The Rietspoof Malware is a dangerous weapon used against computer users worldwide. It infects mainly via hacker social network profiles. 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 | Rietspoof Malware |
| Type | Trojan |
| Short Description | The Rietspoof Malware is a computer virus that is designed to silently infiltrate computer systems. |
| Symptoms | The victims may not experience any apparent symptoms of infection. |
| Distribution Method | Software Vulnerabilities, Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages, Scripts and others. |
| Detection Tool |
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Malware Removal Tool
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Rietspoof Malware. |
Rietspoof Malware – Distribution Methods
The Rietspoof malware is distributed via rather unorthodox techniques which utilize a several stage-stage dropper. Instead of focusing on the traditional phishing email tactics the criminals are using hacker-made or stolen accounts on the popular instant messaging clients and social networks such as Skype and Facebook Messenger. There are several popular user cases such as the following:
- Malware Friend Requests and Interaction — The hacker-created or stolen accounts can be automated into sending the targets friend requests and subsequent messages containing the dangerous code.
- Group Posts — The criminals can post the malicious content in group chats and discussions, regularly blending them in with the content in question.
- Direct/Private Messages — The accounts can be programmed to send out private messages to the targets with the intended content.
The intended goal of the criminals is to deliver a highly obfuscated Visual Basic Script which will deliver the next stage of the Rietspoof malware. This usually means that the script can be placed in a variety of payloads. Popular ones include documents across all popular types: text files, presentations, databases and spreadsheets. Whenever they are opened by the users a prompt will appear asking them to enable the built-in scripts. The other popular method is to create malicious software installers — they represent hacker-made installers of popular applications which are created by taking the real installers from the official sources and modifying them to include the malicious code. These files can be spread via the social network and IM messages however additional methods can be used as well in order to increase the number of affected victims. Such include any of the following:
- File-Sharing Networks — The malicious payloads can be on peer-to-peer networks and file-sharing sites where both pirate and legitimate content is shared among Internet users.
- Hacker-created Sites — Malicious sites can be created by the hackers that impersonate search engines, product landing pages and portals that are frequently accessed by Internet users. Common elements include the use of similar sounding domains and security certificates that may be either issued by the criminals or stolen.
- Prior Infections — The threat can be carried over from previous infections.
When the first stage of the payload is executed it will instantly retrieve the next part of the module — a CAB file. The script will then run the CAB file which is signed with a valid signature — this does not raise any alarms as this appears to be just like any normal file execution.
The third stage however has been found to communicate with a hacker-controlled server via a TCP network connection. The end addresses are hardcoded in the binary file and the connection is secured through the AES cipher. There are two versions of the Rietspoof malware which are differentiated from the way the communication takes place:
- First Version — The encryption/decryption key is derived from the initial handshake.
- Second Version — The encryption/decryption key is derived from a hard-coded string. This version also supports running its own protocols and it can leverage both HTTP and HTTPS requests.
When the stage 3 phase of the infection has been reached the virus will continue further with the download of the final stage. The code analysis reveals that it is very possible that this is a signal of a targeted attack campaign.
Rietspoof Malware – Detailed Description
The captured Rietspoof malware files have been found to feature an in-depth security bypass mechanism which will cover its tracks from the system administrators. This is done by manipulating the date and time of access of the files. It can also interact with the command line interface which is a non-standard way of running commands. Anti-virus engines are not accustomed to rate such behavior as dangerous. This allows the malware to effectively bypass all sorts of security software such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, virtual machine hosts and debug environments.
During the Rietspoof malware operations a scheduled task for the engine will be created. This means that it will be installed as a persistent threat making it very difficult to remove. Similar malware samples usually disable access to the recovery boot menus and options which renders most manual user removal guides non-working.
After the scheduled task has been made the virus will be executed after a short delay — this is done in order to evade the usual behavior followed by most viruses. An additional feature that is part of the Riestpoof malware is the built-in certificate which is digitally signed by a legitimate certificate authority. This means that either the certificate is stolen or that the criminals have used a false identity in order to buy it.
The third stage dropped payload has the ability to act as a simple bot by allowing the criminals to carry out common tasks as expected by most Trojans:
- File Activities — The local client can be configured into downloading or uploading files from and to the infected machines.
Process Execution — The criminals can instruct the local machine into running certain processes remotely.
What’s more interesting about active Rietspoof malware infections is that they include a so-called geofencing feature — an analysis will be made of the current location of the client servers and the intrusion will be carried out only if they are found within the approved territories. This is particularly useful for targeted attack, in this case the Rietspoof malware will act against clients located in the USA.
The fact that the made connections are encrypted makes it a very difficult infections to discover. The malware contains many advanced modules which allows the hacker operators to cause a wide variety of actions. Common end goals include the following:
- Botnet Recruitment — The Rietspoof malware can recruit the hosts into a worldwide network of infected computers. They can be used to cause a massive DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack which can take down company sites, servers and even government agencies.
- Identity Theft — Via the malicious actions done by the threat the Rietspoof malware can extract details about the victims that can be reveal their identity. This is done by using a data harvesting component that will search for strings such as the person’s name, address, phone number, interests and any stored account credentials. This information can be used to impersonate the victims, blackmail them and lead to various financial abuse.
- Additional Malware Deployment — The made infections can be used to deploy other threats to the compromised machines.
- Miner Infections — One of the most common consequences of infections with similar viruses is the infection with a cryptocurrency miner. This is a script or stand-alone application that will download a series of resource-intensive tasks. They will take advantage of the available resources in order to process complex mathematical calculations: the CPU, GPU, memory and hard disk space. This is done by connecting to a special server called Mining Pool which distributes the tasks. Whenever one of them is completed a digital cryptocurrency payment will be made to the hacker operators directly to their wallets.
We anticipate that other functions will be made available in future versions.
Remove Rietspoof Malware
If your computer system got infected with the Rietspoof Malware, you should have a bit of experience in removing malware. You should get rid of this Trojan as quickly as possible before it can have the chance to spread further and infect other computers. You should remove the Trojan and follow the step-by-step instructions guide provided below.
Note! Your computer system may be affected by Rietspoof 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 Rietspoof 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 Rietspoof Malware follow these steps:
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.
Find files created by Rietspoof 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.
Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs
Scan your PC and Remove Rietspoof Malware with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for Rietspoof Malware and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove Rietspoof Malware.
Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.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 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.
Follow Me:
- Guide 1: How to Remove Rietspoof Malware from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of Rietspoof Malware on Mac OS X.
- Guide 3: Remove Rietspoof Malware in Google Chrome.
- Guide 4: Erase Rietspoof Malware from Mozilla Firefox.
- Guide 5: Uninstall Rietspoof Malware from Microsoft Edge.
- Guide 6: Remove Rietspoof Malware from Safari.
- Guide 7: Eliminate Rietspoof Malware from Internet Explorer.
- Guide 8: Disable Rietspoof Malware Push Notifications in Your Browsers.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
How to Remove Rietspoof Malware from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Rietspoof Malware
Step 2: Uninstall Rietspoof Malware 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 Rietspoof 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 Rietspoof 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.
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 Stop Push Pop-ups
Get rid of Rietspoof Malware from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Rietspoof Malware 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 Rietspoof Malware 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 Rietspoof Malware files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Rietspoof Malware, 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 Stop Push Pop-ups
Remove Rietspoof Malware 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 Stop Push Pop-ups
Erase Rietspoof Malware 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 Stop Push Pop-ups
Uninstall Rietspoof Malware 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 Stop Push Pop-ups
Remove Rietspoof Malware 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 Rietspoof Malware will be removed.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
Eliminate Rietspoof Malware 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.
Remove Push Notifications caused by Rietspoof Malware from Your Browsers.
Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome
To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.
Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:
Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:
Step 4: Open “Notifications”:
Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:
Remove Push Notifications on Firefox
Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.
Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":
Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”
Stop Push Notifications on Opera
Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings
Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.
Step 3: Open Notifications:
Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):
Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari
Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.
Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".
