What is LisfonService? How to remove LisfonService Trojan from your PC or Mac?
The LisfonService Trojan is a dangerous weapon used by the hacking collective called MuddyWater which has used it against high-profile government organizations across different countries in the Middle East. It is used in conjunction with other tools in order to carry out complex intrusions against them. This particular malware is noteworthy for using a large network of proxy URLs, this makes it very difficult to construct a viable and stable defensive system based on blacklisting certain URLs. The hackers will maintain and coordinate the malicious network so that the dangerous infrastructure can always be used in forthcoming attacks. It allows for flexible delivery methods to be used. Some of the most common ones include the following:
- Direct Attacks — The criminals can use their infrastructure in order to scan the target computers for any vulnerabilities. Using an automated utility it can probe vulnerabilities against whole networks.
- Phishing Messages and Sites — The criminals can pose as messages and sites that will appear as being sent or directed from a legitimate or known company or service. The messages and sites will appear as being hosted on similar sounding and legitimate sounding domain names. Furthermore their body contents and style can lead to the virus deployment. To make them appear as more legitimate the hackers can embed self-signed or stolen certificates.
- Payload Delivery Files — The criminals can program various payloads in order to help deliver the threat to the targets. They can be infected documents of all popular formats (spreadsheets, presentations, text files and databases) which will request that the victims to enable the built-in scripts thus triggering the infection. Another popular type of infection is the creation of dangerous setup files of the most popular programs: system utilities, creativity suites, office and productivity apps. When they are opened by the users the virus infection will start automatically. Finally the use of browser hijackers can also be used to infect the target users. They are dangerous web browser extensions which are uploaded to the relevant repositories using fake user reviews and developer credentials.
- File Sharing Networks — All payloads and other virus contents can be shared on networks like BitTorrent where both legitimate and pirate data is found.
Without regard to the actual infection source as soon as the deployment is made the built-in behavior pattern will launch. One of the first modules which are run following the infection is the information acquisition component which will extract information about both the victims and the infected computers themselves. This can be used by the criminals in order to conduct crimes such as financial abuse and identity theft which is a dangerous tactic. The criminals can also opt to generate an unique ID which is created by an algorithm which takes its input sources from strings like the installed hardware components, user configuration and etc. The extent to which data is acquired includes information like the operating system type, build version, domain and public IP address. The bulk of this information will be communicated to the hackers via a special connection which is both secure and persistent.
This connection is used by the hackers in order to receive the sensitive information about the compromised machines and it can be used to deploy other threats to the computers, as well as take over control of them.
Such infections are really dangerous as they can be used to infect other computers found on the local network or make the infected hosts part of a worldwide botnet network. Further changes can be added dynamically as the hackers see fit.
Threat Summary
| Name | LisfonService Trojan |
| Type | Malware, Scam Hacking Program |
| Short Description | It is installed silently by other payload droppers. |
| Symptoms | The victims may notice performance issues and can get infected with other malware. |
| Distribution Method | Mainly via download sites and file sharing networks. |
| Detection Tool |
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LisfonService – How Did I Get It
The LisfonService Trojan can be spread using a variety of different tactics. There are many variants of it which are spread using various collectives. There may be many versions using the LisfonService name and alternatives as well. This allows the criminal collectives to launch a multitude of attacks bearing different versions of the malware.
One of the main techniques is the coordination of phishing email messages which coerce the victims to interact with the included content. They are designed to appear as legitimate notifications sent from well-known services and companies. The LisfonService Trojan files can be either attached or inserted as text links.
Hacker-made sites that pose as legitimate download portals, search engines and software product pages will scam the users into downloading and running the application. They are generally hosted on domains that sound similar to popular sources and may include self-signed security certificates.
To increase the number of infected victims the criminals can also place the LisfonService Trojan in payload carriers such as macro-infected documents and malware application bundles. They are widely downloaded from the Internet by end users and may be found on file-sharing sites as well like BitTorrent.
Such infections can also be spread via browser hijackers which are dangerous web browser extensions that are usually uploaded to the repositories of the most popular browsers.
LisfonService – What Does It Do
The LisfonService Trojan upon execution will start its infection process as soon as the infection occurs. Its main goal is to start a secure and persistent connection to a hacker-controlled server. It allows the criminals to take over control of the affected computers, steal their data and deploy other threats.
Such malware can execute many different tactics depending on the exact attack campaign. Most of them are used in order to serve as payload carriers for other threats. Popular options are the following:
- Data Theft — The LisfonService Trojan may include an information harvesting ability which is capable of acquiring data that ca directly expose the identity of the victim users.
- Machine Identification — Many similar threats are programmed to extract the list of installed hardware components ,specific operating system environment values and user settngs which are then processed by a special algorithm that will output an unique infection ID that is to be assigned to each different computer.
- Windows Registry Changes — The LisfonService Trojan can create entries for itself in the Windows Registry which can make its removal more difficult. If it edits existing values then serious performance issues can arise. Data loss and errors are a common side effect of this operation.
- Boot Menu Options Modification — Some LisfonService Trojan versions can modify the boot options in order to automatically start themselves when the computer is powered on. By disabling access to these options manual user removal guides can become worthless.
- Data Removal — The engine can be configured to locate and delete files such as system backups, restore files and shadow volume copies. This makes recovery much more difficult and in this case the use of a data recovery solution needs to be used.
Any future LisfonService variants can include other malicious actions as per the hacker’s instructions.
How to Remove LisfonService Trojan
In order to fully remove LisfonService 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 LisfonService 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 LisfonService 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 LisfonService 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 LisfonService Trojan with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Clean any registries, created by LisfonService 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 LisfonService 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 LisfonService 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.
LisfonService Trojan FAQ
What Does LisfonService Trojan Trojan Do?
The LisfonService 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 LisfonService 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 LisfonService 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 LisfonService 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 LisfonService Trojan Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this LisfonService 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 LisfonService 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 LisfonService Trojan threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by trojans, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.