ADP Email Virus
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
(updated)
ADP Email Virus virus removal guide
What is ADP Email Virus?
Similar to FedEx Package, eFax, Sage Invoice, and many others, "ADP Email Virus" is another email spam campaign used to distribute TrickBot malware. This campaign distributes email messages that contain various invoices (in .doc format) and encourages users to save them. Be aware, however, that these attachments are malicious - once opened, they stealthily download and install ADP Email Virus.
As mentioned above, the spam emails contain messages stating that users have received important information regarding a type of invoice. All details are stored in an attached .doc file, which users are encouraged to save. This is a scam. The attached MS Word document is malicious - it stealthily downloads and installs the TrickBot trojan. This malware poses a significant threat to your privacy. It hijacks web browsers and modifies them to record the logins/passwords of various accounts (including sensitive accounts, such as banks, PayPal, cryptowallets, social networks, and so on). Cyber criminals then misuse victims' accounts to generate revenue (via money transfers, online purchases, identity thefts, etc.) Therefore, the presence of the TrickBot trojan can lead to serious privacy issues and significant financial loss. If you have opened "ADP Email Virus" email attachments, immediately scan the system with a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite and eliminate all detected threats.
| Name | ADP invoice virus |
| Threat Type | Trojan, Password stealing virus, Banking malware, Spyware |
| Symptoms | Trojans are designed to stealthily infiltrate victim's computer and remain silent thus no particular symptoms are clearly visible on an infected machine. |
| Distribution methods | Infected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, social engineering, software cracks. |
| Damage | Stolen banking information, passwords, identity theft, victim's computer added to a botnet. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Malwarebytes. |
There are many trojans similar to TrickBot. For example, Adwind, FormBook, and Pony. As with ADP Email Virus, these trojans are proliferated using email spam campaigns. Their behavior is also very similar - most record personal information. Some trojans are designed to inject other viruses (in most cases, ransomware) into the system. In summary, trojan-type viruses pose a significant threat to your privacy and Internet browsing safety.
How did ADP Email Virus infect my computer?
As mentioned, "ADP Email Virus" distributes a malicious MS Word document by presenting it as a type of invoice. Immediately after opening this file, users are asked to enable macro commands, otherwise the content will not be displayed properly. Once macros are enabled, the attachment executes a number of commands to download and install TrickBot. Be aware that this malware distribution method has flaws. Firstly, TrickBot is downloaded only if the victim enables macro commands and if the attachment is opened using the MS Word program. If the user opens the attachment using another app capable of reading the .doc format, the malware will not be downloaded. Secondly, TrickBot targets the MS Windows Operating System only and, therefore, users of other platforms are safe.
How to avoid installation of malware?
The main reasons for computer infections are poor knowledge and careless behavior. The key to safety is caution. Therefore, it is very important to pay close attention when browsing the Internet. Think twice before opening email attachments. Files that seem irrelevant (e.g., random invoices, bills, job applications, etc.) or have been received from suspicious (unrecognizable) emails should never be opened - these emails should be deleted immediately, without reading. Having a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite installed and running is also paramount (these programs significantly increase system protection). Furthermore, 2010 and newer versions of MS Office open newly-downloaded documents in "Protected View" mode, which prevents malicious executables from downloading/installing malware. Old MS Office versions lack this feature and, thus, using them is risky. If you have already opened "ADP Email Virus" attachment, we recommend running a scan with Malwarebytes for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the "ADP Email Virus" email message:
Subject: Past due invoice
Good Morning,
This email contains important information regarding your invoice. Please save it for future reference. For your convenience, a copy of your docs have been attached below.
INV-800084604.doc
Sincerely,
Helen Brown
Accounting Controller
ADP Invoice
Helen.Brown@adp-invoice.co.uk
Tel. +44 (0) 161 782 9288
This e-mail including any attachments is private and confidential and may contain privileged material. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender and delete it (including any attachments) immediately. you must not copy, distribute, disclose or use any of the information in it or any attachments. Telephone call may be monitored or recorded.
Malicious attachment distributed via "ADP Email Virus" spam campaign:
Another variant of "ADP Email Virus" spam campaign (also distributes TrickBot):
Text presented within this email:
Subject: ADP Notification ñ Transaction Report
This email was sent to:
Your transaction report has been attached to this email.
Please note that transactions included in the attached report will appear in the Payment Batch Detail Report before funds are transferred to or from your merchant bank account.
If you still need assistance, please contact your companyís HR or payroll contact to have your password reset. To protect your privacy and information, ADP is not authorized to access your account to reset your password.Regards,
ADP Social Customer Care
Please do not reply to this email. We cannot accept electronic replies to this email address.
ADP and the ADP logo are registered trademarks of ADP, LLC. ADP ñ A more human resource is a service mark of ADP, LLC. Copyright © 2015 ADP, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
This is a message from ADP, LLC. To remove yourself from our marketing list, please click here to opt out. You can also write to ADP, 1 ADP Boulevard, Roseland, NJ 07068 ñ Attn: Marketing Dept. ñ Unsubscribe and tell us to unsubscribe you. You may resubscribe to ADP marketing emails at any time by clicking here. If your company is currently receiving services from ADP, this will not impact the electronic messages we send to you for purposes of delivering such services. For additional information on our privacy practices, see the ADP Online Privacy Statement.
Malicious attachment distributed via this variant:
Instant automatic malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Malwarebytes is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
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Quick menu:
- What is ADP Email Virus?
- STEP 1. Manual removal of malware.
- STEP 2. Check if your computer is clean.
How to remove malware manually?
Manual malware removal is a complicated task - usually it is best to allow antivirus or anti-malware programs to do this automatically. To remove this malware we recommend using Malwarebytes for Windows. If you wish to remove malware manually, the first step is to identify the name of the malware that you are trying to remove. Here is an example of a suspicious program running on a user's computer:
If you checked the list of programs running on your computer, for example using task manager, and identified a program that looks suspicious, you should continue with these steps:
Download a program called Autoruns. This program shows auto-start applications, Registry and file system locations:
Restart your computer into Safe Mode:
Windows XP and Windows 7 users: Start your computer in Safe Mode. Click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart, click OK. During your computer start process, press the F8 key on your keyboard multiple times until you see the Windows Advanced Option menu, and then select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Video showing how to start Windows 7 in "Safe Mode with Networking":
Windows 8 users: Start Windows 8 is Safe Mode with Networking - Go to Windows 8 Start Screen, type Advanced, in the search results select Settings. Click Advanced startup options, in the opened "General PC Settings" window, select Advanced startup. Click the "Restart now" button. Your computer will now restart into the "Advanced Startup options menu". Click the "Troubleshoot" button, and then click the "Advanced options" button. In the advanced option screen, click "Startup settings". Click the "Restart" button. Your PC will restart into the Startup Settings screen. Press F5 to boot in Safe Mode with Networking.
Video showing how to start Windows 8 in "Safe Mode with Networking":
Windows 10 users: Click the Windows logo and select the Power icon. In the opened menu click "Restart" while holding "Shift" button on your keyboard. In the "choose an option" window click on the "Troubleshoot", next select "Advanced options". In the advanced options menu select "Startup Settings" and click on the "Restart" button. In the following window you should click the "F5" button on your keyboard. This will restart your operating system in safe mode with networking.
Video showing how to start Windows 10 in "Safe Mode with Networking":
Extract the downloaded archive and run the Autoruns.exe file.
In the Autoruns application, click "Options" at the top and uncheck the "Hide Empty Locations" and "Hide Windows Entries" options. After this procedure, click the "Refresh" icon.
Check the list provided by the Autoruns application and locate the malware file that you want to eliminate.
You should write down its full path and name. Note that some malware hides process names under legitimate Windows process names. At this stage, it is very important to avoid removing system files. After you locate the suspicious program you wish to remove, right click your mouse over its name and choose "Delete".
After removing the malware through the Autoruns application (this ensures that the malware will not run automatically on the next system startup) you should search for the malware name on your computer. Be sure to enable hidden files and folders before proceeding. If you find the filename of the malware, remove it.
Reboot your computer in normal mode. Following these steps should remove any malware from your computer. Note that manual threat removal requires advanced computer skills. If you do not have these skills, leave malware removal to antivirus and anti-malware programs. These steps might not work with advanced malware infections. As always it is best to prevent infection than try to remove malware later. To keep your computer safe, install the latest operating system updates and use antivirus software.
To be sure your computer is free of malware infections we recommend scanning it with Malwarebytes for Windows.
Outstanding!