Woniore Worm – Description and Removal

Ventsislav Krastev

Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.

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A new worm has been reported by security experts to spread across portable drives. It is named Woniore, and the worm uses conventional tactics to infect user PCs. The damage which the worm can do to users can often vary from changing settings on the user’s PC to downloading other malware on it. Users who experience the symptoms mentioned in this article should immediately use the instructions published below to permanently be rid of this worm and prevent it from compromising other systems as well.

Woniore Worm – How Does It Spread

There are two may possibilities by which you could have gotten Woniore worm to spread onto your PC.

Possibility #1 – You have been infected by a USB drive which has been in contact with another infected computer.

This is the main method which worms like Woniore, Koobface(https://sensorstechforum.com/remove-koobface-facebook-worm-from-your-pc/), The Moon Worm(https://sensorstechforum.com/themoon-worm-uses-dating-sites-creates-a-botnet-of-home-routers/) and others use to spread across the web. What happens is that when a computer has been infected with the worm, whenever it detects a removable drive like USB or memory card is that it creates the following file in the %root% folder:

• autorun.inf

This file is then used to turn the removable drive into an infection source and hence make other unsuspecting computers in yours or other networks victims. This is a very effective self-replicating method which saves the devious hacker a lot of time.

Possibility #2 – Via malicious URLs or files uploaded online.

If you use email or social media, there is a good chance that you may be familiar with such method of infection. Malicious web links featured in spam messages, such as the following example:

The web links may cause redirects and affect users via Exploit kits and directly download the malicious payload onto the computer via an obfuscated process. What is worse, is that if you try to detect the web links via VirusTotal it may not always turn results because the links may cause doube and even triple redirects for obfuscation of URL scanners.

Related article: Obfuscation in Malware – The Key To Successful Infections

This specific worm has a low probability of spreading, but it has also been detected on different spots so one can never be sure whether or not it may spread globally.

Woniore Worm In Detail

This specific worm does not differ from the typical worm infection. Once its payload loader has been executer, Symantec malware researchers report that it creates the following files on the compromised PC:

In %Temp%:

• {the worm’s original file}.hwp

In %System32%

• wupd10mgr.dll (after which it runs the .dll)/span>

The next action for this worm is to connect to a remote location which is most likely the command and control server of the hackers. It uses onion networking, and this is how the remote hosts URLs look like:

• http://{random alpha-numerical id}.onion.city/main{random alpha-numerical id}

After connecting to the remote location, Woniore worm may perform several unhealthy activities on the user PC. One of those activities is that it might download malicious files on your computer, that may infect it with:

• Trojans
• Ransomware
• Adware
• Rootkit

Besides this, the worm may also cause PC slowings, freezes, and even BSOD in some cases. Not only this, but it may also collect different system information which might give the ability for attackers to conduct a DoS attack on or from the compromised computer.

Remove Woniore Worm Fully

To be rid of this cyber-threat, you should take special measures. First, it is important to disconnect every removable drive and copy your data from it after which clean the drive by formatting it several times. This will prevent the worm from spreading further using this method. We recommend using a Linux OS or a virtual OS to clean the drive since it may affect the system you are trying to format it from.

After cleaning the drives, it is important to clean your computer without damaging any information in it. If this worm has infected it, chances are you may have been infected with other malware as well. This is why we strongly advise following the step-by-step instructions below to assist you in getting rid of this and other malware effectively.

1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Woniore

1. Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode

1. For Windows 7,XP and Vista. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.

For Windows XP, Vista, 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 the Start Menu

Step 2: Whilst holding down Shift button, click on Power and then click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, the aftermentioned menu will appear. From there you should choose Troubleshoot.

Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu you can choose Advanced Options.

Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.

Step 6: Click on Restart.

Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You should choose Safe Mode by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.

2. Remove Woniore with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

2. Remove Woniore with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Install SpyHunter to scan for and remove Woniore.2. Scan with SpyHunter to Detect and Remove Woniore.

Step 1:Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.

It is highly 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.

Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to automatically update.

Step1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Scan Computer Now’ button.

Step2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any Woniore files, click on the ‘Fix Threats’ button to remove them automatically and permanently.

Step3: Once the intrusions on your PC have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart it.

3. Uninstall your web browser to get it rid of Woniore from it.

3. Remove or Uninstall Your Web Browser in Windows.

Step 1: Remove/Uninstall Your Browser using Windows Programs and Features.

Here is a method in few easy steps to uninstall your web browser. No matter if you are using Windows 8, 7, Vista or XP or 10, 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 get left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, mistakes with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities caused by the virus. The proper way to get the browser off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:

Hold the Windows Logo Button and “R” on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear (fig.1).

In the field type in “appwiz.cpl” and press ENTER (fig.2).

This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC.
Select the web browser that you want to remove, and press “Uninstall” (fig.3).

After you uninstall your web browser, you should clean up your registries before downloading it again. For more information on how to clean up your registries, proceed to the following article:
Fix Windows Registry Errors Caused by Malware

Optional: Using Alternative Anti-Malware Tools

Remove Woniore Using Other Alternative Tools

Malwarebytes Anti-MalwareSTOPZilla Anti Malware

1. Install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to scan for and remove Woniore.
Step 1: Download Malwarebytes by clicking here.
Step 2: A pop-up window will appear. Click on the ‘Save File’ button. If it does not, click on the Download button and save it afterwards.


Step 3: After you have downloaded the setup, simply open it.
Step 4: The installer should appear. Click on the ‘Next’ button.

Step 5: Check the ‘I accept the agreement’ check circle if not checked if you accept it and click the ‘Next’ button once again.

Step 6: Review and click on ‘Next’ on the following 4 steps that will appear afterwards and after that click on the ‘Install’ button.

Step 7: After the installation process has completed click on the ‘Finish’ button and check the ‘Launch MalwareBytes AntiMalware’ check box.

2. Scan your PC with MalwareBytes to remove all Woniore associated files automatically.

Step 1: Launch MalwareBytes if you havent launched it after install.
Step 2: Wait for the software to update and then click on the blue ‘Scan Now’ button. If it doesnt start updating automatically, click on the blue ‘Update Now’ highlighted text.

Step 3: At this point, after clicking the ‘Scan Now’ button, the system should start scanning your PC. It may take a while but be patient – it is worth it.

Step 4: After the scan has been complete and all of the threats have been identified, click on the ‘Remove Selected’ button to delete them permanently.

Step 5: Once the scan has completed, MalwareBytes will prompt you to restart your computer. It is recommended to save all your data you are working on before restarting.

1. Download and Install STOPZilla Anti-malware to Scan for And Remove Woniore.
Step 1: Download STOPZilla by clicking here.
Step 2: A pop-up window will appear. Click on the ‘Save File’ button. If it does not, click on the Download button and save it afterwards.

Step 3: After you have downloaded the setup, simply open it.
Step 4: The installer should appear. Click on the ‘Next’ button.

Step 5: Check the ‘I accept the agreement’ check circle if not checked if you accept it and click the ‘Next’ button once again.

Step 6: Review and click on the ‘Install’ button.

Step 7: After the installation process has completed click on the ‘Finish’ button.

2. Scan your PC with STOPZilla Anti Malware to remove all Woniore associated files completely.
Step 1: Launch STOPZilla if you haven’t launched it after install.
Step 2: Wait for the software to automatically scan and then click on the ‘Repair Now’ button. If it does not scan automatically, click on the ‘Scan Now’ button.

Step 3: After the removal of all threats and associated objects, you should Restart your PC.

Ventsislav Krastev

Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.

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