Do not trust the "COVID-19 Relief" email
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
(updated)
"COVID-19 Relief" email virus removal guide
What is the "COVID-19 Relief" email virus?
"COVID-19 Relief" is the subject of a scam email used to infect recipients' systems with ZLoader malware, which injects the Zeus banking Trojan. As as the title/subject implies, "COVID-19 Relief" emails are part of a Coronavirus/COVID-19-themed spam campaign, which is just one of many that exploit this pandemic. These messages target Canadian users by claiming that recipients need to complete a form to receive financial relief payments, which are approved by Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada.
The "COVID-19 Relief" email informs recipients that the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has approved relief payments for residents who have chosen to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic. The relief payment is 2,500 CAD (Canadian dollars) and, to receive it, people must complete a request form. The email also gives a deadline for submission of the form. The supposed request form is a password-protected Microsoft Office document (.DOC or .DOCX) named "COVID 19 Relief". After the password is entered (it is provided in the email), the document asks users to enable macro commands. Once enabled, installation of ZLoader malware is initiated. This malicious program then begins infecting the system with the Zeus banking Trojan. Zeus malware steals information stored in browsers, primarily targeting credentials (i.e., log-ins and passwords) of various accounts. Furthermore, this Trojan has keylogging capabilities and, thus, the privacy of any typed information can be compromised. For example, cyber criminals can use hijacked e-commerce accounts and credit card details to make purchases. Using social engineering, criminals can trick users into providing authentication codes and other details necessary for access to accounts that have advanced verification (e.g. banking accounts). In summary, trusting the "COVID-19 Relief" email will compromise device integrity and can lead to serious privacy issues, identity theft and significant financial loss. If you suspect that the system is already infected with the Zeus Trojan (or other malware), use anti-virus software to remove it immediately.
| Name | ZLoader/Zeus virus |
| Threat Type | Trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware. |
| Hoax | Email claims recipients can claim a relief payment by completing a request form. |
| Attachment(s) | COVID 19 Relief.doc |
| Detection Names | BitDefender (VBA.Logan.8.Gen), Fortinet (BA/Agent.F7E1!tr.dldr), Kaspersky (HEUR:Trojan.MSOffice.Agent.gen), Emsisoft (VBA.Logan.8.Gen (B)), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Symptoms | Trojans are designed to stealthily infiltrate the victim's computer and remain silent, and thus no particular symptoms are clearly visible on an infected machine. |
| Payload | ZLoader malware, which injects Zeus banking Trojan. |
| Distribution methods | Infected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, social engineering, software 'cracks'. |
| Damage | Stolen passwords and banking information, identity theft, the 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. |
"COVID-19 Insurance Plan From CIGNA", "Coronavirus Face Mask", "COVID-19 Solution Announced by WHO" are some examples of other Coronavirus/COVID-19 spam campaigns, similar to "COVID-19 Relief". "Your friend’s account was compromised", "HARASSMENT COMPLAINT" and "Secret Love" are examples of campaigns that use different scam models. Deceptive messages used to distribute malware are often disguised as "official", "important", "urgent" or similar. They can even reference or be disguised as messages from legitimate organizations, institutions, companies, services, etc. These emails have just one purpose: to generate profit for the cyber criminals behind them.
How did the "COVID-19 Relief" email infect my computer?
Systems are infected through dangerous files sent during spam campaigns. These files can be attached to the emails or, alternatively, the messages can contain download links to them. Malicious files can be in various formats such as Microsoft Office and PDF documents, archive (ZIP, RAR) and executable (.exe, .run) files, JavaScript, etc. The infection process (i.e., download/installation of malware) is triggered when the infectious file is executed, run or otherwise opened. For example, when opened, Microsoft Office docs ask users to enable macro commands. I.e., to enable editing. If this is done, the infection process begins. Note, however, that this process begins automatically when the document is opened in MS Office programs released prior to 2010.
How to avoid installation of malware
Suspicious or irrelevant emails should not be opened, especially those received from unknown/suspect senders. Any attachments or links present in dubious mail must not be opened, as this can potentially lead to high-risk infection. Additionally, you are advised to use Microsoft Office versions released after 2010. These versions have "Protected View" mode, which prevents immediate download/installation of malware when a malicious document is opened. As well as spam campaigns, malicious programs are proliferated using illegal activation tools ("cracks"), fake updaters and untrusted download channels (e.g. unofficial and free file-hosting sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders). Therefore, you are strongly advised to activate and update products with tools/functions provided by legitimate developers. Furthermore, use only official and verified download sources. It is crucial to device and user safety to have a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite installed and kept updated. Use this software for regular system scans and to remove detected threats/issues. If you have already opened "COVID-19 Relief Email Virus" attachment, we recommend running a scan with Malwarebytes for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the "COVID-19 Relief Email Virus" email message:
Subject: COVID-19 Relief
Canadian Prime minister Justin Trudeau approved an immediate check of $2,500.00 -/CAD for those who choose to stay at home during the Coronavirus crisis.
Here is the form for the request. Please fill it out and submit it no later than 25/03/2020.
Password is 1234
Appearance of the malicious attachment ("COVID 19 Relief") distributed via "COVID-19 Relief Email Virus" spam campaign (GIF):
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 "COVID-19 Relief Email Virus"?
- STEP 1. Manual removal of ZLoader/Zeus 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, be sure to 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!