- Process Scanning
- Process Hookup
- System Status Monitoring
- Executing Malware Commands including Ransomware Engines
Adwind Trojan — Update August 2019
The Adwind Trojan as a dangerous threat has been found to abuse several domain names in order to deliver the threat. When the victims visit the site a payload file will be downloaded automatically to the hosts. It is a malicious PDF extension file which is actually an obfuscated JAR file. As soon as it is clicked the virus holders will start the associated Java execute. It will start the Trojan which will connect to a hacker-controlled server which will control take over control of the victims.
The new variant uses a technique for code injection which is used when the security bypass is called. This advanced technique will make sure that existing security services and applications will not be able to discover that an infection is active: firewalls, anti-virus engines, virtual machines and etc.
Adwind Trojan – How Did I Get It
The Adwind Trojan is a malware threat which is described as a classic Remote Access Trojan (RAT) — its main goal is to allow the hackers to establish a secure connection to a hacker-controlled server. This is done by deploying the threat to the intended victims. The Adwind Trojan is being spread to the intended victims by computer hackers when they have acquired the code of the malware from the developers. According to the security reports that the current wave is being released with a Malware-as-a-service (MaaS) — this means that the virus is loaned to the prospective hackers for a given fee.
The ongoing attacks are made against the utility industry among other targets and we suspect that a high-profile criminal collective is probably behind it. Several other groups are taking advantage of the virus by using it against home users and company networks.
Depending on the exact group and the chosen targets various distribution methods can be used. When viruses like the Adwind Trojan are concerned there are several main methods which are often considered:
- File Carriers — The criminals can embed the necessary macros and code of the Adwind Trojan in different data. This can include documents of all popular file types: spreadsheets, databases, text documents and presentations. As soon as they are opened a prompt will ask them to enable the built-in scripts. The quoted reason is the correct viewing of the file. As soon as this is done the Adwind Trojan will be placed.
- Application Installers — These are malicious bundle installers of popular software which are often acquired by end users. They can be of applications that are frequently downloaded and installed.
- Malware Browser Plugins — They are also called “hijackers” and are modeled to appear as safe extensions made for the most popular web browsers. They are often uploaded to the relevant repositories using fake user reviews and developer credentials.
All of these files can be easily spread onto file-sharing networks which are often used to distribute both pirate and legitimate data.
Adwind Trojan – What Does It Do
The Adwind Trojan will launch a series of dangerous actions as prescribed by its operators or according to local conditions. In almost all cases the dangerous sequence will begin with a security bypass function that will look for any applications and services that can effectively block the proper virus execution: anti-virus engines, virtual machine hosts, firewalls and etc.
The Adwind Trojan variants which are designed to be run against home users and certain corporate targets will lead to data harvesting, it can be done with two main categories in mind:
- Personal Information — This can include all kinds of data which can expose the identiy of the victim users: a person’s name, address, mobile phone number, passwords and stored account credentials.
- Machine Information — The malicious engine can be used to create a profile of the infected machines by looking out for specific data. The profile takes the values of the installed hardware parts. This data is used to generate an unique ID that will be used to identify each machine.
The dangerous behavior associated with the Adwind Trojan is that it is constructed to allow a deep surveillance of the victims. The possible actions include the recording of video and sound in real-time, as well as timed screenshots of the computer activity. Using the collected information the hackers can use all of the gathered data in order to coordinate crimes such as financial abuse and identity theft.
What we know is that the attack campaigns carrying this malware are conducted in specific attack campaigns. Some of the captured samples will activate the built-in Trojan component which will establish a secure and persistent connection to a hacker-specified server. This is done in orde to allow the operators to take over control of the victim hosts at any given time. Furthermore all hijacked data in the previous steps can be transmitted to them.
How to Remove Adwind Trojan
In order to fully remove Adwind from your computer system, we recommend that you follow the removal instructions underneath this article. If the first two manual removal steps do not seem to work and you still see Adwind or programs, related to it, we suggest what most security experts advise – to download and run a scan of your comptuer with a reputable anti-malware program. Downloading this software will not only save you some time, but will remove all of Adwind files and programs related to it and will protect your computer against such intrusive apps and malware in the future.
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 Adwind 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 Adwind Trojan with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Clean any registries, created by Adwind 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 Adwind 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 Adwind 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.
Adwind Trojan FAQ
What Does Adwind Trojan Trojan Do?
The Adwind 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 Adwind 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 Adwind 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 Adwind 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 Adwind Trojan Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Adwind 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 Adwind 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 Adwind Trojan threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by trojans, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.