This article has been created in order to explain what is the CrossRAT Trojan Horse infection and how to remove it completely from your computer.
A new, highly dangerous Trojan horse going by the detection Trojan:Java/Trupto has been reported to cause immense harm to Linux, Windows and MacOS computer. The Trojan is a RAT (Remote Access Trojan) type and is dubbed CrossRAT by researchers. The virus is written in JavaScript and it can perform series of dangerous activities on computers once it infects them, ranging from modifying files, writing files, taking screenshots and running DLLs to infect your computer with other viruses. The CrossRAT Trojan has been reported by series of researchers to come onto victim computers via a .jar file via series of methods with very low detection rate. Read this article to learn more about the CrossRAT Trojan plus methods on how to remove it from your computer plus how to secure it against further infections.
Threat Summary
| Name | CrossRAT |
| Type | Remote Access Trojan |
| Short Description | Aims to infect the computer and remain silently on the victim’s computer in order to allow hackers to control it from distance. |
| Symptoms | The CrossRAT Trojan is generally designed to remain silent, but new files may be created on your PC plus infected computers may act strangely. |
| Distribution Method | Via malicious web links, infected e-mail attachments as well as fake setup files and programs. |
| Detection Tool |
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss CrossRAT. |
CrossRAT Trojan – How Does It Infect
The CrossRAT Trojan may enter your computer via many different methods, the main suspect of which is via a malicious web redirect to a page which automatically downloads and runs the .jar files which causes the infection. One sample of the malicious file, infecting with the CrossRAT Trojan has been reported to have the following technical parameters according to VirusTotal:
→ SHA-256 15af5bbf3c8d5e5db41fd7c3d722e8b247b40f2da747d5c334f7fd80b715a649
Name: hmar6.jar
Size:217.33 KB
The bad news here is that no system is secure, even Linux OS. This suggests that very experienced malware writers may be behind this remote access Trojan.
The main method by which you may have come into contact with the CrossRAT trojan is if you have visited a web page, which causes an automatic browser redirect to a web page which can infect you simply by you having to visit it.
Another way by which you may become a victim of this Trojan horse is if you have opened a file, which you believe is legitimate and it contains the CrossRAT infection script which causes the infection by you opening the file. Such files are often fake setups of programs, fake key generators, game cracks and other software you may have downloaded via Torrent websites.
The last but not least important method by which this Trojan may have infected your computer is if you have opened an e-mail attachment, like an infected Microsoft Office document, believing it is a legitimate invoice, receipt for purchase online or other form of seemingly legitimate file. Such e-mails often pretend to come from companies from the likes of eBay, PayPal, DHL and other reputable names.
CrossRAT Trojan – Analysis
Remote access Trojans are not a new concept. However, when we see a RAT which is compatible with the three most widely used operating systems in the world – Windows, MacOS and Linux, it is definitely a cause for alarm. Furthermore, the EFF have established that the Trojan has been created and supported by the Dark Caracal hacker group, which may be based on Lebanon in order to spy on government employees and journalists in more than 20 countries all over the globe.
The CrossRAT Trojan has many capabilities, the primary of which are:
- To evade conventional anti-virus software protection.
- To manipulate the files on the computers it infects.
- To run DDL files which may contain other viruses, like miner malware or ransomware.
According to a technical report by ex-NSA hacker Partrick Wardle, the activity of the malware once it infects your computer is very sophisticated and experienced developers are behind it. Once this Trojan finds itself in a computer system, it perform the following steps:
1-Scans the infected computer in order to establish the OS it’s running, the security software installed on it.
2-Uses the information from scanning the infected PC in order to infect it with the tools which are most likely to be undetectable.
3-Assumes administrative access to gain full control of the infected machine.
The CrossRAT Trojan can be identified on different computers based on different modifications it performs on different OS’s. Here are it’s main symptoms that give it away:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\ in which a value string is added, containing Data in which the “java”, “-jar” and “mediamgrs.jar” commands are present.
Mediamgrs.jar, dropped in ~/Library and a launch agent is dropped in ~/Library/LaunchAgens, called mediamgrs.plist
The .jar file mediamgrs.jar is created in the /usr/var directory plus an “autostart” type of file is added in ~/.config/autostart/ which may be named mediamgrs.desktop
It is advisable to immediately take action in case you see any hints of having CrossRAT on your computer and if you see any of the detections we have described in the “Detect and Remove” section below to perform the following activities as described methodically:
1. Stop your Internet Access.
2. Change all of your passwords on your online accounts from a secure PC.
3. Move all of your important files on a flash drive from your PC or use other method to transfer them.
4. After having done those, follow the instructions from the “Detect and Remove” paragraph below.
CrossRAT Trojan – How to Detect and Remove
CrossRAT Trojan is detected by most antivirus engines under the following names:
In order to remove this virus, you should follow the manual or automatic removal instructions down below. They are specifically designed in order to help you to delete this virus methodologically. Be advised that if you feel unsure to delete the CrossRAT Trojan manually, experts strongly advise to do so automatically by downloading an advanced anti-malware tool as it is likely the best option to fully erase this malware and secure your computer at a click of a button.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
Follow Me:
- Guide 1: How to Remove CrossRAT from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of CrossRAT on Mac OS X.
- Guide 3: Remove CrossRAT in Google Chrome.
- Guide 4: Erase CrossRAT from Mozilla Firefox.
- Guide 5: Uninstall CrossRAT from Microsoft Edge.
- Guide 6: Remove CrossRAT from Safari.
- Guide 7: Eliminate CrossRAT from Internet Explorer.
- Guide 8: Disable CrossRAT Push Notifications in Your Browsers.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
About the CrossRAT Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this CrossRAT 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 CrossRAT?
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 CrossRAT threat is backed with VirusTotal https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.
References
1.Browser Redirect – What Is It?
2.Adware Is Malicious, and It Uses Advanced Techniques to Infect
3.The Thin Red Line Between Potentially Unwanted Programs and Malware
4.The Pay-Per-Install Affiliate Business – Making Millions out of Adware
5.Malicious Firefox Extensions Installed by 455,000 Users Blocked Updates
How to Remove CrossRAT from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove CrossRAT
Step 2: Uninstall CrossRAT 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 CrossRAT 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 CrossRAT there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
1. Open the Run Window again, type "regedit" and click OK.
2. When you open it, you can freely navigate to the Run and RunOnce keys, whose locations are shown above.
3. You can remove the value of the virus by right-clicking on it and removing it.
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.
Step 4: Scan for CrossRAT with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
1. Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.
2. After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
3. After the update process has finished, click on the 'Malware/PC Scan' tab. A new window will appear. Click on 'Start Scan'.
4. After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the 'Next' button.
Video Removal Guide for CrossRAT (Windows).
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
Get rid of CrossRAT from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall CrossRAT 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:
2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:
3.In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to CrossRAT:
4.Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.
5.In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to CrossRAT. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.
6: Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference.
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 CrossRAT. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
7: Remove any left-over files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:
- 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 CrossRAT 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:
1: Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:
2: Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:
3: Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as CrossRAT. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.
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 CrossRAT files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as CrossRAT, 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 CrossRAT (Mac)
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
Remove CrossRAT 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 Stop Push Pop-ups
Erase CrossRAT 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 Stop Push Pop-ups
Uninstall CrossRAT 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 Stop Push Pop-ups
Remove CrossRAT 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 CrossRAT will be removed.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
Eliminate CrossRAT 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 caused by CrossRAT 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".
CrossRAT FAQ
What is CrossRAT?
The CrossRAT threat is adware or browser redirect virus. It may slow your computer down siginficantly 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 CrossRAT?
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 has poor performance in general.
Symtpom #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 reccomend 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 Mac can be the following types:
- Rogue Antivirus programs.
- Adware.
- Browser hijackers.
- Clickers.
- Fake optimizers.
What to do if I have a "virus" like CrossRAT?
Do not panic! You can easily get rid of most adware or unwanted program threats by firstly isolating them and then removing them from your browser and computer. One reccomended way to do that is by using a reputable malware removal software that can take care of the removal automatically for you. There are many anti-malware apps out there that you can choose from. SpyHunter is one of the reccomended anti-malware apps, that can scan your computer for free and detect any viruses, tracking cookies and unwanted adware apps and eliminate them quickly. This saves time when compared to doing the removal manually.
How to secure my passwords and other data from CrossRAT?
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 e-mail 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 activiites 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 reccomendations, 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.
More tips you can find on our website, where you can also ask any questions and comment underneath the articles about your computer problems. We will try to respond as fast as possible.