What are Chatroulette Phishing Viruses? Is a Chatroulette Phishing Virus dangerous? How to remove a Chatroulette Phishing Virus from your computer?
The Chatroulette Phishing Virus is a popular web threat which is spread across the Internet posing as an official adult videos site. The many virus samples are fake copies and/or attempt to fraud the victims into believing that they have accessed a safe resource. Read our in-depth Chatroulette Phishing Virus removal guide to learn how to protect yourself from danger.
Threat Summary
| Name | Chatroulette Phishing Virus |
| Type | Redirect, Browser Hijacker |
| Short Description | Redirect Virus that takes advantage of the legitimate and famous Xtube download portal. |
| Symptoms | The symptoms may be ranging from seeing redirects to having symptom-less Trojan on your computer. |
| Distribution Method | Bundled downloads. Web pages which may advertise it. |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
Download
Malware Removal Tool
|
User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Chatroulette Phishing Virus. |
Chatroulette Phishing Virus – How Did I Get It
The Chatroulette Phishing Virus is a dangerous web threat which can be placed in various sites, payload carriers and etc. One of the most popular ways through which it is spread revolves around the hosting of fake Chatroulette sites which are hosted on similar sounding domain names that may be very similar to the real one. In addition they can include security certificates that may be stolen or self-signed.
Links to these sites can be placed among various phishing sources such as the following:
- Email Phishing Messages — The hackers can send out messages that will persuade the recipients into thinking that they have received a service or company notification. Through interaction with their contents the infections will occur. In the case of Chatroulette the messages can take the form of password reset prompts, login information, special offers and etc.
- Redirect Sites — The hackers can command various redirect sites into opening up the Chatroulette phishing page. This can be done by using a worldwide network of infected pages and the automatic generation of new ones.
Other mechanisms that the hackers are using can include the embedding of the installation code in various files, common types are the following:
- Macro-Infected Documents — They can be of all popular document formats used by end users: presentations, text files, databases and spreadsheets. As soon as they are opened a notification prompt will be spawned asking the victims to enable the built-in scripts. When this is done the infection will follow.
- Setup Bundles — The hackers can construct dangerous setup packages of popular software which can range across all popular types: from system utilities and service programs to creativity suites and productivity solutions and even computer games. They are also freely shared on file-sharing networks like BitTorrent where both legitimate and pirate files can be easily found.
- Browser Hijackers — They represent dangerous plugins which are made for the most popular web browsers and are usually uploaded to their relevant repositories. Often fake user reviews and developer credentials are used in order to manipulate the visitors into installing them. The descriptions will feature promises of new feature additions or enhancements when using the Chatroulette sites. However in most cases as soon as they are installed the built-in malicious behavior pattern will be executed.
As the Chatroulette phishing virus masks itself as a popular adult web site portal page links to it can be easily inserted across various online communities. This includes social networks, forum, chat rooms and etc. The hackers can use specially made credentials or stolen profiles in order to spread it.
Chatroulette Phishing Virus – What Does It Do?
Almost all of the Chatroulette phishing virus threats which are web based will have the intention of leading the users to a dangerous landing page. They include not only fake login pages but also various other types of contents. As the majority of them are hosted on similar sounding domain names it is very easy to fall victim to the threat.
As soon as a dangerous site is opened the victims will encounter a variety of malware activities:
- Data Extraction — The engine can extract information about the users by immediately downloading tracking cookies to the victims. They will start to monitor the activities of the users and transmit the data directly to the hacker operators. Other web technologies can generate a complete profile of their interests and hobbies.
- Browser Modifications — The hackers can also create the necessary changes in order to make malware changes to the web browsers. This can include the default settings in order to always show the necessary page — the home page, new tabs page and even the search engine.
- Cryptocurrency Miners — These are small-sized scripts or standalone applications that will download a sequence of small-sized asks that will be run as soon as possible. They will place a heavy emphasis on the performance of the victims and have a heavy impact on it: the CPU, memory, hard disk space and etc. For every successful task which is run the operators will receive a reward in the form of cryptocurrency that will be transferred to their digital wallets.
Any other behavior can be launched depending on the local conditions or the specific hacker instructions. This leads us to the fact that every made infection can function in an entirely different way as various hacker communities are behind the different campaigns. This gives us the reason into believing that it is very dangerous to give a single description as the infections can function in an entirely different way.
When the exeuctable files are concerned the malware activities can be even more deadly. There are multiple ways that the executable files can run. Some of the most dangerous effects of thier use are the following:
- Boot Options Changes — This step will modify the system configuration and the boot options in order to disable the possibility of entering the recovery boot options. This will make it really hard to follow most manual user removal guides. In this case we recommend that all computer users with an active infection use a professional-grade removal solution. Bear in mind that in most cases the infection will be automatically started as soon as the computer is powered on.
- Security Bypass — When run this component will start a data harvesting campaign with the intention of scanning for any active security solutions that can effectively block the normal execution of the threat. Examples include the following: anti-virus programs, firewalls, virtual machine hosts and sandbox environments.
- Data Gathering — In a manner which is similar to the data extraction done via the web threats a sophisticated module will be used to search sensitive information which can reveal data about the victims and the machines. It can be used for various crimes such as identity theft, financial abuse and blackmail. When the computer information is concerned it can be used to construct an unique infection ID which is assigned to each compromised host.
- Windows Registry Changes — The virus engine can also create new strings in the Windows Registry for itself or modify existing ones. As a consequence the victims will notice severe performance and stability degradation. This can lead to data loss, unexpected errors and the inability to start certain operating system functions and program features.
One of the most dangerous aspects of having an active Chatroulette phishing virus infection is its ability to infect the target users with other malware. For example this can result in the installation of a Trojan module, a dangerous malware which will establish a secure connection to a certain hacker-controlled server. This will allow the hacker operators to spy on the victims in real-time, take over control of their computers and hijack user data.
The other popular threat which is actively being spread against Internet users worldwide is the cryptocurrency miner. This is a small-sized script or application which will download a sequence of mathematical tasks that are very complex to compute. They will place a heavy emphasis on critical hardware components and make it really hard to use the computer normally. Severe stability issues can be experienced as this includes key parameters such as the CPU, memory, hard disk space and even the graphics card.
All active infections should be removed as soon as possible in order to prevent any further damage. At the same time there can be multiple variants of the virus active and by different hacking groups which means that the consequences can be really devastating. Our in-depth Chatroulette phishing virus removal guide shows how this can be done.
Remove Chatroulette Phishing Virus from Your Machine
In order to be able to remove Chatroulette Phishing Virus, you should know where it’s files and objects are hidden. The main idea is to follow the removal steps below. They are made to help you isolate the virus and detect and delete the malicious files. For the complete detection and removal of Chatroulette Phishing Virus, however, we strongly suggest that you download and run a free scan with an advanced anti-malware software. Such tool will automatically identify and eliminate all of the virus files and objects, related to any Chatroulette Phishing Virus from your computer plus protect it in the future too.
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:
- Windows
- Mac OS X
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
- Internet Explorer
- Stop Push Pop-ups
How to Remove Chatroulette Phishing Virus from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for Chatroulette Phishing Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall Chatroulette Phishing Virus and related software from Windows
Uninstall Steps for Windows 11
Uninstall Steps for Windows 10 and Older Versions
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 4: Clean Any registries, Created by Chatroulette Phishing Virus on Your PC.
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 Chatroulette Phishing Virus 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.
Video Removal Guide for Chatroulette Phishing Virus (Windows).
Get rid of Chatroulette Phishing Virus from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Chatroulette Phishing Virus and remove related files and objects
Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to Chatroulette Phishing Virus. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
- 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 Chatroulette Phishing Virus 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 Chatroulette Phishing Virus files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Chatroulette Phishing Virus, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Video Removal Guide for Chatroulette Phishing Virus (Mac)
Remove Chatroulette Phishing Virus 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.
Erase Chatroulette Phishing Virus 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.
Uninstall Chatroulette Phishing Virus 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.
Remove Chatroulette Phishing Virus 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 Chatroulette Phishing Virus will be removed.
Eliminate Chatroulette Phishing Virus 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.
Remove Push Notifications from Your Browsers
Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome
To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.
Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:
Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:
Step 4: Open “Notifications”:
Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:
Remove Push Notifications on Firefox
Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.
Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":
Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”
Stop Push Notifications on Opera
Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.
Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.
Step 3: Open Notifications:
Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):
Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari
Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.
Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".
Chatroulette Phishing Virus-FAQ
What Is Chatroulette Phishing Virus?
The Chatroulette Phishing Virus threat is adware or browser redirect virus.
It may slow your computer down significantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.
What Are the Symptoms of Chatroulette Phishing Virus?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and have poor performance in general.
Symptom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.
Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.
Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.
Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts recommend that you check your computer for viruses.
What Types of Unwanted Programs Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your device can be rogue antivirus software, adware, browser hijackers, clickers, fake optimizers and any forms of PUPs.
What to Do If I Have a "virus" like Chatroulette Phishing Virus?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your email passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activities with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these recommendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
How Does Chatroulette Phishing Virus Work?
Once installed, Chatroulette Phishing Virus can collect data using trackers. This data is about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. It is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.
Chatroulette Phishing Virus can also download other malicious software onto your computer, such as viruses and spyware, which can be used to steal your personal information and show risky ads, that may redirect to virus sites or scams.
Is Chatroulette Phishing Virus Malware?
The truth is that PUPs (adware, browser hijackers) are not viruses, but may be just as dangerous since they may show you and redirect you to malware websites and scam pages.
Many security experts classify potentially unwanted programs as malware. This is because of the unwanted effects that PUPs can cause, such as displaying intrusive ads and collecting user data without the user’s knowledge or consent.
About the Chatroulette Phishing Virus Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Chatroulette Phishing Virus how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.
How did we conduct the research on Chatroulette Phishing Virus?
Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the Chatroulette Phishing Virus threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.