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.
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.
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.
Note! Your computer might be affected by DarkGate Malware and other threats.
Threats such as DarkGate Malware may be persistent on your system. They tend to re-appear if not fully deleted. A malware removal tool like SpyHunter will help you to remove malicious programs, saving you the time and the struggle of tracking down numerous malicious files. SpyHunter’s scanner is free but the paid version is needed to remove the malware threats. Read SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy
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.
DarkGate Malware is a complex threat that installs itself in a stealth way and proceeds with many malicious changes to the infected host. Depending on its configuration it may launch various additional threats, steal sensitive data and cause overall system stability problems. In case that you see this program running on your machine, you should remove it before it takes the chance to cause some serious security and privacy related issues.
Threat Summary
Name
DarkGate Malware
Type
Rootkit, Trojan
Short Description
The application will install itself silently and launch a Trojan horse infection.
Symptoms
Performance issues, Inability to run certain services or apps
Distribution Method
Email messages and infected payload files
Detection Tool
See If Your System Has Been Affected by DarkGate Malware
The DarkGate malware is a very sophisticated malware that combines the functionality of several different virus types. The attack campaigns primarily target Windows workstations and the attacks themselves are carefully planned to target specific regions or type of users. This shows that careful planning is made by the hacker collectives behind the ongoing attacks.
The security analysis reveals that there are two distinct infection methods behind the DarkGate malware. The common characteristic is that they both use the BitTorrent file-sharing network to spread infected files.
Malware Content — One of the detected DarkGate malware attacks used files that were masked as Walkind Dead episodes and other spoofed content. When launched the tv series files will run a VBscript embedded in them to download and run the main malware engine.
Email Phishing Messages — DarkGate malware strains have been found in email scam messages that use the most popular phishing tactics. Distinct campaigns that are confirmed to include the various courier delivery notification scams, a popular example is the one associated with the
After the DarkGate malware is downloaded onto the victim system it will unpack itself in a multi-stage fashion. This is done by a series of obfuscated scripts and files, this procedure is required in order to hide itself from operating system services and security software. The analysis of this behavior shows that it copies itself to system folders and may replace legitimate system data.
DarkGate Malware — Capabilities
During the unpack stages the DarkGate malware will initiate a stealth bypass function. This is done by scanning the system for the presence of anti-virus software or firewalls that can block the virus’s correct execution. Updated versions of it can scan for signatures and registry values as well, not only default installation folders. During the analysis we have detected that a distinct characteristic is the detection of virtual machines, recovery tools or sandbox environments that are used by analysts. If such hosts and engines are found running during the scan they will be disabled and the DarkGate malware may automatically delete itself to avoid detection. Another behavior pattern would be to relocate and rename the virus file so that it doesn’t get detected by the usual virus signature scans.
A list of the found anti-virus signatures identified in the captured samples is the following:
When this has finished execution a Trojan instance will be run by setting a local client that establishes a secure connection to a hacker-controlled server. It allows the operators behind it to spy on the users, hijack their data and take over control at any given time. The modular framework has been found to call a keylogger component which will track all user actions (keyboard and mouse events) which will be recorded and sent to the hackers.
The analysis also shows that it runs a data collection component. The acquired samples generate a report of the installed hardware components from which a custom victim ID is made for each host. Other information that can be used for this purpose includes specific operating system variables and user-set settings. Future updates and modifications to the malware engine can include a identity theft module. It will search for strings that can directly expose the victims: their real name, phone number, email address, address and any stored username & password combinations. Most of these engines can access both the operating system, hard drive contents and third-party installed applications. A distinct tactic that is employed during this phase is that the servers use DNS records that appear as very similar to those used by Akamai and Amazon. This makes the malicious traffic difficult to identify during network analysis.
Before launching any further modules the DarkGate malware will initiate a scan which checks if the installed OS is 32 or 64-bit. It will run the built-in compatible version afterwards. To elevate its privileges it uses two distinct User Access Control (UAC) bypass techniques. Consequently it will gain administrative privileges and create many processes of its own making it even harder to detect and remove.
Infected hosts will be very difficult to restore as the engine will be remove system data such as Restore points.
Some of the data that is harvested includes the following:
locale, user name, computer name, window name, time of last input, processor type, display adapter, RAM amount, OS type and version, user admin, config.bin encrypted contents, epoch type, anti-virus type
How to Remove DarkGate Malware Infections
In order to remove DarkGate Malware and all its associated files from your PC you should complete all steps listed in the removal that follows. It presents both manual and automatic removal approaches that combined could help you to remove this undesired program in full. The automatic approach could properly locate all potentially harmful files so that you could access and remove them easily.
In case that you have further questions or need additional help, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or contact us via email.
Note! Your computer system may be affected by DarkGate Malware and other threats. Scan Your PC with SpyHunter SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as DarkGate Malware. Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
To remove DarkGate Malware follow these steps:
1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove DarkGate Malware files and objects
OFFER
Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!
We Recommend To Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria
Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
For Windows XP, Vista and 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 up the Start Menu.
Step 2: Click on the Power button (for Windows 8 it is the little arrow next to the “Shut Down” button) and whilst holding down “Shift” click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, a blue menu with options will appear. From them you should choose Troubleshoot.
Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu choose Advanced Options.
Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.
Step 6: From the Startup Settings menu, click on Restart.
Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You can choose any of the three Safe Mode options by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.
Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.
2. Find files created by DarkGate Malware on your PC
Find files created by DarkGate Malware
1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. 2. For Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
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.
IMPORTANT! Before starting the Automatic Removal below, 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.
Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs
3. Scan for malware and unwanted programs with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Scan your PC and Remove DarkGate Malware with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for DarkGate Malware and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove DarkGate Malware. Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
Step 1: Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.
It is 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. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.
Step 2: 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.
Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.
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 with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup.
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.
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.
Remove malware caused by DHL Scams, including related email messages and websites. The article will reveal DHL Scams and legitimate messages from DHL
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7.
2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.
Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for DarkGate Malware and remove them.
Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
