What Is VanTom Trojan
The VanTom Trojan is a dangerous malware which is created to overtake control of the victim machines. There are several versions of it developed over the years and several hacking groups can use them. Our article describes how a typical attack is made.
VanTom Trojan Summary
| Name | VanTom Trojan |
| Type | Trojan/Keylogger |
| Short Description | Aims to steal data from your computer and run different malware actions. |
| Symptoms | Your computer may behave strangely and new files may be dropped in several Windows Directories. |
| Distribution Method | Common infection methods including phishing messages and malware-infected files. |
| Detection Tool |
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss VanTom Trojan. |
VanTom Trojan – Virus Infection Methods
The VanTom Trojan can be spread to the target systems using a lot of different strategies. This will depend on the actual hacking group and their intended victims. This includes the possibility of using several strategies at once. There are two main types of infection methods — ones that use an infected file carrier or the direct execution of the virus. The success of the attack campaign will largely depend on the intention and scale of the victims. The two methods include the following:
- Malware Carrier Files — The VanTom Trojan virus code can be placed in different files that when run will lead to the infection. Common examples are macro-infected documentsand application installers of popular software. They are often downloaded and used by the end users. The documents can include all popular formats: spreadsheets, text documents, databases and presentations. When they are opened by the victims a prompt will be opened asking them to enable the macros, if this is done the infection will start. Another alternative is the installation of browser hijacker which are dangerous extensions which are made compatible with all popular web browsers. They will change the default settings so that a hacker-controlled page will be shown. Many of these malware can be programmed to deploy virus threats as well, including this Trojan.
All VanTom Trojan files and related data can be uploaded to file-sharing networks or even shared in online communities such as social networks, chat rooms and private messages on forums. The hackers can use various phishing strategies and fake identities to spread the files.
VanTom Trojan – Virus Capabilities
As soon as the VanTom Trojan infection has started it will execute various malware actions — the exact type and number of commands will depend on the hacker instructions and/or local machine conditions. By design the VanTom virus will install a local client instance on the affected machines. It will establish a secure connection to the hackers and allow them to start the supported commands. There have been several iterations of the VanTom Trojan which different versions. It is very possible that more than one hacking groups are using the malware. Each criminal group can add in new capabilities depending on their preferences.
The captured versions of the malware refer to VanToM RAT 1.4 which is the Trojan version used in detected active campaigns. It allows the hacking groups to manage the networks of affected hosts and also to perform surveillance tasks — screenshot capture, audio capture (via attached or built-in microphones) and other preferences. The Trojan gives the hackers the ability to execute remote commands.
Possible malware actions that can be executed by the hackers include the following:
- Data Harvesting — This can include the hijacking of information that can be used to reveal the identity of the victims: such data can include a person’s name, address, telephone number and other details. In many cases during this phase will also be used to create a report of the installed machine components — this step is necessary in order to generate an unique device ID. It is used to differentiate between the affected hosts.
- Files Theft — Trojan malware are commonly used to hijack fata that is found on the infected hosts. This can be extended to user and system data.
- System Changes — The malicious engine can be used to manipulate the operating system and its components: Windows Registry and boot options. This can lead to data loss, unexpected errors and potential performance issues. If the changes affect other installed applications then they can stop working.
- Additional Virus Infection — The VanTom Trojan can be used to install other threats as programmed by the hacking group. Examples are file encrypting ransomware that are designed to process user data and encrypt it with a strong cipher. In the end the criminals will blackmail the victims for a ransom payment. Another popular example is the cryptocurrency miner — a script that can be executed from within web browsers or found within individual processes. They will download a sequence of performance-intensive tasks that will have a heavy impact on the victim machines: the CPU, Memory, Hard Disk Space, Network Speed and Graphics Card. Other malware can also be considered.
At any time the VanTom Trojan can be modified or programmed to include other behavior. If different hacking groups are using it as their weapon then several attack campaigns can be run at once. For this reason active infections should be removed as soon as possible.
VanTom Trojan – Virus Removal GUIDE
In order to fully remove this infection from your computer system, recommendations are to try the automatic removal guidelines below. They are particularly created in order to assist you separate this malware first of all and after that remove it’s destructive files. If you lack the experience in malware removal, the best method and most reliable one according to safety professionals is to use an innovative anti-malware software program. Such will not just immediately get rid of the VanTom infection from your computer system, yet will certainly additionally ensure that your computer system remains shielded versus future infections.
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 VanTom Trojan from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of VanTom Trojan from Mac OS X.
- Guide 3: Remove VanTom Trojan from Google Chrome.
- Guide 4: Erase VanTom Trojan from Mozilla Firefox.
- Guide 5: Uninstall VanTom Trojan from Microsoft Edge.
- Guide 6: Remove VanTom Trojan from Safari.
- Guide 7: Eliminate VanTom Trojan from Internet Explorer.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
How to Remove VanTom Trojan from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove VanTom Trojan
Step 2: Uninstall VanTom Trojan 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 VanTom 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 VanTom 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.
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
Get rid of VanTom Trojan from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall VanTom Trojan 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 VanTom Trojan 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 VanTom Trojan files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as VanTom Trojan, 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
Remove VanTom Trojan 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
Erase VanTom Trojan 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
Uninstall VanTom Trojan 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
Remove VanTom Trojan 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 VanTom Trojan will be removed.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Eliminate VanTom Trojan 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.
