What is GraceWire? How to remove GraceWire Trojan from your PC or Mac?
The GraceWire Trojan is a dangerous Trojan that takes advantage of the Necurs botnet to deliver the malware via phishing emails. It is being launched in a targeted attack campaign by a well-known hacking collective. It features advanced infection capabilities and can cause a lot of damage to affected hosts. Read our article to learn what the GraceWire Trojan is capable of and to read instructions on safely removing active infection.
Threat Summary
| Name | GraceWire Trojan also known as Trojan.GraceWire.A |
| Type | Trojan Malware |
| Short Description | A very dangerous Trojan capable of overtaking control of the machines. |
| Symptoms | The victims may notice performance issues and can get infected with other malware. |
| Distribution Method | The Necurs botnet and associated phishing email campaigns |
| Detection Tool |
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss GraceWire Trojan. |
The GraceWire Trojan is a being delivered via the well-known Evil Corp Hackers which are famous for launching Dridex malware. The criminals are very experienced and have used phishing campaigns to target victims into interacting with the shown contents and directed against primarily financial and banking institutions.
The GraceWire Trojan is once again being delivered using phishing tactics that make use of social engineering tactics to deliver Excel macro-infected documents. Various popular tactics are to be used in order to manipulate the recipients into opening up the email messages and enabling the macros. They range from stating that the file contains important information to presenting fake company/service notifications. The messages are directed to the recipients by the use of the Necurs botnet — one of the most famous hacker tools used in large-scale global campaigns. It is also used to spread other high-impact Trojans and ransomware including samples from the Locky and BitPaymer file encrypting viruses.
The contents of the email messages carrying the GraceWire Trojan include HTML redirects. The infection process is fairy complex as the Trojan file will not be downloaded directly. Instead an initial payload dropper called Dudear will do this. This is a script-controlled instance which can be programmed to drop any serious malware. To make the infections much more likely to happen the HTML files will be localized according to the country/region where the recipients reside. This is configured from the botnet itself and is based upon signatures collected in the preparatory stage.
The analysis of the GraceWire shows that it includes multiple dangerous capabilities. A detailed overview of the malware actions is the following:
- Commands Execution — The GraceWire Trojan can be used to start certain operations and run commands on the affected systems with and without administrative privileges.
- Data Gathering — The Trojan is capable of collecting a wide range of data across different types — both one belonging to the users and a profile of their installed hardware parts. This is linked to theft of identity information which can be used in other crimes such as identity abuse and financial theft.
- Remote Control — The GraceWire Trojan is fully capable of allowing the hackers to take over control of the affected machines.
- System Manipulation — This particular malware is capable of reconfiguring important user and system settings, as well as editing configuration files.
- Additional Malware Delivery — Infections like this one are very likely to be used to deploy other dangerous threats to the systems. Common dropped malware include ransomware, Trojans, redirects and etc.
The consequences of having such infections is that the users may experience some typical symptoms of infection such as performance issues, the inability to run certain applications or services and etc.
How to Remove GraceWire Trojan
In order to fully remove GraceWire 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 GraceWire 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 GraceWire 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 GraceWire 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 GraceWire Trojan with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Clean any registries, created by GraceWire 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 GraceWire 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 GraceWire 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.
GraceWire Trojan FAQ
What Does GraceWire Trojan Trojan Do?
The GraceWire 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 GraceWire 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 GraceWire 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 GraceWire 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 GraceWire Trojan Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this GraceWire 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 GraceWire 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 GraceWire Trojan threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by trojans, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.