Avoid installation of the WSH RAT

What is WSH?

WSH (also known as WSHRAT) is the name of a remote access/administration trojan (RAT). Typically, cyber criminals use software of this type to control victims' computers remotely. In this way, they can steal personal details and data, which is then used to generate revenue in various ways.

WSH is a powerful RAT that can cause users of infected computers serious problems. If there is reason to believe that WSH is installed on your system, remove/uninstall it immediately.

WSH malware overview

WSH can be purchased by anyone from the wshsoftware[.]site website. This RAT can be used to steal passwords that are stored on victims' web browsers and email clients. Therefore, cyber criminals can use WSH to steal personal accounts and misuse them for malicious purposes.

For example, to send scam emails, trick people into making money transactions, make fraudulent purchases, and so on. Furthermore, cyber criminals can use WSH to install malware on the victim's computer. This RAT can download, upload, and execute files. It is also capable of executing remote scripts and commands.

In summary, WSH can be used to infect the victim's computer with malicious software such as ransomware, various Trojans, and other high-risk malware. People with computers infected with ransomware often cannot access their files, since these programs encrypt them using strong encryption algorithms.

Typically, the only way to decrypt files is to use software held only by the cyber criminals who designed the ransomware. To get that software, victims must pay a ransom.

Furthermore, WSH includes a keylogging feature and thus can be used to record each key pressed. Typically, cyber criminals use keyloggers to steal passwords and other personal details. To avoid damage caused by the WSH remote access trojan/tool, you are strongly advised to remove it immediately.

Remote access trojan examples

There are many different RATs online. Some examples are InnfiRAT, Gh0st, and AsyncRAT. Different tools might have different capabilities.

In any case, these programs are used to steal personal details, infect computers with other malware, steal accounts, take screenshots and control computers remotely in other ways. Victims usually experience problems relating to data, monetary loss, privacy, browsing safety, and so on.

How did WSH infiltrate my computer?

Research shows that cyber criminals spread WSH through emails (spam campaigns), including TNT, which was discovered by My Online Security. Cyber criminals send emails that contain a link that downloads a ZIP file stored on a Discord server. The archive file contains a malicious JavaScript file, which, if opened/executed, installs the WSH remote access tool.

The email used in the TNT spam campaign is disguised as a message from the official TNT company. In fact, TNT has nothing do to with it - cyber criminals often use names of well-known companies to make their emails seem less suspicious. It is presented as an email regarding a package that can be tracked by clicking the link provided.

As mentioned, this link leads to the ZIP file, which contains a malicious JavaScript file. In other cases, cyber criminals send emails that contain links leading to download of files such as Microsoft Office documents, PDF files, and executable files such as .exe. They often attach malicious files directly to the email.

How to avoid installation of malware

Do not open web links or files that are attached to irrelevant emails, especially when the emails are received from unknown, suspicious addresses. Neither attached files nor web links that lead to malicious files can infect systems if they remain unopened.

Download your software from official, trustworthy websites. Other channels such as Peer-to-Peer networks, unofficial pages, third party downloaders, etc., should not be trusted. Installed software should not be updated through unofficial tools. Use tools or implemented functions provided by official developers only.

Licensed (paid) programs should not be activated using unofficial tools - it is illegal to bypass paid activation using 'cracking' software. Furthermore, this often leads to installation of malware.

Keep computers safe by having reputable anti-spyware or anti-virus software installed and scan the operating system with it regularly. If you believe that your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Screenshot of the email used in the TNT spam campaign:

Text in this email:

Subject: TNT Collection Request BH7 178845

Hello [recipient's_email],

PLC-CITY has arranged a shipment for you,

The shipment will arrive at your destination today 18-09-September, and has a TNT consignment number: 178845.

Do you want to follow your package?　 CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW YOUR PACKAGE HERE.

If you would like to find out about the many ways TNT helps you to track your shipment, or if you would like to know more about the services provided by TNT, simply connect to
www.tnt.com 　and select your location at any time.

TNT Express | Contact TNT | Privacy Policy

2019 © TNT International GmbH. All rights reserved.

———————
This message and any attachment are confidential and meant for security and may be privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure.
If you are not the intended recipient, please telephone or email the sender and delete this message and any attachment from your system.
If you are not the intended recipient you must not copy this message or attachment or disclose the contents to any other person.
Please consider the environmental impact before printing this document and its attachment(s).
Print black and white and double-sided where possible.

WSH download page:

WSH administration panel:

Screenshot of a DHL-themed spam email which distributes WSH RAT malware (the attachment is a .gz archive with a malicious JavaScript file within):

Text presented within:

Subject: [DHL - 7663622515] DHL On Demand Delivery

Dear Customer,

Please double check the addresses on the waybill documents.
If everything is correct, we expect you to sign and return the attached scanned datasheet.
We apologize for inconvenience in advance!

Kind Regards,

Rita Sousa

Logistics Support

DHL Global Forwarding System

rita.sousa.ext@dhl.com
www.dhl.com

GOGREEN - Climate Protection by DHL
Please consider your environmental responsibility before printing this email.

Another DHL-themed spam email used to spread WSH RAT:

Text presented within:

Subject: DHL Air Waybill Number: 2901395211

Dear Customer!

We thank you for your coopereation and inform you that your cargo has arrived at warehouse DHL Express's transportation network.

Please sign attached customs declaration of cargo documents attached and return to our agent.

Description:

Air Waybill Number 2901395211 (Physical weight: 1.05 kg ; Seats: 1 ).

The contact details of your important agent for customs declaration of cargo are listed below. To contact our employee, we ask you to use communication by e-mail. At the moment, this is the fastest and most reliable way to communicate with us. Most of our employees now work remotely.

With kind regards,

Valérie Herault International Chartering
DHL Express

Tel : 33 (0) 2 44 69 02 61,
Fax : 33 (0) 2 44 69 02 69
express.dhl.com
Email:valerie.herault@dhl.com

A malicious software installer promoting WSH RAT malware:

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

No, such drastic measures are unnecessary for WSH malware's removal.

What are the biggest issues that WSH malware can cause?

WSH is classified as a RAT (Remote Access Trojan), which means that this malicious program is designed to enable remote access/control over infected devices. Malware of this type can have a wide variety of functionalities, which also applies to WSH. In addition to executing various commands, this RAT has data tracking abilities and can infect systems with additional malicious software (e.g., trojans, ransomware, cryptominers, etc.). Therefore, WSH infections may lead to decreased system performance or failure, permanent data loss, hardware damage, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

What is the purpose of WSH malware?

Most malicious programs are used to generate revenue for the cyber criminals using them. However, other possible reasons behind malware attacks include - attackers' amusement, process disruption (e.g., websites, services, companies, etc.), personal vendettas, political/geopolitical motivations, and so on.

How did WSH malware infiltrate my computer?

Malware is proliferated primarily through online scams, spam mail, drive-by (stealthy and deceptive) downloads, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, freeware and third-party download websites, illegal software activation ("cracking") tools, fake updates, and so forth. Some malicious programs can self-spread via local networks and removable storage devices (e.g., USB flash drives, external hard drives, etc.).

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan systems and eliminate detected malware infections. It must be emphasized that high-end malicious programs usually hide deep within systems - therefore, performing a full system scan is crucial.