How to remove AZORult from the operating system

What is AZORult?

AZORult is high-risk trojan-type virus designed to gather various sensitive information. Research shows that cyber criminals proliferate this malware using spam email campaigns. The emails typically contain deceptive text to trick users into opening attached files (e.g., fake job application forms delivered in the MS Office format).

Once opened, these attachments execute a number of commands that infiltrate AZORult into the system. Older versions of AZORult were distributed using Ramnit, Seamless, and other intermediary loaders.

More about AZORult

Spam email campaigns use a simple scam model. Cyber criminals deliver various messages encouraging users to open attached files. Furthermore, they are likely to claim to be employees of legitimate companies or governmental institutions. They continually register various domains and email addresses by including names of companies/institutions.

In doing so, they attempt to give the impression of legitimacy - it is much simpler to trick users into believing messages received from familiar names. As mentioned above, however, opened attachments stealthily download and install trojan-type viruses (in this case, AZORult). One of AZORult's main purposes is to gather sensitive data.

This trojan is capable of hijacking web browsers and recording various saved/entered data, including cookies, logins/passwords, browsing history, and so on. Research shows that cyber criminals are mostly interested in logins/passwords of cryptocurrency wallets, email accounts, FTP accounts, and XMPP clients.

This trojan can be also be configured to obtain data stored on victims' desktops. Newer AZORult's versions have been implemented with additional features, such as taking screenshots, collecting data from Jabber chat history/logs, Skype, and other similar services. This information is extremely sensitive and cyber criminals use it to generate revenue.

Therefore, the presence of AZORult trojan might lead to serious privacy issues and significant financial loss. If you have recently opened suspicious email attachments or see the "sAMsUNg" process in Windows Task Manager, there is a high probability that your computer is infected with AZORult malware.

If so, you should immediately scan the system with a legitimate anti-virus/anti-spyware suite and eliminate all detected threats.

Examples of similar malware

There are many trojan-type viruses similar to AZORult including Emotet, LokiBot, and Adwind - these are just some examples from many. As with AZORult, these viruses are often distributed using spam email campaigns.

Furthermore, their behavior is generally identical - most collect sensitive information. In some cases, however, trojans proliferate other viruses such as ransomware. In any case, these viruses pose a significant threat to your privacy and Internet browsing safety.

How did AZORult infect my computer?

As mentioned above, spam email campaigns promote malicious attachments (MS Office documents). Once opened, these files encourage users to enable macro commands, otherwise the content will not be displayed correctly. In fact, enabling macros allows attachments to execute commands that stealthily download and install AZORult.

Note that this distribution method has a major flaw - attachments are unable to download malware if opened using programs other than MS Office tools. If, for example, a .doc file is opened using software other than MS Word, the malware will not be downloaded. In addition, AZORult targets only MS Windows and users of other platforms are safe.

How to avoid installation of malware?

To prevent these infections, be very cautious when browsing the Internet. Carefully analyze each email attachment received. Files that seem irrelevant or have been received from suspicious/unrecognizable email addresses should never be opened. In addition, some trojans are distributed using fake updaters and third party downloaders/installers.

Therefore, keep installed applications up-to-date. To achieve this, use implemented functions or tools provided by the official developer only. The same applies to downloading/installing software. You are advised to download programs from official sources only, using direct download links.

Third party downloaders/installers are monetized by promoting rogue apps, and thus should not be used. Having a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite installed and running is also paramount. Note that 2010 and newer MS Office versions open newly-downloaded documents in "Protected View" mode.

This prevents malicious attachments from downloading and installing malware. Therefore, using older MS Office versions is risky.

The main reasons of computer infections are lack of knowledge and careless behavior. The key to safety is caution. If you have already opened an "AZORult" attachment, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "AZORult" email message:

Subject: Job Application
How's it going?
My name is Britney and I'm interested in a job.
I've attached a copy of my resume.
The password is 321
Thank you!
Britney

Malicious attachment distributed via "AZORult" spam campaign:

Text presented in this malicious attachment:

PROTECTED DOCUMENT
CAN’T VEIW? MICROSOFT RECOMMENDS THE BELOW STEPS

1. Open the document in MS Office. Previewing online does not work for protected documents.
2. Use a PC/Desktop. Protected document doesn’t work on a mobile phone.
3. Since you have downloaded this document Online, you will need to click “Enable Editing” or “Enable Macro” and then click “Enable Content” on the yellow bar, which may be shown to you.

Screenshot of AZORult malware process ("sAMsUNG") in Windows Task Manager:

Update February 19, 2020 - Cyber criminals have recently started spreading AZORult trojan with a disguise of a legitimate VPN service called ProtonVPN. Crooks have created a replica of the genuine ProtonVPN's website - protonvpn[.]com. The replica's URL address is protonvpn[.]store.

Now due to the fact that the fake website's design is completely identical and the domain is also very similar, users can be easily tricked into downloading a fake ProtonVPN installation setup. Once executed, the fake installer injects AZORult trojan into the system.

Screenshot of the fake ProtonVPN website (protonvpn[.]store):

Screenshot of the fake ProtonVPN installer (used to spread AZORult) and its detection names in VirusTotal:

Screenshot of a scam email spreading AZORult trojan:

Text presented within:

Subject: AW: AW: Zahlungsbeleg und Auftragsbestätigung 25-05-20 Rechnung_20-613129926-001

Hallo,

im Anhang der unterschriebene Kaufvertrag un anbei erhalten Sie ein Zahlungsavis für die im Anhang ersichtlichen Zahlungsvorgänge.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Freundliche Grüße,
Sven Göke

Gesendet mit der GMX Mail App

DKV EURO SERVICE GmbH + Co. KG
Balcke-Dürr-Allee 3, D-40882 Ratingen
Fon: +49 (0) 2102 5518-0
Fax: +49 (0) 2102 5518-192
hxxp://www.dkv-euroservice.com/

Yet another spam email used to spread AZORult trojan:

Text presented within:

Subject: Order confirmation

Dear Sir,

Kindly find the attached Order order  for your quotation.

please issue us proforma invoice + bank details for payment.

Thanks & Regards,

Angel Silver Co., Ltd
1213 Charoenkrung Road
Soi 47/1 Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
THAILAND
Tel: + 66 (0) 2 630 95 16
Fax: + 66 (0) 2 630 95 16

Screenshot of the attached malicious MS Excel document:

Update March 20, 2024 - In a recent AZORult campaign, the malware employs sophisticated tactics to avoid detection and steal valuable data. Initially delivered through HTML smuggling, an increasingly popular evasion technique, AZORult hides its payload within a separate JSON file hosted on an external website.

Once executed, the malware operates discreetly by using fileless techniques like reflective code loading, bypassing disk-based detection and minimizing detection traces. To further evade detection, AZORult employs an AMSI bypass technique, allowing it to sidestep host-based anti-malware products such as Windows Defender.

The primary goal of this campaign is data theft, targeting sensitive information like login credentials, browser files, and important documents. AZORult has been observed stealing data from 137 distinct cryptocurrency wallets, emphasizing its focus on financial assets and personal information.

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 AZORult malware, should I format my storage device to get rid of it?

Formatting your storage device can indeed remove the AZORult malware, but it is a drastic step that should be taken with caution. Before resorting to formatting, consider less severe options such as running a reputable antivirus or anti-malware scan to attempt to remove the malware.

What are the biggest issues that malware can cause?

The biggest issues that malware can cause include data theft, financial loss, data encryption, system instability, additional infections, and unauthorized access to sensitive information.

What is the purpose of AZORult?

The purpose of AZORult is to steal sensitive information from infected systems, including login credentials, browsing history, cryptocurrency wallets, and other personal data, which can then be used for malicious purposes such as identity theft, financial fraud, or further cyber attacks.

How did AZORult infiltrate my computer?

AZORult typically infiltrates computers through various means, including malicious email attachments, compromised websites, software vulnerabilities, or by being bundled with dubious software (e.g., pirated software). It may also spread through social engineering tactics, such as deceptive advertisements or fake software updates, tricking users into downloading and installing it unknowingly.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?

Combo Cleaner can effectively detect and remove nearly all recognized malware infections. It is essential to note that sophisticated malware often conceals itself deep within the system. Thus, conducting a full system scan is imperative to address any potential threats.