Removal instructions for programs belonging to the Eternity malware family

What is Eternity malware?

Discovered by Cyble Research Labs, Eternity is the name of a malware family. Actively sold on the Web, Eternity's developers use the Telegram IM (Instant Messaging) service to sell their malicious wares, as well as provide support and customization to buyers. Telegram can also be employed by the attackers using Eternity programs as their C&C (Command and Control) server and proliferation tool.

Currently, this malware family consists of a stealer, worm, miner, clipper, ransomware, and DDoS bot.

Eternity malware overview

At the time of research, Eternity developers are active in updating and supporting their software. Therefore, in addition to these programs being customizable, the infections can vary from victim to victim. For example, cyber criminals purchasing the malicious program can opt to include AntiVM capabilities in their build - which enable the malware to detect whether it is being launched in a virtual environment.

It is noteworthy that the Eternity malicious programs have a tendency to be lightweight (small size), which puts less strain on systems and ensures that detection due to severely impacted system performance would be an unlikely scenario.

As mentioned in the introduction, multiple malicious programs comprise the Eternity malware family. Stealers are a type of software designed to extract and exfiltrate data from the infected machine and installed applications. Eternity stealer can obtain the following information from systems - Credential Manager, Vault, and Network passwords.

This program also targets various applications: browsers, password managers, email clients, messengers, offline cryptowallets (cold wallets), cryptocurrency browser extensions, VPNs, FTPs, and gaming-related apps (full list). From browsers, it can extract - Internet cookies, access tokens, browsing histories, bookmarks, autofill data, passwords, credit card numbers, etc.

Malicious software classified as a worm operates by spreading itself through infected devices via files, networks, and removable storage devices. Eternity worm also functions as a dropper - i.e., infects content with a malicious payload. This worm can spread through local files (extensions list), shares made within the local network, Cloud drives, USB flash drives, complied Python projects, and messenger spam to victims' channels and contacts.

Cryptocurrency miners are programs that abuse system resources to generate cryptocurrency. According to the promotional material of Eternity miner, it is lightweight, does not overstrain the infected system, can be invisible on Windows Task Manager, and automatically restart if its process is terminated. Eternity's miner is designed to generate Monero cryptocurrency, but is it possible that it will mine others in the future.

Clippers replace the data copied into the system's clipboard (copy-paste buffer). Eternity clipper detects when the victim copies a Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, or Zcash cryptocurrency wallet address into the clipboard and replaces it with one owned by the attackers. Hence, when a victim makes an outgoing transaction - the cryptocurrency is transferred to the cyber criminals rather than the intended recipient. Much like Eternity's miner, this clipper is lightweight, and it can be hidden on Task Manager.

Ransomware is a type of malware that generates profit through ransoms obtained by encrypting victims' files and/or locking their devices' screens. Eternity ransomware is customizable and light; more information on it can be found in our article on it.

DDoS bots are malicious programs capable of launching Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks (DDoS attacks) - wherein a machine, network, website, or service responses are affected or overloaded to the point of crashing - thereby rendering them unavailable to genuine users. At the time of writing, Eternity DDoS bot is still in development.

To summarize, these infections can lead to permanent data loss, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft. If you suspect that your system is already infected with Eternity malware, we strongly advise using an anti-virus to remove it without delay.

Similar malware examples

We have analyzed thousands of malware samples; Burmilla, Stealerium, and 000 Stealer are just a few examples of stealers, Phorpiex (Trik), Forbix, Stalk - worms, Sapphire, Kratos Silent Miner, Muse - cryptominers, Allcome, Extended Clipper, Frost Clipper - clippers, Kekpop, LockData, Errz - ransomware, and NetDooka, Little Thief, Spectre - programs capable of deploying DDoS attacks.

It must be emphasized that regardless of how malware operates, its presence on a system endangers device integrity and user safety. Therefore, it is crucial to eliminate all threats immediately upon detection.

How did Eternity infiltrate my computer?

Since Eternity malware is offered for sale both on its Tor network website and Telegram - exactly how it is distributed depends on the cyber criminals using it at the time.

Eternity worm is capable of self-spreading via local networks, local files, USB flash drives, compiled Python projects, Cloud storage drives, as well as Telegram and Discord spam. This worm can also drop malicious payloads.

Eternity stealer targets emails, messenger clients, and other social accounts - which can also be used to proliferate the malware further.

In general, the most common malware proliferation methods include: drive-by (stealthy and deceptive) downloads, malicious attachments and links in spam emails/messages, dubious download sources (e.g., freeware and third-party websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc.), illegal program activation tools ("cracks"), fake updates, and online scams.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We strongly advise exercising caution with incoming mail. The attachments and links present in suspect/irrelevant emails and messages - must not be opened, as that can result in a system infection.

Additionally, all downloads must be performed from official and verified channels. Another recommendation is to always activate and update software with tools provided by legitimate developers, since illegal activation tools ("cracks") and fake updates can contain malware.

We must emphasize the importance of having a dependable anti-virus installed and updated. Security programs must be used to perform regular system scans and to remove detected threats and issues. 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 file encrypted by Eternity ransomware (no additional extension):

Appearance of the ransom note created by Eternity ransomware (GIF):

Text presented in this message:

Eternity 2.0

All your files belong to us!
- files have been encrypted

The harddisks of your computer have been encrypted with an Military grade encryption algorithm.

1. Send us your ID and sendme.eternityraas at getyourfilesback_s@protonmail.com or at telegram @RecoverdataU
2. You will recieve a personal Monero for payment, payment rate is 800$
3. Once payment has been completed, send another email to us stating by `PAID`we will check to see if payment has been paid.
4. You will receive a text file with your KEY
 WARNING:
*Do not interrupt the decryption process it only depend on the amount of file to decrypt.
*Do not attempt to decrypt your files with any software as it is obselete and will not work, and may cost you more to unlock your files.
*Do not change file names, mess with the files, or run decryption software as it will cost you more to unlock your files and there is a high chance you will lose your files forever.
*Do not send `PAID` to us without paying, price will rise for disobedience.The payment rate will increase by 500$ so be carefull

by Eternity group

Price: 800$ in Monero
Email: getyourfilesback_s@protonmail.com
Telegram: @RecoverdataU
Info: monero.org

ID: -
by Eternity group

Enter password
[Please decrypt them!]

Screenshot of the Tor website used to promote Eternity malware:

List of applications targeted by Eternity stealer;

• Browsers (selected, +20 more): Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Chromium, Opera, Internet Explorer, Vivaldi, etc.
• Password managers (selected, +10 more): 1Password, BitWarden, KeePass, LastPass, NordPass, RoboForm, etc.
• Email clients: FoxMail, Thunderbird, Outlook, MailBird, PostBox.
• Messenger clients: Telegram, Discord, Pidgin, WhatsApp, Signal, RamBox.
• Offline cryptocurrency wallets (cold wallets): Atomic, Binance, BitcoinCore, Coinomi, DashCore, DogeCore, Electrum, Exodus, Guarda, Jaxx, LiteCore, MoneroCore, Wasabi, Zcash.
• Browser cryptocurrency extensions (selected, +30 more): BinanceChain, Coinbase Wallet, MetaMask.
• VPN (Virtual Private Network) clients: AzireVPN, EarthVPN, NordVPN, OpenVPN, ProtonVPN, WindscribeVPN.
• FTP (File Transfer Protocol) clients: FileZilla, CoreFTP, CyberDuck, Snowflake, WinSCP.
• Gaming-related software: OBS (broadcasting keys), Steam (sessions), Twitch (sessions).

Features used by Eternity worm to self-proliferate:

• Local Files - .EXE, .ZIP, .BAT, .JAR, .PY, .DOCX, .XLSX, .PPTX, .PDF, .PNG, .MP3, .MP4;
• Local network shares;
• USB flash drives;
• Cloud drives - GoogleDrive, DropBox, OneDrive;
• Compiled Python projects;
• Messenger spam - Telegram, Discord.

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

No, such drastic measures are unnecessary for Eternity malware removal.

What are the biggest issues that Eternity malware can cause?

Eternity is the name of a malware family, which comprises malicious programs with different functionalities. The abilities of a malignant program and the cyber criminals' aims dictate the threats the infection poses. In summary, the entirety of Eternity malicious programs can cause decreased system performance, permanent data loss, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

What is the purpose of Eternity malware?

Typically, malware is employed as a tool to generate revenue. However, these programs can also be used to amuse the cyber criminals, disrupt processes (e.g., websites, services, companies, etc.), carry out personal vendettas, or even launch a politically/geopolitically motivated attack.

How did Eternity malware infiltrate my computer?

Malware is primarily spread through drive-by downloads, spam emails and messages, unofficial and freeware sites, P2P sharing networks, online scams, illegal program activation ("cracking") tools, and fake updates. Eternity worm specifically (which can inject additional malicious programs) is capable of self proliferating via local files, local networks, removable storage devices (USB flash drives), Cloud drives, compiled Python projects, and messenger clients.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate nearly all known malware infections. It has to be stressed that running a full system scan is paramount - since sophisticated malicious software usually hides deep within systems.