How to remove Mercurial grabber malware
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is Mercurial grabber malware?
While analyzing the Mercurial grabber, we have found that it is a piece of malware that steals browser data and files from Minecraft and Discord. We also learned that Mercurial grabber is written in C# programming language and uses a simple anti-debugging technique to avoid being analyzed/detected.
Mercurial grabber malware in detail
We have learned that Mercurial is malware that steals browser profile information/browser data from web browsers such as Opera, Google Chrome, Brave, Yandex Browser. Also, it collects Minecraft launch profile files and Discord Level DB files. Mercurial grabber sends the gathered data to threat actors using the HTTP POST request method.
| Name | Mercurial malware |
| Threat Type | Grabber |
| Detection Names | Avast (Win32:MalwareX-gen [Trj]), Combo Cleaner (IL:Trojan.MSILZilla.5183), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of MSIL/PSW.Agent.SHS), Kaspersky (HEUR:Trojan-PSW.MSIL.Agent.gen), Microsoft (PWS:MSIL/Mercurial!atmn), Full List (VirusTotal) |
| Symptoms | A big part of grabbers is 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 browser data, files form Minecraft and Discord, and possibly other data |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
More about Mercurial grabber
Mercurial grabber is an open-source malware, which means it can be customized and used to steal other information. Grabbers are often used to capture clipboard data, login credentials such as passwords, usernames, and other sensitive information. More examples of information stealers are Grakate, Phoenix, BluStealer.
How did Mercurial grabber malware infiltrate my computer?
Threat actors distribute malware using emails, software cracking tools/installers for cracked software, unreliable sources for downloading files/programs. Emails used to deliver malware contain malicious attachments or links. The purpose of such emails is to trick recipients into executing malicious files.
Software cracking tools bypass software activation. It is against the law to use pirated software, and tools that are supposed to activate legitimate software for free (or installers for pirated software) contain malware. Files downloaded from unreliable sources infect computers when users open (execute) them.
Unofficial pages, third-party downloaders, free file hosting pages, and Peer-to-Peer networks are examples of untrustworthy sources that cybercriminals use to proliferate malware. A couple of other ways to distribute malicious software is to trick users into using fake installers (usually by promoting them using deceptive websites) or through a certain type of Trojans.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Do not open attachments (or website links) presented in irrelevant emails sent from unknown, suspicious addresses. Avoid downloading files and programs from unofficial pages and other unreliable sources (always use official pages and direct links for that).
Also, update and activate the installed software with tools provided by its official developer. Typically, third-party tools are malicious. 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.
Instant automatic malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner 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 Mercurial grabber malware?
- STEP 1. Manual removal of Mercurial grabber 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 Combo Cleaner Antivirus 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 Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
My computer is infected with Mercurial grabber malware, should I format my storage device to get rid of it?
The Mercurial grabber can be removed without formatting. It can be achieved by following the removal steps described in our article.
What are the biggest issues that malware can cause?
It depends on the type of malware. Usually, users of infected computers encounter problems such as identity theft, financial losses, decreased computer performance, further infections, data loss.
What is the purpose of the Mercurial grabber malware?
At the time of the research, we noticed that Mercurial grabber is used to steal browser data from Google Chrome, Opera, Brave, and Yandex Browser, and files from Minecraft and Discord. Since Mercurial grabber is an open-source malware, it can be customized and used to capture other data.
How did a malware infiltrate my computer?
In most cases, malicious software is distributed using phishing and other social engineering techniques such as malspam (malicious spam), fake system warning messages, and so on, or drive-by downloads, Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks, unofficial software download websites. Sometimes, malware can spread via a local network, removable storage devices.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate almost all known malicious programs. In order to remove high-end malware, it is necessary to scan the system fully (using a full scan feature).
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