How to remove the Snake keylogger from your operating system

What kind of malware is the Snake keylogger?

Snake is a malicious program classified as a keylogger. As the classification implies, the primary function of this malware is keylogging. Therefore, Snake infections pose a threat to the privacy/safety of all typed information.

Snake keylogger in detail

Snake malware's main feature is keylogging (records key strokes), however, this program has other functionality as well. It can take screenshots and extract data stored in the clipboard (i.e. copy/paste buffer).

Furthermore, Snake can extract and exfiltrate stored information from certain browsers (e.g. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, 360, etc.) and email clients (e.g. Mozilla Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook, Foxmail, etc.). Malicious programs such as Snake are typically used to steal account log-in credentials (i.e. IDs, usernames and passwords) and financial information (e.g. banking account and credit card details etc.).

Communication/Messaging accounts (e.g. social media, social networking, messenger, etc.) are targeted by cyber criminals. Through these platforms, they can ask contacts/friends for loans and proliferate malware (by sharing infectious files) under the guise of the accounts' genuine owners.

Furthermore, should any sensitive/compromising content be found on hijacked data storage accounts, it can be held for ransom under threat of publication and/or sale to the victims' competitors. Accounts that directly deal with finances and/or store financial information (e.g. e-commerce, online money transfers, digital wallet, banking, etc.) are of particular interest, as through them, criminals can make fraudulent transactions and make online purchases.

To summarize, Snake infections can lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss and identity theft. If it is known or suspected that the Snake keylogger (or other malware) has already infected the system, use anti-virus software to remove it without delay.

Malware of this type in general

404 Keylogger, Kutaki, Matiex, Hakops and Cheetah are some examples of other keyloggers. These malicious programs can have a wide variety of dangerous functionality in different combinations.

Common malware types/capabilities include (but are not limited to): download/installation of additional malicious programs, data encryption and/or screen-locking for ransom purposes (ransomware), audio/video recording via integrated and/or connected microphones and webcams, enablement of remote access and control over an infected machine, use of system resources for cryptocurrency mining (cryptominers), and so on.

Regardless of how malware operates, it always poses a threat to device/user safety. Therefore, it is crucial to eliminate all threats immediately upon detection.

How did Snake keylogger infiltrate my computer?

The Snake keylogger is offered for sale online with prices varying from US$25 to $US500 (USD) depending on operation timeframe, and support and range of functionality/customizability. Hence, how it is spread depends on the cyber criminals using it.

Popular malware proliferation methods are via backdoor/loader Trojans, spam campaigns, illegal activation ("cracking") tools, fake updaters and dubious download sources. Some types of Trojans are designed to cause chain infections (i.e. download/install additional malware).

When cyber criminals attempt to distribute malware via malspam campaigns, they send emails that contain malicious attachments or download links for malicious files. Typically, they disguise their emails as official and important. If recipients open the attached file (or a file downloaded via a website link), they cause installation of malicious software.

Cyber criminals commonly attach executable files (.exe), archive files such as RAR, ZIP, PDF documents, JavaScript files and Microsoft Office documents to their emails. Software 'cracking' tools supposedly activate licensed software illegally (bypass activation), however, they often install malicious programs and do not activate any legitimate installed software.

Trojans are other rogue programs that can cause chain infections. I.e., when a Trojan is installed on the operating system, it can install additional malware.

Free file hosting websites, freeware download websites, Peer-to-Peer networks (e.g., torrent clients, eMule), unofficial websites, and third party downloaders are examples of other sources that are used to distribute malware. Cyber criminals disguise malicious files as legitimate and regular. When users download and open them, they inadvertently infect their computers with malware.

Fake software updating tools install malicious software rather than updates/fixes for installed programs, or they exploit bugs/flaws of outdated software that is installed on the operating system.

How to avoid installation of malware

Do not trust irrelevant emails that have files attached (or contain website links) and are received from unknown, suspicious addresses. Software should not be downloaded or installed through third party downloaders, installers, unofficial pages or other similar sources/tools.

Use only official websites and direct links. Installed software should never be updated or activated with third party, unofficial tools, since they can install malware. Furthermore, it is illegal to use third party tools to activate licensed software.

The only legitimate way to update and activate software is to use tools and functions that are provided by the official developers. Regularly scan your computer with reputable antivirus or anti-spyware software and keep this software up to date.

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.

Appearance of the website used to promote Snake keylogger (GIF):

An example of a spam email used to spread Snake keylogger:

Text presented within:

Subject: RFQ-YEKHA-20-0151

 

Please quote us your best possible price for the attached RFQ.

Your offer must be submitted before the deadline mentioned below taking into consideration the following:-

You are requested to submit your quotation in a closed and sealed envelope to our office in Khamir .
- Please make sure that your quotation includes (quotation validity period, your ref. no., our ref. no, delivery time..etc)
- Quotation Deadline :

-Important Note:
- You are requested to submit your quotation in a closed and sealed by red wax envelope to our office in Khamir
- Don't send the quotation through the email & If the quotation is sent through the email then your quotation will be unfortunately excluded from the tender.

- Please indicate the delivery period in your quotation.

"We expect you to send us an acknowledgement of receipt of the enquiry and confirmation that you will quote / or regret.

RFQ-YEKHA-20-0180
Thanks & Best Regards,
_________________________________
Khaled Noman / Logistics Assistant
Oxfam GB / Yemen Program / Khamer Office
Mobile:+967 738756644
Email:knoman@oxfam.org.uk

Another example of a spam email spreading Snake keylogger:

Text presented within:

Subject: Bill payment

 

Dear Customer,

Your July'21 bill payment is due.

We kindly request you to make the payment immediately. Late payment applicable beyond 21 days.

With Regards,

Sanju Rajan
Accounts - Receivables
UTICO FZC
Tel : +971 07 2434610
    : +971 07 2434611
Fax : +971 07 2434612
Mob : +971 56 1889039
Web: www.uticome.com; www.rmb-group.com

A quotation-themed spam email spreading Snake keylogger via malicious attachment (MS Word document):

Text presented within:

Subject: Require Quotation

Dear Sir,

Please find here with attached file and send us quotation for same ASAP Basis,

Thanks & Regards .........?

Dhruv Trivedi

8310651805

Purchace & Project Executive

MECTECH MACHINES CO., LTD

A-1/903 GIDC Panoli, Ankleshwar - 394 116

P Save trees...Before printing, think about the environment, every 3000 A4 paper costs 1 tree. Please DO NOT print unless you really need it.

Yet another example of a spam email spreading Snake keylogger:

Text presented within:

Subject: New Report for the Month of August 2021

 

Hello,

See attached report as requested

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Ruwa

Debt Collection Executive

Please complete our Happiness Form  here

Email ruwa.rawas@place.ae     │     Office  +971 4 554 6707

Head Office Address Office 202 Icon Tower, Barsha Heights (TECOM), Dubai

“We moved to our new office location.  Please update your records with our new address.”
Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

Disclaimer

The information contained in this communication is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and others authorised to receive it.  It may contain confidential or legally privileged information.  If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.  If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by responding to this email and then delete it from your system.  Place Strata Management LLC is neither liable for the proper and complete transmission of the information contained in this communication nor for any delay in its receipt.
All original content in this mail and attachments are subject to © PLACE Strata Management LLC 2009.

Yet another spam email spreading Snake Keylogger:

Text presented within:

Subject: Quotation

 

Dear Sir,

Thank you very much for your inquiry. Please find attached our quotation no. 2021-302426.

Together against Corona: Stay healthy!
ELMAR SWIEGOTSales Director

witeg Labortechnik GmbH

PLANT 1 - Production & Administration | Am Bildacker 16, 97877 Wertheim, Germany

PLANT 2 - Storage & Shipping | Hüttenweg 3, 97877 Wertheim, Germany

Phone: +48 (0) 9342 9301-0 | Fax: +49 (0) 9342 9301-77
Email: esweigot@witeg.de | Web:  www.witeg.de

Screenshot of a malicious email attachment (MS Exel document) usred to inject Snake keylogger into the system:

Update May 25, 2022 - a new spam campaign proliferating the Snake keylogger has been discovered. The spam emails carried a PDF attachment titled "REMMITANCE INVOICE.pdf". Once opened, the Adobe Reader program displays a request to open a Microsoft Word document.

This file is intentionally named "has been verified. However PDF, Jpeg, xlsx, .docx" - so that the filename would match Adobe Reader's warning. Hence, instead of seeing that the document they're about to open might be malicious - users are presented with a statement that the file was verified, but the following formats may be harmful.

After the MS Word document is opened, the infection chain depends on whether the "Protected View" mode is enabled or disabled. If the mode is active, the infection process begins after users enable the malicious macro commands (i.e., editing/content).

Detailed description of the infection process employed in this campaign can be found in an article on the HP Wolf Security Blog.

Update February 20, 2025 – new version of the Snake keylogger has been discovered. This variant relies on a new anti-detection mechanism wherein the primary payload (Snake) is infiltrated and executed through the use of the AutoIt programming language. Basically, an AutoIt-compiled binary serves as the executable containing Snake – thus, the infection can evade traditional detection measures.

The preferred method for distributing this malware remains to be email spam campaigns. Significantly affected areas include Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Turkey, and Spain.

Update March 26, 2025 – Snake keylogger's design shows a continued emphasis on stealth and anti-analysis. The latest variant is still distributed using the same method – email spam campaigns. Snake malware infiltrates devices through a multi-stage infection chain.

The email attachment is a .IMG (Disc Image Data File) disguised as a PDF document. When this file is opened, it creates a virtual drive to access the data therein. The file within the .IMG is an executable – and with it begins the first stage of the infection.

The executable is a downloader and loader that, upon launch – connects to the attackers' C&C server to retrieve an encrypted payload. In the second stage, a DLL file (Dynamic Link Library) is dynamically loaded into memory. The DLL is likewise highly obfuscated.

The payload (Snake keylogger) is then injected by using the process hollowing technique – wherein a new process is created in a suspended state, and the legitimate memory region is unmapped while malicious code is inserted into the hallowed space prior to the process resuming.

More information on these developments can be found in an article on the Seqrite blog.

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

---

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 Snake keylogger, should I format my storage device to get rid of it?

No, it is not necessary to format the storage device to eliminate this malware. Snake keylogger can be removed without formatting.

What are the biggest issues that malware can cause?

The problems that malware can cause depend on the type of malware. Victims can lose access to personal accounts, files, suffer monetary loss, have their identities stolen, and encounter other issues.

What is the purpose of Snake keylogger?

This malware is used to steal sensitive information such as banking account and credit card details, login credentials, and other information typed with a keyboard, saved on certain browsers and the clipboard. Cybercriminals behind it can misuse obtained information to steal accounts, make fraudulent purchases, transactions, trick other users into providing information (or installing malware), and other purposes.

How did a malware infiltrate my computer?

Usually, malware is distributed using various phishing and other social engineering techniques (such as malicious emails, fake system warning messages, etc.), drive-by downloads, Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks, unofficial websites. Also, cybercriminals distribute malware using software cracking tools/installers for pirated software, fake installers.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate almost all known malicious software. In order to remove high-end malware from the operating system, it is required to scan it fully (using a full scan).