Danske Bank Email Virus
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
(updated)
Danske Bank Email Virus removal guide
What is Danske Bank Email Virus?
"Danske Bank Email Virus" is a spam email campaign similar to FedEx Package, Important Documents IRS, Sage Invoice, and many others. It is used to distribute a trojan-type virus called TrickBot. "Danske Bank Email Virus" emails state that users' money transactions have not been processed. For this reason, users are encouraged to open attached documents. This is a scam - opening the attachment will download and install TrickBot.
As mentioned above, the message essentially states that some transactions have not been processed and, therefore, users must check, verify, and fax attached documents to the number given. Once opened, however, the attachment (an MS Word document) immediately execute scripts that stealthily download and install TrickBot. These emails and attachments contain Danske Bank's logo. The sender's email address also contains the bank's name, but do not be confused - Danske Bank has nothing to do with this spam campaign. It is very common for cyber criminals to disguise themselves as popular companies or governmental institutions. In doing so, they significantly increase the chance of tricking users into opening attachments - users are more likely to believe email messages received from legitimate companies/governmental institutions. TrickBot is a very dangerous trojan. It hijacks web browsers and modifies visited website displays so that all entered logins and passwords are sent to a remote server. Furthermore, cyber criminals can gain access to very sensitive information, such as the accounts of banks, social networks, and similar. This can lead to significant financial loss and even identity theft. Therefore, if you have opened "Danske Bank Email Virus" campaign attachments, you should immediately run a full system scan with a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite and eliminate all detected threats.
| Name | Danske Bank transaction details 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 that share similarities with TrickBot. For example, Adwind, FormBook, Pony, and dozens of others. As with the Danske Bank Email Virus, these viruses are also proliferated using spam emails campaigns. Furthermore, their behavior is also very similar - all gather sensitive information, however, some trojans are also known to promote other viruses, such as ransomware. In any case, these viruses pose a significant threat to your privacy and Internet browsing safety.
How did Danske Bank Email Virus infect my computer?
As mentioned, "Danske Bank Email Virus" distributes a malicious attachment that, once opened, enables macro commands, supposedly to display the contents correctly. In fact, this is just another trick - by enabling macros, users grant attachments permission to execute various commands that download and install TrickBot. This distribution method has a flaw. Attachments are only able to download malware if users open them using MS Word. Therefore, opening attachments using tools other than MS Word will not result in malware being downloaded. Furthermore, this spam campaign targets Microsoft Windows users only and users of other platforms are safe.
How to avoid installation of malware?
To prevent this situation, be extremely cautious when browsing the Internet. Carefully analyze each email attachment received. If the file seems irrelevant or has been sent by a suspicious email address, do not open it. It is also important to have a legitimate anti-virus/anti-spyware suite installed and running. Furthermore, more recent versions (2010 and above) of MS Office open newly-downloaded documents in "Protected View" mode. This prevents attachments from downloading malware. Therefore, using older versions is not recommended. The main reasons for computer infections are poor knowledge and careless behavior. The key to safety is caution. If you have already opened a "Danske Bank Email Virus" attachment, we recommend running a scan with Malwarebytes for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the "Danske Bank Email Virus" email message:
Subject: FW: Recent BACs
DanskeBank
BACs Documents
Reference: DNSKE21393
Case number: 379122
We've encountered an error while processing your recent BACs transaction. Your transaction has been completed. Please check attached documents and verify your transaction details. Please fax completed documents to +44 (0) 845 882 6122
Sincerely,
Jacob Schiander
Danske Bank
Malicious attachment distributed via "Danske Bank Email Virus" spam campaign:
Another variant of an infected email attachment distributing Trickbot Trojan:
Another variant of "Danske Bank Email Virus" email (also proliferates TrickBot):
Text presented in this email:
Transaction Report
We take the security of your accounts seriously and want to let you know about a type of scam that is on the increase.
We’re aware that people across Northern Ireland and United Kingdom are being targeted by fraudsters claiming to be from reputable, well-known telephone companies or internet providers. The fraudsters may use slightly different tactics to those explained below but their aim is to get you to share your eBanking screen or reveal security information related to your bank account.
We recently noticed potentially suspicious activity on your account and we blocked this transactions, please check attached report and confirm that you authorised all of these transactions.
Best wishes,
Richard Caldwell
MD Personal Banking and Small Business
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 Danske Bank Email Virus?
- STEP 1. Manual removal of TrickBot 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 "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!
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