What is GootKit? How to remove GootKit Trojan from your PC or Mac?
The GootKit Trojan is a dangerous malware threat which is designed mainly for Microsoft Windows computers. It can be acquired from various sources, every attack campaign can focus on one specific tactic. Usually virus infections like this one are made by interacting with an infected file — this can be either a macro-infected document or a hacker-made software installer. They are often made by taking the legitimate files from their official sources and modifying them with the necessary virus code. Other data can also be affected. All kinds of other data may be used as well — this includes malicious plugins for web browsers and etc. In other cases the hackers can use a direct attacks that will look for system vulnerabilities and weaknesses. If any are found then the GootKit Trojan will be installed.
This particular threat is known for being spread using a multitude of weaknesses. It is set against both end users and servers. After the infection has been made the GootKit Trojan can download other threats, launch multiple dangerous modules and install a cryptocurrency miner which will run a sequence of performance-demanding tasks.
Threat Summary
| Name | GootKit Trojan |
| Type | Malware, Trojan, Miner |
| Short Description | A dangerous malware which can launch a miner and start a Trojan module. |
| Symptoms | The victims may notice performance issues and can get infected with other malware. |
| Distribution Method | Common distribution tactics and direct web attacks. |
| Detection Tool |
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss GootKit Trojan. |
GootKit Trojan – Update October 2019
A new security reports gives further details over the features of the last few iterations of the GootKit Trojan. They have the ability to launch many dangerous components that can have a profound effect upon the computers. The specialists note that the ability to cause self-injection into running processes which can be both operating system related or installed by the users. This allows the virus to place itself in the virtual protected memory. This means that by doing so it will protect itself from security systems and can easily bypass or even remove them. What’s important about this is that these methods work against both anti-virus programs, but also firewalls, virtual machine hosts and debug environments. They are frequently used for performing advanced analysis of the malware. By providing this functionality active samples can be very hard to detect. The respective module works by searching for specific strings in the hardware report about the user by looking for parts that are related to the typical configuration options of popular hypervisors: VMWare, Xen and Parallels in particular.
The same checks are performed in the Windows Registry as well. When this engine has completed running the local Trojan client will be run. It will contact the remote server and setup a persistent connection allowing the criminals to take over control of the machine.
GootKit Trojan – Update September 2019
The Gootkit Trojan has been found to toarget a lot of networks located across Europe, including banks found in France, Switzerland and Austria. What’s particularly dangerous is that it can also be set against cryptocurrency services. However it has been found that two databases that are used by the hacking collective to have leaked. A security analysis of their structure and a content extraction has revealed further information about the stored information. The experts reveal that the criminal collective behind the threat is actively pulling data from three botnets totaling about 38,563 compromised hosts.
One of the databases has been found to contain a lot of sensitive information about the victim users including their bank card data. The sum of the harvested appears is expected to number at least 15,000 payment cards. Alongside the information about the assets the databases also includes a lot of details about the infected machines, including login credentials. Among the harvested information there is also a lot of strings that can be used to login onto online services. Among them there were found username and password combinations for the following:
- Polish Ski shops
- Envato Marketplaces
- Cryptocurrency Exchanges
- Bulgarian government agencies
The Gootkit Trojan has also been found to hijack web browsers data including cookies, history, bookmarks and etc. What’s particularly dangerous about is that it can also screenshot the users interaction and launch all kinds of other modules. What we know is that the engine will extract a detailed list of system data including the following:
- Internal Network IP Address
- External Network IP Address
- Hostname
- Domain Name
- Processor Information
- Memory Details
- Installed Security Applications and Services
- Web Browser Data
- ISP Information
- Operating System Information
GootKit Trojan – How Did I Get It
The GootKit Trojan is a dangerous banking malware which is being delivered using a variety of tactics. One of the popular ways is to use large-scale botnet campaigns and phishing tactics that incorporate its code as part of the intended virus infection. One of the main ones are the following:
- Phishing Tactics — The hackers can attempt to scam the victims into creating bulk email messages and specially crafted websites. They are all hosted on similar sounding domain names attempting to manipulate the recipients into interacting with the shown contents. In many cases it is faked or stolen from the original sources, the headers of the messages can also be masked. A dangerous tactics is the inclusion of self-signed security certificates.
- Malicious Payloads — The hackers can embed the necessary infection code in various kind of files. They can be either macro-infected documents or bundle installers. This covers a large part of the attack campaigns as this can include all popular file formats: presentations, databases, spreadsheets and text file. The other alternative which is covered by the hackers include the creation of malware setup files of popular applications. They can include the following: system utilities, creativity suites, office and productivity suites and etc.
- Malware Infections — Previous malware can be used to make way for the GootKit Trojan samples. This can also be done by using automated toolkits that can enumerate networks for weaknesses. Any active exploits can lead to the GootKit Trojan delivery.
GootKit Trojan – What Does It Do
As soon as the GootKit Trojan has infected a given host it will immediately start to execute its built-in sequence. The security analysis that has been made on the collected samples shows that the main infection engine will “unpack” itself and all associated modules. One of the default options is the installation as a persistent threat. In most cases this means that the virus engine will be started every time the computer is powered on. In some cases it can also disable access to the recovery boot options which makes recovery even more difficult.
The next module which is started is the anti-analysis function which will scan the memory and hard disk contents looking for active security software that can potentially block or remove the GootKit Trojan. All found apps will be bypassed or entirely deleted from the system. Examples of such include virtual machine hosts, anti-virus software, firewalls, intrusion detection systems and etc. As this is related to advanced system interaction the following actions can be caused:
- Process Hookup — The GotKit Trojan can hookup to existing (running) processes that include both system and third-party ones. A consequence of this action will be that the virus will be able to hijack the user interaction, read the user input and output and monitor the activity of the applications.
- Data Gathering — One of the main dangers associated with having the GootKit Trojan active on a given system is its ability to harvest information found in the memory and the files that can expose the identity of the victims or generate a report of the installed hardware parts.
- System Changes — As a result of the GootKit Trojan installation its engine can be configured into editing out system configuration files, editing the user preferences or making edits to the Windows Registry values. This can result in serious issues when interacting with the computer, performance problems, loss of data and even unexpected errors.
One of the newer releases of the GootKit Trojan adds in a further module that will bypass Windows Defender by using a complex technique. First it will check if the service is running and if this checks as positive a Registry entries will be added that is related to a weakness in the system. It allows the whitelisting of services at boot-up. Using a malware dropper that has been specially made for this purpose the Windows Defender service will be shut down.
The GootKit Trojan is classified primarily as a banking Trojan which means that it will constantly monitor the user interactions looking for any user input in payment pages, online banking services and etc. It will automatically read this information and change it so that the funds will be transferred to a hacker-controlled bank account or cryptocurrency wallet. Additionally as a generic Trojan it will connect the infected host to a hacker-controlled server allowing the hackers to take over control of the host, steal their data and etc.
How to Remove GootKit Trojan
In order to fully remove GootKit from your computer system, we recommend that you follow the removal instructions underneath this article. If the first two manual removal steps do not seem to work and you still see GootKit or programs, related to it, we suggest what most security experts advise – to download and run a scan of your comptuer with a reputable anti-malware program. Downloading this software will not only save you some time, but will remove all of GootKit files and programs related to it and will protect your computer against such intrusive apps and malware 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 GootKit Trojan.
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 GootKit Trojan with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Clean any registries, created by GootKit 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 GootKit 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.Step 3: Find virus files created by GootKit Trojan 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.
GootKit Trojan FAQ
What Does GootKit Trojan Trojan Do?
The GootKit Trojan 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 GootKit Trojan, 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 GootKit Trojan 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 GootKit Trojan 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 GootKit Trojan Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this GootKit Trojan 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 GootKit Trojan?
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 GootKit Trojan threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by trojans, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.