Get free scan and check if your device is infected.
Remove it nowTo use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.
What kind of malware is DarkCrystal?
DarkCrystal, also known as dcRAT, is a Remote Access Trojan (RAT). Malware of this type enables remote access and control over an infected device. RATs can manipulate machines in various ways and can have likewise varied functionality.
DarkCrystal is a dangerous piece of software, which poses a significant threat to device and user safety.
More about DarkCrystal
The DarkCrystal RAT is a highly functional malicious program. To elaborate on some of this Trojan's main capabilities, it can manipulate hardware, software and data of the compromised computer.
Its hardware manipulation includes: opening/closing the CD-ROM drive door, recording audio via integrated/connected microphones and video/stills through webcams.
The malware can manage various files and folders: it can rename, move, delete them and create new ones. It can also exfiltrate and infiltrate (i.e. download and upload) files. If the stolen content is particularly sensitive, it might then be held for ransom. DarkCrystal can execute/run files and end already running processes.
Due to its capability to infiltrate files and execute them, it is possible that this RAT can be used to cause chain infections (i.e. infect the system with additional malware). The Trojan can take screenshots, rotate the screen, change the desktop wallpaper, hide the taskbar and desktop icons.
It can reboot/restart and shut down the system. Additionally, it can log-off the current user and create new user accounts. DarkCrystal targets certain browsers.
It can manipulate them by opening websites and extracting data stored in the browsers (e.g. browsing history, browser cookies, saved usernames and passwords, etc.). Another of DarkCrystal's data stealing capabilities is keylogging. I.e., it can record key strokes.
What damage a RAT can cause?
Typically, cyber criminals use saved log-in credentials and keylogging to target email, social media, social networking, messenger, data storage, e-commerce, online money transfers and banking accounts.
Hijacked communication/social accounts might be used to spread malware and/or to ask contacts/friends for loans - all under the guise of the real owner.
Accounts that deal with and/or store financial information are of particular interest, as through them criminals might be able to make fraudulent transactions and/or online purchases. To summarize, DarkCrystal infections can result in financial loss, serious privacy issues and identity theft.
If it is suspected or known that the DarkCrystal RAT (or other malicious software) has already infected the system, use anti-virus software to eliminate it immediately.
| Name | dcRAT virus |
| Threat Type | Trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware. |
| Detection Names | AVG (Win32:Malware-gen), BitDefender (Trojan.GenericKD.32546165), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of Generik.JTQNQBW), Kaspersky (Trojan.Win32.Vasal.adt), Full List (VirusTotal). |
| Malicious Process Name(s) | Randomly-named processes. |
| 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. |
| 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 Combo Cleaner. Download Combo CleanerTo use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com. |
RATs in general
Imperium Metamorpher, Ratty, VanTom, DarkTrack and BlackRemote are some examples of other Remote Access Trojans. As mentioned, malicious programs within this classification can have various capabilities/features.
Therefore, how they are used, depends on the cyber criminals' goals and modus operandi. Regardless of how malware operates, the purpose is identical: to generate revenue to the individuals/groups behind it.
How did DarkCrystal infiltrate my computer?
Malware is proliferated using various techniques. The most common distribution methods are via spam campaigns, illegal activation ("cracking") tools, fake updates and dubious download channels. The term "spam campaign" defines a large-scale operation, during which thousands of scam emails are sent.
These messages have infectious files attached to and/or linked inside them. Malicious files can be in various formats (e.g. PDF and Microsoft Office documents, archive and executable files, JavaScript, etc.). When they are executed, run or otherwise opened, the infection chain is triggered.
Rather than activating licensed products, illegal activation tools ("cracks") can download/install malware. Rogue updaters cause infections by exploiting weaknesses of outdated products and/or simply by installing malicious programs rather than the updates.
Malware (disguised as or packed with normal content) is often downloaded unintentionally from untrusted download sources such as unofficial and free file-hosting (freeware) sites, P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule, etc.) and other third party downloaders.
How to avoid installation of malware
Suspect and/or irrelevant emails must not be opened, especially those with any attachments or links found in them, as this can lead to high-risk infection. You are advised to use only official and verified download channels. All products must be activated and updated with tools/functions provided by legitimate developers.
Illegal activation tools ("cracks") and third party updaters should be avoided, since they are commonly used to proliferate malware. To ensure device integrity and user safety, it is paramount to have reputable anti-virus software installed and kept up to date.
Furthermore, this software must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected/potential threats. 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.
DarkCrystal process in Windows Task Manager (randomly-named processes):
DarkCrystal RAT promoted in a hacker forum:
Screenshots of DarkCrystal RAT admin panel:
Update 12 February 2025: It is now known that cybercriminals target Windows users with malware hidden in fake Microsoft Key Management Service (KMS) activation tools and Windows updates to distribute the RAT. When executed, these tools install a backdoor (BACKORDER) that delivers DarkCrystal. Threat actors behind this campaign target users (mostly in Ukraine) using unlicensed software.
Screenshot of the KMS tool containing hidden malware (source: eclecticiq.com):
Update 26 February 2025: Since January, threat actors have been using phishing emails that appear to be from Ukraine's Ministry of Justice to infect computers with DarkCrystal. They also plant tools like RDPWRAPPER for remote access and deploy other malware such as FIDDLER to capture authentication data and XWorm to steal sensitive information.
The compromised systems are then used to send additional phishing emails. The attack chains have been observed running PowerShell commands that show a decoy file while secretly launching additional payloads in the background.
Update July 9, 2026 - Researchers at Seqrite have identified a new DarkCrystal RAT campaign, dubbed "Operation DragonReturn," targeting India's tax and finance sector. Victims receive phishing emails impersonating India's Income Tax Department or Ministry of Finance, containing malicious PDF attachments that redirect to a fake site delivering a ZIP file disguised as legitimate income tax return (ITR) software.
Once installed, the malware uses a multi-stage process - including hiding payloads inside image files using steganography - to establish covert long-term access and steal data from compromised systems. Targets include government contractors, tax professionals, chartered accountants, corporate finance teams, and individual taxpayers.
Seqrite attributes the campaign to a China-aligned threat cluster with tactical overlaps linked to a group known as "Silver Fox." The operation was first observed in May 2026 and remained active through at least June 2026, with attackers rotating payloads every 7-10 days to avoid antivirus detection. (source: seqrite.com).
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.
Disconnect from the network
Unplug your Ethernet cable and turn off Wi-Fi. If you're on a laptop, the airplane-mode key works fastest.
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.
Boot into Safe Mode with Networking
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.
Open . Click Restart now next to Advanced startup.
Your computer will restart into the "Choose an option" menu. Click . After the second reboot, press 5 or F5.
Click the Windows logo, hold Shift, click the Power icon and choose Restart. In the Choose an option screen, click . 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.
Inspect running processes with Process Explorer
Download Process Explorer from Microsoft Sysinternals. Run it as Administrator. Click and .
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.
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.
Map every persistence point with Autoruns
Download Autoruns. Right-click Autoruns.exe and choose Run as administrator - without elevation, Autoruns can't inspect protected registry hives.
In the menu, open and , 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
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.
Check the hosts file and DNS settings
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 and verify both DNS and DNS over HTTPS (DoH) settings haven't been hijacked.
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.
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.
Run Microsoft Defender Offline
Reboot to normal Windows. Open . 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.
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.
VB100 certified. Includes anti-trojan, registry/persistence scanning, anti-spyware in one pass. The 7-day free trial is available.
Download Combo CleanerRun Combo Cleaner full system scan
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.
Run Microsoft Safety Scanner as a second-opinion scan
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.
Different scanning engines catch different threats. Running an additional Microsoft scan after Combo Cleaner is the single most underused verification step in malware removal.
Manually remove anything still listed in Autoruns
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.
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).
Reset browsers and clear notification permissions
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/resetand click "Restore settings to their original defaults." Then visitchrome://settings/content/notificationsand remove any unfamiliar sites. - Edge: visit
edge://settings/reset. Then checkedge://settings/content/notifications. - Firefox: open
about:supportand 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.
Re-enable Defender, Tamper Protection, and update everything
Many trojans disable security software. Open 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 () and update your browsers and applications. The infection vector that let the trojan in originally usually involves outdated software.
Change passwords from a clean device
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:
- Primary email first - it's the recovery hub for everything else
- Banking and financial accounts
- Password manager master password (if you use one)
- 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.
Verify the clean and monitor for 7 days
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 . 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 DarkCrystal malware, should I format my storage device to get rid of it?
No, it is not necessary to format the storage device to remove the DarkCrystal RAT. It can be removed by following the steps in our malware removal guide.
What are the biggest issues that malware can cause?
Cybercriminals can use malware to steal passwords, delete files, encrypt files, steal identities, inject additional malware, mine cryptocurrency, hijack personal accounts, and perform other malicious activities. It depends on the type of malware and its capabilities.
What is the purpose of DarkCrystal?
DarkCrystal is used to obtain remote access and control of the infected computer. It can be used to record audio via an integrated/connected microphone and video via a webcam, rename, move, and delete files, and create new ones. Also, DarkCrystal can download and upload files, execute/run files, and end already running processes.
Moreover, this RAT can open websites and extract data stored in the browsers (e.g., browsing history, browser cookies, saved usernames, and passwords) and record keystrokes. More detailed information is provided in the second paragraph.
How did malware infiltrate my computer?
Most cybercriminals use fake software cracking tools or installers for pirated software uploaded to shady websites to distribute malware. Also, they send emails containing malicious links or attachments. In other cases, they use fake updaters, Trojans, and various unreliable sources for downloading software. Their goal is to trick users into executing malware by themselves.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove almost all known malware from the operating system. Since high-end malware usually hides deep in the system, running a full system scan is necessary to detect (and eliminate) it.
Share:
Facebook
X.com
LinkedIn
Copy Link
Tomas Meskauskas
Expert security researcher, professional malware analyst
I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats.
PCrisk security portal is brought by a company RCS LT.
Joined forces of security researchers help educate computer users about the latest online security threats. More information about the company RCS LT.
Our malware removal guides are free. However, if you want to support us you can send us a donation.
DonatePCrisk security portal is brought by a company RCS LT.
Joined forces of security researchers help educate computer users about the latest online security threats. More information about the company RCS LT.
Our malware removal guides are free. However, if you want to support us you can send us a donation.
Donate
▼ Show Discussion