CryptoShuffler Trojan (Cryptojacking Virus) — How to Remove it From Infected Computers

This article has been created in order to explain what is the CryptoShuffler Trojan and how to remove this malware completely from your computer.

The CryptoShuffler Trojan is a Cryptojacking virus that is capable of stealing cryptocurrency assets from the victims. It can be customized depending on the attacks and we expect to see it used in future campaigns. Continue reading our article to learn how to get rid of active infections.

Threat Summary

Name	Cryptoshuffler
Type	Trojan Horse/Cryptojacking Virus
Short Description	Silently infects the target machines and modifies key applications and system services.
Symptoms	The user may not experience any signs of infiltration.
Distribution Method	Malicious web links, Malicious Files, Malicious E-Mails
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by Cryptoshuffler Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss Cryptoshuffler.

CryptoShuffler – How Does It Infect

At the moment there is a large ongoing attack carrying the CryptoShuffler Trojan which targets computer victims on a global scale. The malware is known for being updated several times with specific distribution tactics and strategies for each one. This time the security analysis reveals that there is a mixed approach using different delivery methods at once.

A primary approach is the coordination of spam email messages that use various social engineering tricks in order to make the targets interact with the malware element and infect themselves. This is done by spreading files that cause the infections either by hyperlinking them in the body contents or directly attaching them to the messges.

The emails are also one of the primary mechanisms for deploying infected payloads. Two of the most popular types are the following:

• Infected Documents — The CryptoShuffler Trojan code can be embedded in virus documents of all kinds: rich text documents, spreadsheets or presentations. The most common way is to use macros, they are enabled after the users click on the spawned notification prompt that is executed once the document is opened.
• Software Installers — In a similar way the criminals behind the CryptoShuffler Trojan can place the dangerous code in application installers. The hackers typically download the legitimate setup files from the official vendor sites and modify them to include the malware code. Usually popular software are chosen such as system utilities, creativity suites, productivity, office programs and even computer games.

Usually cryptojacking threats like this one are delivered to the prescribed victims using web scripts. They can infect legitimate sites as well by taking advantage of affiliate and ad networks. Other methods include redirects, pop-ups, banners, in-content links and others.

In this regard the CryptoShuffler Trojan can be delivered through browser hijackers which are malware plugins made for the most popular applications: Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer. They are usually distributed on the browser plugin repositories with elaborate descriptions and fake user reviews. Once installed they redirect the users to a hacker-controlled site and deliver the accompanying virus.

CryptoShuffler – More Information and Analysis

The CryptoShuffler Trojan was detected for the first time in August 2016 with several major updaets since then. It’s code has been found on the hacker underground markets and used in other viruses. One of the distinct characteristics of it is that it is often accompanied with miners. This means that certain version of it can bundle such code in a hybrid form.

The associated malware engine has been found to be modular in nature and this means that it can be customized to reflect the predetermined targets.

Like ransomware threats it may begin the infection with a data harvesting component. Unlike viruses the threat may not be interested in personal data that can directly reveal the victim’s identity. Rather it harvests details about the hardware components and running services. Using the list of installed applications the CryptoShuffler Trojan can perform a security bypass action. This is used to prevent programs and services from interrupting the virus’s proper execution. Target applications include anti-virus apps, virtual machine hosts and sandbox environments. In advanced configurations we have seen malware that remove themselves if they are unable to overcome the security measures.

Various Windows Registry changes can follow. Usually this targets user-installed applications entries that can lead to the inability to launch certain functions and services. When the operating system entries are affected overall performance may degrade severely. Changes to it can also make the CryptoShuffler Trojan infection a persistent threat. This means that it will automatically start once the computer is booted. The boot options themselves are changing by removing the possibility to enter into the recovery boot menu. This prevents most of the manual removal attempts, in such situations the only to effectively recover the compromised hosts is to use an automated anti-spyware solution. Refer to our removal instructions in this article.

A special “service daemon” is instituted onto the computer which monitors the web browser activities. The cryptojacking activities are a special kind of intrusion attacks. The associated malware engines looks out for any interaction with cryptocurrency-related sites and software wallets. Whenever a transfer is made the virus will automatically replace the recipient address so that the funds will be sent to the hackers. Additionally the hacker operators of the CryptoShuffler Trojan can hijack any found wallets and account credentials to online cryptocurrency platforms.

Usually this is done by looking for strings associated with Bitcoin or aany of the popular alternatives such as Monero, Dash, Ethereum, Zcash and Bitcoin Cash.

CryptoShuffler Trojan code can initiate a server connection to a hacker-controlled server. This is used to report the gathered information. In certain configurations it can be used to spy upon the victims in real-time and take over control of the infected hosts. We would like to remind our readers that such actions can be used to deploy additional threats to the machines.

Remove CryptoShuffler Effectively from Windows

In order to fully get rid of this cryptocurrency miner Trojan, we advise you to follow the removal instructions underneath this article. They are made so that they help you to isolate and then delete the CryptoShuffler Trojan either manually or automatically. If manual removal represents difficulty for you, experts always advise to perform the removal automatically by running an anti-malware scan via specific software on your PC. Such anti-malware program aims to make sure that the CryptoShuffler is fully gone and your Windows OS stays safe against any future malware infections.

Manually delete Cryptoshuffler from your computer

Note! Substantial notification about the Cryptoshuffler threat: Manual removal of Cryptoshuffler requires interference with system files and registries. Thus, it can cause damage to your PC. Even if your computer skills are not at a professional level, don’t worry. You can do the removal yourself just in 5 minutes, using a malware removal tool.

1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Cryptoshuffler files and objects

Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode

1. For Windows 7,XP and Vista. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Fix registry entries created by Cryptoshuffler on your PC.

For Windows XP, Vista, 7 systems:

1. Remove all CDs and DVDs, and then Restart your PC from the “Start” menu.
2. Select one of the two options provided below:

– For PCs with a single operating system: Press “F8” repeatedly after the first boot screen shows up during the restart of your computer. In case the Windows logo appears on the screen, you have to repeat the same task again.

– For PCs with multiple operating systems: Тhe arrow keys will help you select the operating system you prefer to start in Safe Mode. Press “F8” just as described for a single operating system.

3. As the “Advanced Boot Options” screen appears, select the Safe Mode option you want using the arrow keys. As you make your selection, press “Enter“.

4. Log on to your computer using your administrator account

While your computer is in Safe Mode, the words “Safe Mode” will appear in all four corners of your screen.

Step 1: Open the Start Menu

Step 2: Whilst holding down Shift button, click on Power and then click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, the aftermentioned menu will appear. From there you should choose Troubleshoot.

Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu you can choose Advanced Options.

Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.

Step 6: Click on Restart.

Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You should choose Safe Mode by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.

Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries of your computer to change different settings. This is why manual clean up of your Windows Registry Database is strongly recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit lenghty, we recommend following our instructive article about fixing registry entries.

2. Find malicious files created by Cryptoshuffler on your PC

Find malicious files created by Cryptoshuffler

1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. 2. For Windows 7,XP and Vista.

For Newer Windows Operating Systems

Step 1:

On your keyboard press  + R and write explorer.exe in the Run text box and then click on the Ok button.

Step 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.

Step 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 navination box to fill up in case the PC is looking for the file and hasn’t found it yet.

For Older Windows Operating Systems

In older Windows OS’s the conventional approach should be the effective one:

Step 1:

Click on the Start Menu icon (usually on your bottom-left) and then choose the Search preference.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Automatically remove Cryptoshuffler by downloading an advanced anti-malware program

1. Remove Cryptoshuffler with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data

Remove Cryptoshuffler with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Install SpyHunter to scan for and remove Cryptoshuffler.2. Scan with SpyHunter to Detect and Remove Cryptoshuffler. Back up your data to secure it against infections and file encryption by Cryptoshuffler in the future.

Step 1:Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

It is highly recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter.

Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to automatically update.

Step1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Scan Computer Now’ button.

Step2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any Cryptoshuffler files, click on the ‘Fix Threats’ button to remove them automatically and permanently.

Step3: Once the intrusions on your PC have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart it.

Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future

IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data automatically with cloud backup and insure it against any type of data loss on your device, even the most severe. We recommend reading more about and downloading SOS Online Backup .

SOS Online Backup

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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