What is Caphaw? Is Caphaw legit or a scam? How to remove Caphaw PUP from your PC or Mac?
The Caphaw malware is a dangerous virus instance which can cause a variety of dangeorus actions upon infection. It can be spread using many distribution techniques and the users may not even notice having it active on their computers. Our complete Caphaw malware illustrated removal guide shows how victims can attempt to remove it.
Threat Summary
| Name | Caphaw Malware |
| Type | Malware, Scam Hacking Program |
| Short Description | A dangerous multi-purpose virus. |
| Symptoms | The victims may notice performance issues and can get infected with other malware. |
| Distribution Method | Mainly via download sites and file sharing networks. |
| Detection Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware Download Malware Removal Tool | User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Caphaw Malware. |
Caphaw – How Did I Get It
The Caphaw malware is a dangerous virus which can be acquired via different mechanisms. Depending on the exact campaign which is directed against the users the criminals may use one or several spread tactics.
Malware like this one can be distributed over phishing campaigns that usually are sent via email messages. They are sent in a BULK-like manner and include content that impersonates well-known sites and services. As soon as an user interacts with the dangerous code the Caphaw malware will be deployed on the given host.
The other technique of this type is the creation of phishing sites that are designed in a similar manner. They include stolen and fake content which impersonates sites and portals and are hosted on domain names that sound very similar to the real ones. The built-in security certificates can be either self-signed or stolen and will add a sense of safety for the visitors.
Larger attack campaigns can use malicious payload carriers such as macro-infected documents and malicious software installers which can be spread using these mechanisms. Alternatively they can spread over file-sharing like BitTorrent.
Alternatively the Caphaw malware can be spread through browser hijackers which are dangerous plugins made for the most popular web browsers. They are uploaded to various extension repositories using fake descriptions that promise new feature additions or other types of enhancements. The descriptions are often accompanied by fake developer accounts and user reviews.
Caphaw – What Does It Do
As soon as the Caphaw malware is installed onto a given system it will immediately start its boot options modification component — the threat will automatically start as soon as the computer is powered on. In order to avoid detection by any installed security software it will bypass or remove them — this includes anti-virus programs, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, virtual machine hosts.
When this process has completed the Caphaw malware will be inserted to the system in a way which will make it very hard to remove. The main engine will copy down the virus data and rename it with system-specific names, the resulting files will be copied to the system folders. It may take the following names:
\lssas.exe — This is a dangerous consequence as a legitimate system file is located in this place. It can be overwritten which will result in system errors and data loss.- %windir% \assembly\nativeimages_v2.0.50727_32\temp\zapf.tmp\system.data.entity.design.dll — It will mask itself as a Windows DLL file.
- %windir% \svchost.exe — This file will overwrite the legitimate Windows component.
Once the malware has been implanted onto the system it will continue with the malware actions as intended. A partial list of the most popular ones include the following:
- Process Hookup — The malware engine can hookup to important system processes and applications. This means that it will be able to spy on the activities of the users and relay them to the hackers in real-time.
- Windows Registry Changes — The Caphaw malware may edit existing values in the Windows Registry or create new ones specific for the threat.
- Malware Delivery — Some of the analyzed samples have been found to drop rootkits and Trojans whch allows the operators to take over control of the victims.
- MBR Modifications — Some of the captured samples have been found to modify the Master Boot Record of the infected systems which makes it very difficult to restore the computers.
Some of the Caphaw malware strains have been found to manipulate and interact with the Skype installations and Facebook profiles. This means that the viruses have been able to penetrate the compromised hosts to a very deep state.
One of the most dangerous consequences of having an active Caphaw malware infection is that it can be used with a special module allowing it to launch an extensive banking Trojan. It will automatically detect if an online banking service is being used by the victim and harvest the input account credentials. It can also manipulate bank transfer fields without the users noticing.
All of this shows that active Caphaw malware infections should be removed as soon as possible. Read our thorough illustrated removal guide in order to learn how to rid yourself of contaminated viruses.
How to Remove Caphaw
In order to fully remove Caphaw 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 Caphaw 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 Caphaw 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.
Follow Me:
- Guide 1: How to Remove Caphaw Malware from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of Caphaw Malware from Mac OS X.
- Guide 3: Remove Caphaw Malware from Google Chrome.
- Guide 4: Erase Caphaw Malware from Mozilla Firefox.
- Guide 5: Uninstall Caphaw Malware from Microsoft Edge.
- Guide 6: Remove Caphaw Malware from Safari.
- Guide 7: Eliminate Caphaw Malware from Internet Explorer.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
How to Remove Caphaw Malware from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Caphaw Malware
Step 2: Uninstall Caphaw Malware and related software from Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.Step 3: Clean any registries, created by Caphaw Malware 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 Caphaw Malware 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.Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Get rid of Caphaw Malware from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Caphaw Malware and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove Caphaw Malware via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 2: Scan for and remove malware from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts, programs and malware, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. Combo Cleaner offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Remove Caphaw Malware from Google Chrome.
Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu
Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"
Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Erase Caphaw Malware from Mozilla Firefox.
Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window
Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.
Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Uninstall Caphaw Malware from Microsoft Edge.
Step 1: Start Edge browser.
Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".
Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Remove Caphaw Malware from Safari.
Step 1: Start the Safari app.
Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.
Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".
Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.
Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.
Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the Caphaw Malware will be removed.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Eliminate Caphaw Malware from Internet Explorer.
Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'
Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.
Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.
Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.
