How to eliminate CryptBot from the system

What is CryptBot?

CryptBot is malicious software that is classified as a Trojan. It steals passwords and infects systems through the installation setup of a fake VPN program. CryptBot is installed with another trojan-type malware infection called Vidar. Both trojans steal saved browser credentials and other information.

These malicious programs can cause serious problems and, therefore, should be uninstalled immediately.

CryptBot malware overview

Once a fake VPN client called Inter VPN is downloaded, installed and executed, it infects the system with CryptBot and Vidar. It achieves this using an AutoHotKey script, which downloads CryptBot and Vidar executables from the bitbucket[.]org website (they can also be downloaded from other sites).

As mentioned, these malicious programs steal sensitive, confidential information. They can steal logins and passwords saved on browsers, cookies, cryptocurrency wallets, text files, and also take screenshots of the desktop, and so on. Cyber criminals can use stolen credentials to steal banking accounts, email and messaging clients, etc.

These might be misused to make fraudulent transactions and purchases, and can proliferate various malware and trick other people into sending money, and so on. Stolen cryptocurrency wallets can be used to make transactions into the wallets of cyber criminals (victims might then lose money).

If text files containing sensitive details are accessed, they might be misused to generate revenue in similar ways. Having a system infected with such Trojans can lead to serious problems including, for example, monetary loss, identity theft, various privacy issues, and so on.

Note that CryptBot installs a legitimate VPN client (VPN Pro) so that victims do not suspect that two malicious programs are running in the background and stealing sensitive details.

Similar trojan examples

There are many trojan-type programs that are designed to steal credentials and other sensitive information. Some examples are CStealer, Mispadu and Tinynuke. Typically, cyber criminals misuse stolen details to generate revenue in as many ways as possible. Generally, victims experience financial loss, serious privacy issues, have their identities stolen, and so on.

Malware of this kind can be used to cause many serious problems. Therefore, if there is reason to believe that your system is infected with CryptBot, Vidar or other malware, remove it immediately.

How did CryptBot infiltrate my computer?

Research shows that this malware is advertised on a dubious website disguised as legitimate VPN software. Other examples of dubious software download sources are Peer-to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule), third party downloaders, freeware download pages and free file hosting sites.

Generally, cyber criminals upload malicious files/programs that are disguised as legitimate. When people execute files that were downloaded from dubious sources, they often cause installation of malware. Other popular ways to proliferate malware are via spam campaigns, software 'cracking' tools and unofficial, fake software updaters.

When cyber criminals proliferate malware via spam campaigns, they send emails that contain malicious attachments. In most cases, they attach Microsoft Office, PDF documents, archive files such as ZIP, RAR, executable files (.exe files) and JavaScript files.

Their main goal is to trick recipients into opening the attached files. Once opened, these install high-risk malware. Software 'cracking' tools are programs that supposedly activate paid, licensed software free of charge (i.e., they bypass activation). Note, however, that these tools often install malicious programs instead.

Fake software updaters infect computers by installing malware rather than fixes/updates, or by exploiting bugs/flaws of outdated software that is installed on the operating system.

How to avoid installation of malware

Do not download files/programs from unofficial websites, through third party downloaders, or the other tools that we mentioned above. The safest way to download is using official websites and direct links. Update installed software via implemented functions or tools designed by official software developers, and not third party updaters.

Do not open attachments or web links presented in irrelevant emails that are received from unknown, suspicious addresses. Do not trust third party programs to bypass activation of licensed software - it is illegal to use such tools and they often infect computers with malware.

Operating systems should be regularly scanned with reputable anti-spyware or antivirus software and all detected threats removed immediately. 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 a legitimate VPN client (VPN Pro), which is installed through CryptBot to draw attention away from malicious background activity:

As mentioned above, cyber criminals often spread malware by presenting it as some sort of a useful tool, such as free software activator (crack). CryptBot is not an exception. Here's an example of a websit presenting CryptBot as Adobe Photoshop CC cracking tool:

Update 27 April 2023: Recently, legal action has been taken against several major distributors of CryptBot. The legal complaint is based on allegations of computer fraud, abuse, and trademark infringement. The lawsuit aims to hinder the spread of CryptBot and disrupt the distributors' infrastructure.

To achieve this goal, the court has granted a temporary restraining order, which allows the plaintiff to take down current and future domains associated with the distribution of CryptBot. This is intended to slow the rate of new infections and reduce the overall growth of CryptBot.

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

No, CryptBot can be removed without formatting.

What are the biggest issues that CryptBot malware can cause?

CryptBot is an information-stealing malware that can cause severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft. However, this malicious program has been observed being proliferated together with others. Therefore, these infections may cause other/additional problems.

What is the purpose of CryptBot malware?

Usually, cyber criminals use malware for profit. However, other potential reasons can be the attacker's amusement, political/geopolitical motivations, disruption of certain processes (e.g., website, service, company, institution, etc.), personal grudges, and so forth.

How did CryptBot malware infiltrate my computer?

CryptBot has been noted being actively spread through dubious/malicious websites offering fake VPN software, illegal program activation tools ("cracks"), and similar content. Other common malware distribution techniques include: spam mail, drive-by (stealthy and deceptive) downloads, freeware and third-party download websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, fraudulent updates, and online scams.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing most of the known malware infections. It has to be stressed that sophisticated malware tends to hide deep within systems. Therefore, performing a complete system scan is essential.