This article has been created in order to explain what is the NetSupport Manager Trojan and how to remove this malware completely from your computer.
The NetSupport Manager Trojan is a newly discovered dangerous Trojan that infects computers and can manipulate the system configuration. It contains advanced functionality which allows hackers to easily take over control of the machines. Our removal guide features a detailed explanation of the Trojan’s mechanisms of operation, as well as instructions on restoring the infected computers from the infections.
Threat Summary
| Name | NetSupport Manager Trojan |
| Type | Trojan Horse 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 |
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss NetSupport Manager Trojan. |
The NetSupport Manager Trojan is a dangerous malware which is based on a legitimate software which called NetSupport Manager. The hackers have hijacked the legitimate tool an integrated it in a Trojan — the malware is not associated in any way to the product or the company behind NetSupport Manager. The application is used to activate a remote control feature in the machine.
The criminals behind the Trojan have organized a phishing attack campaign — the virus code is embedded in macro-infected Microsoft Word documents. When opened it will display a fake Norton Life Lock notification which reads that the contents is protected and that they need to enable the built-in macros to view it. There are two scenarios which proceed from this interaction:
- Correct Key Entry — The correct key in the captured samples is the upper/lowercase letter C. This will start the infection.
- Invalid Entry — When a wrong password is entered the virus will not initiate.
In order to receive these files there are several possible distribution techniques, among which there are some of the popular ones:
- Phishing Emails — The hackers can send out email notifications which will include the malicious documents.
- Hosted Sites and Pages — The macro-infected documents can be uploaded to various hacker-controlled sites, download portals and landing pages.
- File-Sharing Networks — They are usually BitTorrent trackers or other similar networks where popular legitimate and fake data is shared.
- Malware Bundles — The NetSupport Manager Trojan can be integrated in application installers of popular software which is often installed by end users.
- Social Networks and Online Communities — The hackers can use fake identities in order to share the files. This can be in social networks, chat rooms, forums and etc.
In all of these cases when the virus infection is started one of the first actions which will be started is the setup of the virus engine as a persistent threat. The legitimate NetSupport Manager software will be installed and the virus engine will configure it so that the hackers can remotely login to the compromised systems. This is done by using a local script execution which will reconfigure the system accordingly and also deploy any other malware modules.
Other malicious actions which are run by the Trojan include Windows Registry Changes which can create new entries or modify existing ones in the system. This is especially dangerous as it can lead to many issues such as performance problems, data loss and unexpected errors. When the system changes are made the users will face greater difficulty when trying to use manual removal methods — it is advised that a professional-grade anti-spyware solution is used.
Common Trojan operations include the following actions:
- Information Gathering — The main engine can collect sensitive information related to the identity of the users and/or their machine. A hardware parts report can be generated and used to create an unique ID for each contaminated host.
- Malware Delivery — The Trojan can be used to install additional threats to the computers. This includes common malware such as ransomware, hijackers and cryptocurrency miners.
- Remote Control — The main engine can be used to take over control of the computers.
Remove NetSupport Manager Effectively from Windows
In order to fully get rid of this 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 NetSupport Manager 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 NetSupport Manager is fully gone and your Windows OS stays safe against any future malware infections.
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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- Guide 1: How to Remove NetSupport Manager Trojan from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of NetSupport Manager Trojan from Mac OS X.
- Guide 3: Remove NetSupport Manager Trojan from Google Chrome.
- Guide 4: Erase NetSupport Manager Trojan from Mozilla Firefox.
- Guide 5: Uninstall NetSupport Manager Trojan from Microsoft Edge.
- Guide 6: Remove NetSupport Manager Trojan from Safari.
- Guide 7: Eliminate NetSupport Manager Trojan from Internet Explorer.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
How to Remove NetSupport Manager Trojan from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove NetSupport Manager Trojan
Step 2: Uninstall NetSupport Manager Trojan 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 NetSupport Manager Trojan 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 NetSupport Manager Trojan 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 NetSupport Manager Trojan from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall NetSupport Manager Trojan 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 NetSupport Manager Trojan 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 NetSupport Manager Trojan files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as NetSupport Manager Trojan, 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.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Remove NetSupport Manager Trojan 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 NetSupport Manager Trojan 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 NetSupport Manager Trojan 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 NetSupport Manager Trojan 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 NetSupport Manager Trojan will be removed.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Eliminate NetSupport Manager Trojan 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.
