How to eliminate TrickBot trojan from the operating system

What is TrickBot?

TrickBot is trojan-type malware designed to steal users' private data. Research shows that, in most cases, developers proliferate TrickBot using spam emails, however, it might also be distributed using fake Adobe Flash Player updates. This virus was first identified in late 2016 targeting various financial institutions, banks, and credit card providers (for more information click here).

In late 2017, cryptomining became very popular, and for this reason, TrickBot was updated and now also targets cryptowallets. Besides, TrickBot can spread itself further and infect as many computers as possible.

TrickBot malware overview

This malware essentially hijacks web browsers and modifies websites displayed by them. The sites are modified such that entered logins and passwords are recorded and sent to a remote server controlled by cyber criminals. This is a significant issue regarding users' privacy.

By stealing login details and passwords for cryptocurrency wallets, PayPal, bank accounts, and other personal accounts, cyber criminals cause serious problems and transfer money without consent, thus leading to financial loss. More recent versions of TrickBot are capable of locking victim's computer screen.

Cyber criminals can use this feature to force people to pay a ransom so they could access their computers again. Also, this virus is capable of hijacking various applications (such as WinSCP, Microsoft Outlook, Filezilla, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer) and stealing saved passwords, autofill data and a number of other information types.

It is designed to steal this data with a implemented module called "pwgrab". Aside from stealing credentials, TrickBot also records information relating to web browsing (e.g., history, cookies, and so forth), as well as the system itself (CPU, operating system, running processes, etc.). To steal data from browsers it uses a cookies-grabbing module.

This module is used to steal web browser cookies which help cyber criminals to create a better profile of each victim and to optimize the attack in a better way. Newer versions of TrickBot are also capable of stealing PIN codes from people who use services of Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and Sprint.

This feature allows cyber criminals to take control over victim's phone numbers. To achieve it, TrickBot alters web content of visited websites (like Verizon Wireless) using new dynamic webinjects. It can add or remove various fields, change texts and so on, depending on what cyber criminals willing to achieve.

It can also be used to get access to previously infected networks (bots) and allows other threat actors to further infiltrate the network and drop their payloads.

Note that this virus is capable of updating itself after the infection. In other words, each victim (if there's an Internet connection, of course) will have the newest version of TrickBot, no matter when this malware has firstly infiltrated the system.

This malware should be eliminated immediately, however, TrickBot is notorious for hiding itself - on initial inspection, it is virtually impossible to determine if this malware is present. It's detection avoiding capabilities have increased significantly. Besides, it is capable of disabling Windows Defender.

Fortunately, most legitimate anti-virus suites are capable of detecting and removing TrickBot. If you have recently downloaded/opened suspicious email attachments or used third party Adobe Flash Player update tools, you should immediately use a reputable anti-virus software to scan the entire system and eliminate all listed threats.

In addition, check the list of installed applications/browser plug-ins and uninstall any suspicious entries (fake updaters are also likely to include potentially unwanted adware-type programs).

Similar malware examples

TrickBot shares many similarities with Adwind, Pony, FormBook, and a number of other trojans. Although these viruses work in different ways, their purpose is identical - to gather personal information. Malware such as TrickBot is released simply to generate revenue - developers literally steal other users' money.

Potentially unwanted programs are also designed to help developers generate passive revenue - most deliver intrusive advertisements (via the "Pay Per Click" [PPC] advertising model), cause unwanted redirects (promotion of dubious sites), and gather data (e.g., IP addresses, websites visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc.).

PUPs are also known to offer various 'useful features', however, these claims are merely attempts to give the impression of legitimacy - they deliver no real value for regular users.

How did TrickBot infect my computer?

As mentioned above, TrickBot is promoted using spam emails and fake Adobe Flash Player updaters.

Spam emails contain various malicious attachments (e.g., PDF files, MS Office documents, etc.) By opening these attachments, users execute scripts that stealthily download and install viruses such as TrickBot, whilst Fake updaters infect the system by exploiting outdated software bugs/flaws or simply downloading and installing malware/PUPs rather than updates.

Essentially, the main reasons for computer infections are poor knowledge and careless behavior.

How to avoid installation of malware?

To prevent computer infections, be very cautious when browsing the Internet. Think twice before opening email attachments. If you suspect that an email is irrelevant and is sent from a suspicious/unrecognizable email address, immediately delete it and certainly do NOT open any attachments.

Note that cyber criminals use various tactics to make these emails seem legitimate - they imitate bank notifications, job offers, and so on. Therefore, if you receive any unexpected/suspicious emails, delete them immediately. As with updating software, remember that criminals proliferate malware via fake updaters.

Therefore, software should be updated using implemented functions or tools provided by the official developer only. The same rule applies to software download/installation. Criminals monetize third party downloaders/installers by promoting ("bundling") PUPs. Therefore, software should be downloaded from official sources only, using direct download links.

When downloading, opt-out of all additionally-included programs and if you are unable to do so, cancel the entire process. The key to computer safety is caution. If your computer is already infected with TrickBot, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Update September 13, 2019 - Cyber criminals have recently started using an interesting technique to distribute TrickBot trojan. They use email spam campaigns to spread a malicious Microsoft Word document. The tricky part is that the content of the said document is JavaScript code - it contains tens of thousands of JavaScript code lines within.

In order to hide them, cyber criminals change the text color to white and, since the background is also white, the text becomes invisible, thereby tricking inattentive users into thinking that the document is empty.

Once opened, the document runs a macro command which extracts the its content to a local file and the entire JavaScript code (which injects TrickBot into the system) is eventually executed. Now it is worth mentioning that even though there are thousands of code lines, only a small portion is actually used.

Cyber criminals simply insert lots of code lines with an intention of making it troublesome for malware researchers to analyze the code.

Screenshot of a malicious MS Word document containing JavaScript code (notice the underlined "invisible" words at the bottom of the document):

Update November 25, 2019 - TrickBot trojan has been recently updated and now contains a new feature allowing cyber criminals to steal OpenSSH private keys, as well as OpenVPN passwords and configuration files. At this current moment, however, TrickBot's data exfiltration function is not fully developed, meaning that this stolen information is not sent anywhere.

Therefore, it is safe to assume that developers are merely testing this function. One way or another, the problem will probably be fixed eventually and the data will actually be sent to the Command & Control (C&C) server.

Update December 10, 2019 - Cyber criminals have recently started yet another email spam campaign which is used to spread TrickBot trojan. In this case, crooks use hijacked .edu email addresses to send deceptive emails containing notifications/details regarding some sort of "annual bonuses". These emails encourage user to download a form, print it and sign it.

It also contains download links. However, the problem is that these links eventually lead to a malicious executable which drops TrickBot into the system. In order to avoid email security detections, crooks employ a variety of legitimate services to hide traces of the malicious executable.

Once opened, the file displays a pop-up message encouraging users to update Microsoft Word or to either run open the document on another computer. At the same time, the executable drops a payload - TrickBot trojan. You can find more information regarding this spam campaign in Sergiu Gatlan's article.

Example of an email from this spam campaign:

Text presented within this email:

Subject: Re: ******* annual bonus document is ready

Good afternoon, please print and sign your Annual Bonus W2 Form. We received it from ******* ***********, processed and now you can print it and sign. Also it's include your annual bonus information for this year.

Please send me back or send back to your HR a copy of signed Palo Alto Networks Annual Bonus form.

******* outsource HR advisor
David Castello
Corporate Notification System

Update January 14, 2020 - The developers of TrickBot trojan have recently developed a post-exploitation tool called PowerTrick. The purpose of this tool is to inject TrickBot (and other malware) into all computers that are connected to the same network as the infected host is connected to.

PowerTrick infects systems via reverse shell - it performs a number of PowerShell commands that download and install certain malicious software (e.g., TrickBot Anchor Malware, More_Eggs JavaScript backdoor) into the systems. You can find more information in Bleeping Computer's article written by Lawrence Abrams.

Update January 17, 2020 - Cyber criminals have released yet another update of TrickBot trojan. It has been implemented with a feature that allows to bypass Windows UAC (User Account Control) and run the malicious executable with administrative privileges, without prompting the user and asking for a permission. Depending on the infiltrated system (Windows 7 or Windows 10), TrickBot uses different methods to bypass the Windows UAC. You can find more information in Bleeping Computer's article written by Lawrence Abrams.

Update January 27, 2020 - Crooks have released yet another updated version of TrickBot trojan and it is now capable of stealing databases from Windows Active Directory (AD).

In order to steal AD databases stored on compromised Windows domain controllers TrickBot abuses the "Install from Media" (ifm) command, which allows it to dump an entire database (as well as some Registry hives straight into the %TEMP% folder.

This data is then compressed and uploaded to a remote server controlled by the cyber criminals. You can find detailed explanation in Lawrence Abrams' article on Bleeping Computer.

Update January 31, 2020 - TrickBot has started using yet another technique to bypass Windows UAC (User Account Control) and run with administrative privileges without user's consent on computers running Windows 10 operating system. To achieve this, TrickBot now abuses Wsreset (wsreset.exe) - a legitimate Microsoft tool designed to reset Windows Store cache.

TrickBot forces the Wsreset tool to execute a command stored in Windows Registry which executes the malicious executable without prompting the message which asks for user's permission to run the app.

By doing so, TrickBot sneaks into the system without performing any actions that would draw user's attention. More information about this TrickBot's method can be found in Arnold Osipov's article on Morphisec.

Update March 09, 2020 - Cyber criminals are taking advantage of the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus. They're continually starting various email spam campaigns which are used for phishing and malware-distributing purposes. The list of distributed malware is long. Yet it also includes TrickBot.

Here's an example of a Italy-targeted Coronavirus-related spam campaign which spreads TrickBot via malicious attachment - Microsoft Word document:

Text presented within this email:

Subject: Coronavirus: Informazioni importanti su precauzioni

Gentile Signore/Signora,

A causa del fatto che nella Sua zona sono documentati casi di infezione dal coronavirus, l'Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità ha preparato un documento che comprende tutte le precauzioni necessarie contro l'infezione dal coronavirus. Le consigliamo vivamente di leggere il documento allegato a questo messaggio!

Distinti saluti,
Dr. Penelope Marchetti (Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità - Italia)

Update March 18, 2020 - TrickBot has recently received yet another update. One of its modules is designed to bruteforce Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections on targets selected by cyber criminals. Research results show that most of the victims are based in US and Hong Kong.

It is also worth noting that most of the targeted victims are telecommunication service providers. Since the mentioned attacks are selective, it is very common for cyber criminals of any kind to target various companies and businesses. That's because victims of this type are way more juicy - revenue generated from a single home user is way lower than that of a huge company.

Update March 19, 2020 - TrickBot and Emotet developers are taking advantage of the current situation regarding Coronavirus in order to make the malicious files "less detectable".

What cyber criminals do is insert quotes from various speeches about the Coronavirus (e.g., quoting Donald Trump, CNN articles, etc.) into the description of each malicious file. By doing so, crooks decrease the chance of anti-virus suites detecting malware. You can find more details in Lawrence Abram's article posted in Bleeping Computer.

Update March 25, 2020 - The developers of TrickBot trojan have recently released a malicious Android application (named TrickMo by IBM X-Force researchers) which allows them to bypass two-factor authentication (2FA). At this current moment the malicious application disguises as the "Avast Security Control" application or either "Deutsche Bank Security Control" utility.

The application is designed to gather data which ultimately allows cyber criminals to bypass 2FA and, thus, enables them to perform fraudulent transactions. This means that having such malicious app installed on your device may lead to huge financial losses. You can find more details in Sergiou Gatlan's article posted in Bleeping Computer.

Examples of malicious Microsoft Excel documents designed to inject TrickBot trojan into the system:

Examples of malicious Microsoft Word documents designed to inject TrickBot trojan into the system:

Update June 23, 2020 - TrickBot trojan has been observed being used to deliver the data-encrypting Ryuk ransomware. The deployment of said ransomware is not immediate, typically taking two weeks following the initial TrickBot infection (in some researched cases Ryuk was injected after several months).

During this period, the trojan investigates the infected network in order the evaluate the potential worth of the target. If the gathered data proves to be of interest and significant value, Ryuk ransomware is loaded. More information concerning these developments can be in found in an article by Ionut Ilascu on Bleeping Computer.

Example of yet another spam email used to spread TrickBot trojan via attached MS Excel document:

Text presented within:

Subject: James Russel from Fyffes Produce Ltd

Hello,

Previously we've talked, you requested me to get back in touch in the end of july.
I could be 4 weeks earlier, yet I realized it'd be really worth checking-in.

I've enclosed rates together with information sheets which detail the extensive range of our own products and solutions for your research.
I anticipate receiving a reply from your side soon.

Thank you,

James Russel
Fyffes Produce Ltd

Screenshot of the attached MS Excel document:

Update July 13, 2020 - The developers of TrickBot have accidentally "released" a test version of this malware which warns victims about the infection.

After infiltrating the system, this TrickBot's sample opens a browser and connects to a local network in order to open an HTML file, which delivers a message warning victims about some stolen information. This message indicates presence of TrickBot malware.

Screenshot of TrickBot's warning message in localhost:

Text presented within:

Warning
You see this message because the program named grabber gathered some information from your browser.
If you do not know what is happening it is the time to start be worrying.
Please, ask your system administrator for details.

Update September 16, 2020 - TrickBot authors now have created a new TrickBot model called BazarLoader which injects its payload into a certain system process (e.g.m "svchost", "explorer.exe" or “cmd.exe".).

For persistence this loader creates a registry key in system Registry. Like most malware loaders, BazarLoader it is used to load a second-stage malware payload onto the infected computer. It downloads malicious files from .bazar domain C2 servers.

Yet another example of a spam email used to spread a malicious MS Excel document that injects TrickBot trojan into the system:

Text presented within:

Subject: Staffing Update ********

 

Good morning,

Please find attached the Staffing Update for this week.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Have fun and stay safe!

Screenshot of the attached document:

How to remove malware manually?

Most trojan infections can be removed by running a full system scan with Combo Cleaner. The full manual procedure below is for cases where automatic removal failed, where you want to verify a scan caught everything, or where the threat has multiple persistence points.

Tools you'll need

Combo Cleaner Antivirus 7-days free trial

Recommended primary scanner. VB100 certified. The 7-day free trial is available.

Microsoft Defender Offline Free · built-in

Built into Windows. Boots to a clean environment to catch rootkits.

Process Explorer Free

From Microsoft Sysinternals. Better than Task Manager - shows full paths and signatures.

Autoruns Free

From Microsoft Sysinternals. Lists every place malware can persist on your system.

Microsoft Safety Scanner (MSERT) Free

Official Microsoft on-demand scanner. Always-current signatures - expires every 10 days.

Phase 1~ 5 min

Contain - limit the damage

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1

Disconnect from the network

30 secNo tool needed

Unplug your Ethernet cable and turn off Wi-Fi. If you're on a laptop, the airplane-mode key works fastest.

Why this matters

Many trojans exfiltrate data - saved browser passwords, banking sessions, screenshots - and accept remote commands. Cutting the network stops both immediately. Keep it disconnected until Phase 4.

2

Boot into Safe Mode with Networking

3 min

Safe Mode loads a minimal set of drivers and stops most malware from auto-running. "With Networking" lets you download tools - re-enable Wi-Fi only after you've booted in.

Windows 11

Open Settings → System → Recovery. Click Restart now next to Advanced startup.

Your computer will restart into the "Choose an option" menu. Click Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart. After the second reboot, press 5 or F5.

Windows 10

Click the Windows logo, hold Shift, click the Power icon and choose Restart. In the Choose an option screen, click Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart. Press F5.

Windows 8

Go to the Start Screen, type Advanced, select Settings → Advanced startup options → Restart now → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup settings → Restart → F5.

Note: Windows 8 reached end-of-life in January 2023 - running on it puts you at much higher risk of reinfection.

Windows 7

Click Start → Shut Down → Restart → OK. As the system boots, press F8 repeatedly until the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, then choose Safe Mode with Networking.

Note: Windows 7 reached end-of-life in January 2020 - running on it puts you at much higher risk of reinfection.

Phase 2~ 15 min

Identify - find what's hiding

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3

Inspect running processes with Process Explorer

Tool: Process Explorer5 min

Download Process Explorer from Microsoft Sysinternals. Run it as Administrator. Click Options → Verify Image Signatures and View → Lower Pane View → DLLs.

Sort by "Verified Signer." Anything unsigned running from %AppData%, %LocalAppData%, %Temp%, or %ProgramData% is suspicious. Right-click → Properties to see the full image path. Right-click → "Search Online" to look up unfamiliar process names.

Why not just Task Manager

Task Manager hides full file paths, doesn't show digital signatures, and groups processes in ways that make malware easy to miss. Process Explorer is the same tool Microsoft engineers use.

4

Map every persistence point with Autoruns

Tool: Autoruns 14.x10 min

Download Autoruns. Right-click Autoruns.exe and choose Run as administrator - without elevation, Autoruns can't inspect protected registry hives.

In the menu, open Options → Hide Microsoft Entries and Options → Hide Empty Locations, then click Refresh.

Modern trojans don't just live in startup. Walk through these tabs and look for unsigned or unfamiliar entries:

• Logon - classic Run/RunOnce keys
• Scheduled Tasks - frequent hiding spot, especially tasks with PowerShell, MSHTA, or rundll32 actions
• Services - unsigned services in non-Microsoft folders
• WMI - Event Subscriptions are a stealthy persistence mechanism (MITRE T1546.003)
• Image Hijacks - Image File Execution Options "Debugger" abuse
• AppInit - DLLs loaded into every GUI process
• Browser plug-ins - unsigned add-ons across all installed browsers

Pro tip

Right-click any suspicious entry → "Jump to Image" to see the actual file. Right-click → "Search Online" opens VirusTotal for the file hash. Don't delete yet - just write down the file paths and entry names. We'll remove them after the scans.

5

Check the hosts file and DNS settings

3 minBuilt into Windows

Trojans often redirect bank, antivirus, and update domains to attacker-controlled servers by editing the hosts file or DNS settings.

Hosts file: Open Notepad as Administrator and open C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. Legitimate entries are commented with #. Any uncommented IP-to-domain mapping is suspicious - especially redirects for microsoft.com, windowsupdate, or your bank.

DNS settings: Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run ipconfig /all. Confirm your DNS servers point to your ISP, your router, or a known public resolver (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, Google 8.8.8.8). Then open Settings → Network & internet → [your adapter] → DNS server assignment and verify both DNS and DNS over HTTPS (DoH) settings haven't been hijacked.

Why this matters

A clean PC with hijacked DNS is still a compromised PC. You'll think you're at chase.com and you'll be at the attacker's clone.

Phase 3~ 60-90 min

Remove - three scans, one cleanup

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No single antivirus catches everything. The order below is intentional: offline scan first (catches rootkits before Windows fully loads), then on-demand scanners on the running system, then manual cleanup of anything they missed.

6

Run Microsoft Defender Offline

Tool: Built into Windows15 min

Reboot to normal Windows. Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options. Select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now. Your computer will restart into a stripped-down environment and scan before the full operating system loads.

Why this comes first

Rootkits and bootkits hide from any scanner running on the same Windows session that's already infected. A pre-boot offline scan sees the disk before the malware can hide itself.

Recommended antivirus

Combo Cleaner

VB100 certified. Includes anti-trojan, registry/persistence scanning, anti-spyware in one pass. The 7-day free trial is available.

Download Combo Cleaner

7

Run Combo Cleaner full system scan

Tool: Combo Cleaner20-40 min

Install Combo Cleaner and run a full system scan (not the quick scan). Let it complete fully, review the detected threats, and apply the recommended actions. Combo Cleaner will quarantine known trojans and registry persistence.

8

Run Microsoft Safety Scanner as a second-opinion scan

Tool: Microsoft Safety Scanner15 min

Download Microsoft Safety Scanner (MSERT.exe), Microsoft's free on-demand tool. The binary expires every 10 days, which means every download has the latest signatures. Run a full scan after Combo Cleaner to catch anything one engine alone might miss.

Why a second scan

Different scanning engines catch different threats. Running an additional Microsoft scan after Combo Cleaner is the single most underused verification step in malware removal.

9

Manually remove anything still listed in Autoruns

Tool: Autoruns10 min

Reopen Autoruns. Anything you flagged in Step 4 that's still present hasn't been caught by the automated scans. For each remaining suspicious entry: right-click → Delete in Autoruns (this removes the persistence registration), then navigate to the file path and delete the actual file. Empty the Recycle Bin.

Important

Some malware files reappear after deletion because something else on the system recreates them. If you delete a file and it returns within minutes, you have a remaining persistence point that Autoruns didn't show - usually a service or scheduled task running under SYSTEM. Re-run the scans from Steps 6-8 or proceed to a clean install (see end of guide).

Phase 4~ 15 min

Recover - restore browsers and security

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10

Reset browsers and clear notification permissions

5 min

Trojans and adware frequently hijack browsers - change the default search engine, install rogue extensions, or grant themselves notification permissions to keep displaying scam pop-ups even after the malware is gone.

• Chrome: visit chrome://settings/reset and click "Restore settings to their original defaults." Then visit chrome://settings/content/notifications and remove any unfamiliar sites.
• Edge: visit edge://settings/reset. Then check edge://settings/content/notifications.
• Firefox: open about:support and click Refresh Firefox (Firefox uses "Refresh," not "Reset"). Then check Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions → Notifications.

Review installed extensions in each browser and remove anything you don't recognize, especially extensions you didn't install yourself.

11

Re-enable Defender, Tamper Protection, and update everything

10 min

Many trojans disable security software. Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings and confirm Real-time protection, Cloud-delivered protection, and Tamper Protection are all turned on. Tamper Protection prevents malware from disabling Defender silently.

Then run Windows Update (Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates) and update your browsers and applications. The infection vector that let the trojan in originally usually involves outdated software.

Phase 5~ 15 min + 7 days

Verify & secure

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12

Change passwords from a clean device

20 min⚠ Critical

If the trojan was an info-stealer (Lumma, RedLine, Vidar, and similar are extremely common), assume every password saved in your browser is compromised. Change them from a different, known-clean device - your phone is fine if it's not infected.

Recommended order:

1. Primary email first - it's the recovery hub for everything else
2. Banking and financial accounts
3. Password manager master password (if you use one)
4. Social media, shopping, and remaining accounts

Where available, enable phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (passkeys / FIDO2 hardware keys / authenticator apps) - SMS-based MFA is bypassable by sophisticated attackers.

13

Verify the clean and monitor for 7 days

5 min + 1 week monitoring

Reconnect to the network and run one final full scan with Combo Cleaner. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and switch to the Startup apps tab - confirm nothing suspicious has reappeared.

Over the next 7 days, watch for symptom recurrence: unexpected high CPU usage, unknown processes returning, browser redirects, or pop-ups. If anything returns, you missed a persistence point and the procedure needs to be repeated - or you may have a deeper compromise that requires a clean install.

When to clean install Windows instead

Manual removal isn't always the right answer. Reinstalling Windows from scratch is the only way to be 100% certain when:

• The malware reappears after every removal attempt
• A bootkit or UEFI rootkit was detected (this class of threat sits below the operating system and survives a normal Windows reinstall)
• A confirmed credential-theft trojan ran with administrator privileges (Lumma, RedLine, Vidar) - the system likely has multiple unknown payloads
• The PC is used for online banking, business email, or anything where partial doubt isn't acceptable

A clean install is a 30-60 minute process: Windows 11 reinstall via Settings → System → Recovery → Reset this PC → Remove everything → Cloud download. Back up documents to external storage first, scan the backup with Combo Cleaner before restoring it, and reinstall applications fresh - never restore them from a backup of the infected system.

Important: Manual removal requires advanced computer skills. If you're not confident identifying system files from malicious files, run an automated scan with Combo Cleaner and Windows Defender and stop there - that path catches the vast majority of consumer trojans without the risk of breaking Windows by deleting the wrong file.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

My computer is infected with TrickBot malware, should I format my storage device to get rid of it?

Most malicious programs can be removed without restoring to formatting.

What are the biggest issues that TrickBot malware can cause?

The threats posed by an infection depend on the malware's functionalities and the cyber criminals' goal. TrickBot is a versatile piece of software with sophisticated data-stealing capabilities, and it can download/install additional malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, etc.). Generally, high-risk infections can lead to decreased system performance or failure, data loss, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

What is the purpose of TrickBot malware?

Most infections are motivated by financial gain. However, cyber criminals can also use malware to amuse themselves, carry out personal grudges, disrupt processes (e.g., websites, services, companies, etc.), and even launch politically/geopolitically motivated attacks.

How did TrickBot malware infiltrate my computer?

Malware is primarily spread via drive-by downloads, spam emails/messages, online scams, malvertising, untrustworthy download sources (e.g., freeware and third-party websites, P2P sharing networks, etc.), illegal activation tools ("cracks"), and fake updates. Furthermore, some malicious programs can self-proliferate via local networks and removable storage devices (e.g., external hard drives, USB flash drives, etc.).

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and eliminating nearly all known malware infections. It must be mentioned that running a full system scan is essential since high-end malicious software usually hides deep within systems.