Trojan.Plugfakeav is a Trojan horse that presents itself as “Security Shield KIS 2.5”. It can affect browsing history, data on websites you visit, manage your downloads, applications, themes and extensions and modify other settings. It may inject malicious scripts into websites shown on the Google Chrome Browser.
| Name | Trojan.Plugfakeav , Security Shield KIS 2.5 |
| Type | Trojan Horse |
| Short Description | The Trojan may inject malicious scripts into websites shown on Google Chrome, modify various Internet settings, manage apps. |
| Symptoms | The Trojan may change data on visited sites, along with browsing history, downloads and other settings. |
| Distribution Method | Installing fake Security Shield, Targeted Attacks |
| Detection Tool | Download Malware Removal Tool, to See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware |
| User Experience | Join our forum to start the discussion about Trojan.Plugfakeav. |
Trojan.Plugfakeav – How Did I Get It?
There are a number of ways you could get infected with the “Plugfakeav” Trojan horse. The most common distribution method is to install it manually as “Security Shield KIS 2.5” thinking it is a useful security program, without knowing that you are actually getting the Trojan inserted into your system instead. You may be tricked that the “Shield” works, because the Trojan has the ability to block advertisements from some third-party sites in order to help its disguise.
You might have been infected with the Trojan from a targeted attack by downloading an email attachment. Files that can be used to spread various threats such as the Plugfakeav Trojan, most commonly have these extensions: .vbs, .bat, .exe, .pif, .scr!
You could also get infected via some plugin, popup, or a site that has malware on it.
Trojan.Plugfakeav – More About It
After the Trojan is installed on your computer, it will request permission from you, to do many things related to the safety of your browsing. It will want access to the following activities:
- Read and modify data on websites you visit.
- Read and modify your browsing history.
- Manage downloads, extensions, themes and apps.
- Change website settings allowing access to JavaScript, plugins, cookies, microphones and cameras.
As the Plugfakeav Trojan masquerades itself as a “Security Shield” program, and also having the capability to block advertising content from certain third-party sites, it may easily trick you into giving it access privileges to the data and settings stated above. If you permit those privileges and execute the Trojan, it will create JavaScript files in the directory stated below:
→C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\fffdibkepdhebmljdkdjlgibpjpaflhi\2.5_0\
The files are called: page.js ; back.js ; manifest.json .
When all of this is set and done, the Plugfakeav Trojan receives scripts from the remote location “/bestorats.in“. These scripts are injected, by the Trojan, inside different web pages displayed on the Google Chrome browser and quite possibly, other browsers based on the Chromium platform. That allows the full possibility of the malicious program to send information back to the above-mentioned remote location, including the list of installed Chrome extensions.
Remove Trojan.Plugfakeav Completely
This Trojan can spy on you, access different sensitive information and over time, infect you with different kinds of malware. For now the true intentions of the cyber-criminal who created it, are unknown, but undoubtedly bad. In order to completely get rid of the Plugfakeav Trojan horse from your computer, carefully follow the step-by-step removal instructions provided down below!
1. Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode
1. For Windows 7,XP and Vista.
2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.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.
2. Remove Trojan.Plugfakeav with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for and remove Trojan.Plugfakeav.2. Scan with SpyHunter to Detect and Remove Trojan.Plugfakeav.
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 Trojan.Plugfakeav 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.
3. Remove Trojan.Plugfakeav with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
1. Install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to scan for and remove Trojan.Plugfakeav. 2. Scan your PC with MalwareBytes to remove all Trojan.Plugfakeav associated files automatically.Step 2: A pop-up window will appear. Click on the ‘Save File’ button. If it does not, click on the Download button and save it afterwards.
Step 3: After you have downloaded the setup, simply open it.
Step 4: The installer should appear. Click on the ‘Next’ button.
Step 5: Check the ‘I accept the agreement’ check circle if not checked if you accept it and click the ‘Next’ button once again.
Step 6: Review and click on ‘Next’ on the following 4 steps that will appear afterwards and after that click on the ‘Install’ button.
Step 7: After the installation process has completed click on the ‘Finish’ button and check the ‘Launch MalwareBytes AntiMalware’ check box.
Step 2: Wait for the software to update and then click on the blue ‘Scan Now’ button. If it doesnt start updating automatically, click on the blue ‘Update Now’ highlighted text.
Step 3: At this point, after clicking the ‘Scan Now’ button, the system should start scanning your PC. It may take a while but be patient – it is worth it.
Step 4: After the scan has been complete and all of the threats have been identified, click on the ‘Remove Selected’ button to detelete them permanently.
Step 5: Once the scan has completed, MalwareBytes will prompt you to restart your computer. It is recommended to save all your data you are working on before restarting.
4. Remove Trojan.Plugfakeav with STOPZilla AntiMalware
1. Install STOPZilla Anti Malware to scan for and remove Trojan.Plugfakeav. 2. Scan your PC with STOPZilla Anti Malware to remove all Trojan.Plugfakeav associated files completely.Step 2: A pop-up window will appear. Click on the ‘Save File’ button. If it does not, click on the Download button and save it afterwards.
Step 3: After you have downloaded the setup, simply open it.
Step 4: The installer should appear. Click on the ‘Next’ button.
Step 5: Check the ‘I accept the agreement’ check circle if not checked if you accept it and click the ‘Next’ button once again.
Step 6: Review and click on the ‘Install’ button.
Step 7: After the installation process has completed click on the ‘Finish’ button.
Step 2: Wait for the software to automatically scan and then click on the ‘Repair Now’ button. If it does not scan automatically, click on the ‘Scan Now’ button.
Step 3: After the removal of all threats and associated objects, you should Restart your PC.
5. Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future
Security engineers recommend that you back up your files immediately, preferably on an external memory carrier in order to be able to restore them. In order to protect yourself from Trojan.Plugfakeav (For Windows Users) please follow these simple steps:
1. For Windows 7 and earlier 1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 1. Enabling the Windows Defense Feature (Previous Versions)1-Click on Windows Start Menu
2-Type Backup And Restore
3-Open it and click on Set Up Backup
4-A window will appear asking you where to set up backup. You should have a flash drive or an external hard drive. Mark it by clicking on it with your mouse then click on Next.
5-On the next window, the system will ask you what do you want to backup. Choose the ‘Let Me Choose’ option and then click on Next.
6-Click on ‘Save settings and run backup’ on the next window in order to protect your files from possible attacks by Trojan.Plugfakeav.
2-In the window type ‘filehistory’ and press Enter
3-A File History window will appear. Click on ‘Configure file history settings’
4-The configuration menu for File History will appear. Click on ‘Turn On’. After its on, click on Select Drive in order to select the backup drive. It is recommended to choose an external HDD, SSD or a USB stick whose memory capacity is corresponding to the size of the files you want to backup.
5-Select the drive then click on ‘Ok’ in order to set up file backup and protect yourself from Trojan.Plugfakeav.
1- Press Windows button + R keys.
2- A run windows should appear. In it type ‘sysdm.cpl’ and then click on Run.
3- A System Properties windows should appear. In it choose System Protection.
5- Click on Turn on system protection and select the size on the hard disk you want to utilize for system protection.
6- Click on Ok and you should see an indication in Protection settings that the protection from Trojan.Plugfakeav is on.
Restoring a file via Windows Defense feature:
1-Right-click on the encrypted file, then choose Properties.
2-Click on the Previous Versions tab and then mark the last version of the file.
3-Click on Apply and Ok and the file encrypted by Trojan.Plugfakeav should be restored.
Also, here are some tips to help you make your PC management process more secure:
- Make sure to use additional firewall protection. Downloading a second firewall (like ZoneAlarm, for example) is an excellent solution for any potential intrusions.
- Make sure that your programs have less administrative power over what they read and write on your computer. Make them prompt you admin access before starting.
- Use stronger passwords. Stronger passwords (preferably ones that are not words) are harder to crack by several methods, including brute forcing since it includes pass lists with relevant words.
- Turn off AutoPlay. This protects your computer from malicious executable files on USB sticks or other external memory carriers that are immediately inserted into it.
- Disable File Sharing – it is recommended if you need file sharing between your computer to password protect it to restrict the threat only to yourself if infected.
- Switch off any remote services – this can be devastating for business networks since it can cause a lot of damage on a massive scale.
- If you see a service or a process that is external and not Windows critical and is being exploited by hackers (Like Flash Player) disable it until there is an update that fixes the exploit.
- Make sure always to update the critical security patches for your software and OS.
- Configure your mail server to block out and delete suspicious file attachment containing emails.
- If you have a compromised computer in your network, make sure to isolate it immediately by powering it off and disconnecting it by hand from the network.
- Make sure to educate all of the users on the network never to open suspicious file attachments, show them examples.
- Employ a virus-scanning extension in your browser that will scan all the downloaded files on your computer.
- Turn off any non-needed wireless services, like Infrared ports or Bluetooth – hackers love to use them to exploit devices. In case you use Bluetooth, make sure that you monitor all of the unauthorized devices that prompt you to pair with them and decline and investigate any suspicious ones.
- Employ a virus-scanning extension in your browser that will scan all the downloaded files on your computer.
- Employ a powerful anti-malware solution to protect yourself from any future threats automatically.
Preparation before removing Trojan.Plugfakeav.
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 Trojan.Plugfakeav with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Clean any registries, created by Trojan.Plugfakeav 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 Trojan.Plugfakeav 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 Trojan.Plugfakeav 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.
Trojan.Plugfakeav FAQ
What Does Trojan.Plugfakeav Trojan Do?
The Trojan.Plugfakeav 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 Trojan.Plugfakeav, 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 Trojan.Plugfakeav 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 Trojan.Plugfakeav 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 Trojan.Plugfakeav Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Trojan.Plugfakeav 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 Trojan.Plugfakeav?
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 Trojan.Plugfakeav threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by trojans, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.