How to remove the ZxxZ trojan-type malware from your operating system

What is the ZxxZ trojan?

ZxxZ is the name of a malicious program classified as a trojan. This malware is capable of infiltrating additional malicious software into systems. Hence, the threats posed by ZxxZ infections may be particularly broad. It is noteworthy that this trojan has been observed being actively spread via email spam campaigns.

ZxxZ malware overview

Following successful infiltration, ZxxZ begins its operations by collecting relevant device data, e.g., computer name, operating system version, username, etc. This trojan can execute remote commands, but most importantly - it can infiltrate files into the compromised machine and launch them. Therefore, ZxxZ can cause chain infections.

Theoretically, such programs can introduce just about any type of malware into a system. To elaborate: downloader programs can inject devices with various trojan-types, ransomware, cryptocurrency miners, and other malware.

"Trojan" is a term that encompasses a broad range of malicious software. It includes stealers that can download files and extract data from the system and installed applications, keyloggers that record keystrokes, spyware that can live-stream/record audio and video via microphones and cameras, RATs (Remote Access Trojans) - multifunctional malware that allows remote control over infected machines, loaders/backdoors that infiltrate additional malicious content into systems, clippers that replace data copied into the clipboard, and so forth.

Ransomware operates by encrypting files and/or locking the device's screen to demand ransoms for the decryption/access recovery. Cryptominers abuse system resources (potentially to the point of system failure/ hardware damage) to generate cryptocurrency. Furthermore, malware can have different abilities in varied combinations.

To summarize, infections like ZxxZ can lead to multiple system infiltrations, data loss, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft. If you suspect that your system has already been infected with ZxxZ (or other malware), we strongly advise using an anti-virus to remove it without delay.

Similar malware examples

We have analyzed thousands of malware samples; Serpent backdoor, SysJoker, and Matanbuchus are but a few examples of those capable of causing chain infections.

As previously mentioned, malicious software can have varied combinations of harmful functionalities. Additionally, cyber criminals often improve and update their programs. Hence, regardless of how malware operates - its presence on a system endangers device/user safety.

We highly recommend running regular system scans and eliminating threats immediately upon detection.

How did ZxxZ infiltrate my computer?

Cisco Talos researchers have discovered ZxxZ-spreading spam campaigns that targeted governmental entities in Bangladesh. Their research suggests that ZxxZ is linked to the Bitter APT cyber criminal group.

We have inspected ZxxZ-proliferating emails, which contain short text typically requesting the recipient to review the attachment. The attached files were Microsoft Office Word and Excel documents. It is pertinent to mention that Microsoft Office files are often used in malware proliferation; they infect systems by executing malicious macro commands (which victims are lured into enabling).

Spam emails can have a wide variety of disguises, and they distribute malicious programs in the form of attachments or download links. Infectious files can be Microsoft Office and PDF documents, archives, executables, JavaScript, etc. Once such a file is executed, run, or otherwise opened - the infection chain is triggered.

Aside from spam campaigns, malware is also commonly spread through drive-by (stealthy and deceptive) downloads, online scams (e.g., fake virus alerts, outdated program warnings, etc.), untrustworthy download sources (e.g., unofficial and freeware sites, P2P sharing networks, etc.), illegal software activation tools ("cracks"), fake updates, and so on.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We advise against opening the attachments and links present in suspicious/irrelevant emails and messages - as that may result in a system infection. It is also important to use Microsoft Office versions released after 2010 since they have the "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic macro execution.

Another recommendation is to download only from official and verified channels. Additionally, all programs must be activated and updated with tools provided by genuine developers, as illegal activation tools ("cracks") and fake updates can cause malware infections.

We must stress the importance of having a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security software 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 a spam email used to proliferate the ZxxZ trojan:

Text presented in this email:

Subject: Application for CDR

Dear sir,

Please go through the att file

Thanks & Regards

Screenshot of the malicious attachment distributing ZxxZ trojan ("ASP AVIJIT DAS.doc" filename):

Screenshot of another spam email used to proliferate the ZxxZ trojan:

Text presented in this email:

Subject: CDR

Dear Sir,

Find the attached document below you for further necessary action please.

Best regards,

Screenshot of another malicious attachment distributing ZxxZ trojan ("List of Numbers to be verified.xlsx" filename):

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

No, ZxxZ's removal does not require formatting.

What are the biggest issues that ZxxZ malware can cause?

The threats posed by malware depend on its abilities and the cyber criminals' modus operandi. ZxxZ is designed to cause chain infections (i.e., download/install additional malware) - therefore, its threats can be numerous. Generally, malware infections can lead to decreased system performance or failure, permanent data loss, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

What is the purpose of ZxxZ malware?

In most cases, malware is used to generate revenue. However, other reasons can include - attackers' amusement, process disruption (e.g., websites, services, organizations, etc.), personal grudges, politically/geopolitically motivated attacks, and so forth.

How did ZxxZ malware infiltrate my computer?

ZxxZ has been observed being actively spread via spam emails. However, malicious software is typically distributed using multiple techniques. The most popular include: malicious attachments and links in spam emails and messages, drive-by downloads, online scams, dubious download channels (e.g., freeware and third-party websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc.), illegal software activation tools ("cracks"), and fake updates. Furthermore, some malicious programs are capable of self-spreading via local networks and removable storage devices (e.g., external hard drives, USB flash drives, etc.).

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to detect and eliminate malware. It is capable of removing most of the known malware infections. It has to be emphasized high-end malware tends to hide deep within systems - therefore, performing a complete system scan is a must.