Update June 2019! What is Driver Fixer? What does Driver Fixer do? Is Driver Fixer safe? Can you trust Driver Fixer? Is Driver Fixer a virus?
SIDENOTE: This post was originally published in May 2019. But we gave it an update in June 2019
The Driver Fixer Malware is a dangerous weapon used against computer users worldwide. It infects mainly via phishing email messages. Our article gives an overview of its behavior according to the collected samples and available reports, also it may be helpful in attempting to remove the virus.
Threat Summary
| Name | Driver Fixer Malware |
| Type | Trojan |
| Short Description | The Driver Fixer Malware is a scam program that is designed to infiltrate computer systems. |
| Symptoms | The victims may not experience any apparent symptoms of infection. |
| Distribution Method | Phishing Messages, Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages, Scripts and others. |
| Detection Tool |
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Driver Fixer Malware. |
Is Driver Fixer A Virus? (Update June 2019)
There are numerous Driver Fixer versions available on the Internet, many of which may be malware by design. Free Driver Fixer downloads are one of the most frequent carriers of the virus. The reason why so many infections have happened is the fact that the Driver Fixer applications are advertised as helpful system utilities. Some of the advertising for the programs can feature the following promises:
- System Performance Enhancement — The hacker-made Driver Tonic virus files may be advertised and distributed as powerful tools that can help boost the system performance of the victim’s computer.
- Driver Updating — The Driver Tonic malware is primarily advertised as an utility that can scan the system’s drivers and update them as necessary. Depending on the exact version this may or may not happen, in some cases the service will pull malicious or ads-infested files that will be started on the local computer.
- Cleanup — Other common promises that are made by applications like Driver Tonic is the cleanup of old files. Malware and virus versions of Driver Tonic can not only ignore this, but fill up the disk space with junk data.
All of this shows that it is very hard to tell if a downloaded Driver Tonic is a virus just by looking at the file name’s origins. Frequently redirect sites, hacked portals and BitTorrent trackers host infected versions of common software. This is the reason why users are advised to always professional-grade anti-spyware solutions to protect themselves.
Driver Fixer Malware – Distribution Methods (Update June 2019)
The is a fraud system optimization utility which is being delivered to computer users worldwide using several methods at once. At the moment there is no information available about the hacker collective.
Computer users can receive SPAM email messages that pose as legitimate notifications from well-known services, products and companies. They make use of stolen or hijacked multimedia content that may confuse the users. The most direct way to deploy the threats by using links and content of various types: links, images, videos and etc. The other possibility is that the malware files can be directly attached.
Many infections can be caused by the creation of malicious web sites — they can pose as legitimate and safe sources such as download portals, search engines, landing pages and etc. They are hosted on similar sounding domain names to well-known sites and self-signed security certificates.
The Driver Fixer malware can be placed in payload carriers of which there are two main types:
- Document Files — The criminals can embed scripts (macros) that lead to the Driver Fixer malware across all popular formats: spreadsheets, rich text documents, databases and presentations. Whenever they are opened by the users a prompt will appear asking the users to enable the built-in code. The reason that is displayed by the program is usually to correctly view the file.
- Bundle Installers — Many virus infections like this one are caused by the inclusion of virus code in the software installers of popular applications. The hackers typically choose popular versions such as creativity suites, system utilities, productivity and office apps and etc. They are usually spread on the custom malicious sites. What is more dangerous about them is that they can be part of trial, freeware or pirate versions of software and be easily spread using many different mechanisms.
Many of the large-scale attack campaigns carrying it are caused by large-scale browser hijackers. They are dangerous plugins which are made compatible with the most popular web browsers. Most of them are uploaded to the relevant repositories using fake user reviews and developer credentials. The posted descriptions include promises of new feature additions and performance optimizations. At the same time if it is installed the Driver Fixer malware will be deployed alongside any other threats.
The Driver Fixer malware can also be found within files that are shared on peer-to-peer networks such as BitTorrent where both the standalone data and the payload carriers can be downloaded. These programs are widely used for distribution of both pirate and legitimate content.
Driver Fixer Malware – Detailed Description (Update June 2019)
The collected samples of the Driver Fixer software are attributed to malicious files which have been reported in the security community. While a legitimate version of this program may be available, many of the instances found to use this name are malicious in nature. This fraud software will pose as a legitimate system utility which promises updates to the device drivers used by the operating system.
When started the program may start a fraud scan which will display a lot of errors and outdated packages which may not be true. In order to remedy the situation the users will be enticed into paying for the application in order to make it work or to unlock these features.
These applications have the ability to cause a lot of malicious actions to the compromised machines including the following:
- Persistent Installation — The Driver Fixer malware can install itself to the computer in a way which makes it very autostart every the computer is powered on. This is done by reconfiguring system files, boot options and system preferences. In many cases this renders manual user removal guides non-working as they require access to them. When this installation is preferred the only effective way to restore the affected computers is to use a professional-grade anti-spyware product.
- Data Removal — The engine can search for important and delete it in order to make recovery even more difficult: system restore points, backups and shadow volume copies.
- Windows Registry Changes — The Driver Fixer malware can create new strings in the Windows Registry and modify existing ones, as well as delete them. This can lead to severe performance issues. Unexpected errors, data loss and error messages are other symptoms that are common when this action has been executed.
- Additional Payload Delivery — Existing infections can be used to deploy other threats to the affected computers.
- Security Bypass — The Driver Fixer malware can automatically look for files and processes in memory that are owned by security software and services that can effectively block the virus. This includes all forms of anti-virus programs, sandbox and debug environments and virtual machine hosts.
- Information Harvesting — Another malicious action is to hijack personal information about the victim users themselves. This is done by searching for strings such as a person’s name, address, phone number, interests and account credentials.
Other actions can be included as defined by the criminals in future releases.
Remove Driver Fixer Malware
If you want to remove the Driver Fixer Malware unwanted software from your computer we recommend that you use a specific anti-malware software. With a such an anti-malware program, your computer will remain with a better protection and stay healthy performance-wise in the future.
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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Preparation before removing Driver Fixer Malware.
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 Driver Fixer Malware with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Clean any registries, created by Driver Fixer Malware 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 Driver Fixer Malware 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 Driver Fixer Malware 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.
Driver Fixer Malware FAQ
What Does Driver Fixer Malware Trojan Do?
The Driver Fixer Malware 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 Driver Fixer Malware, 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 Driver Fixer Malware 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 Driver Fixer Malware 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 Driver Fixer Malware Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Driver Fixer Malware 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 Driver Fixer Malware?
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 Driver Fixer Malware threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by trojans, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.