How to remove Doenerium malware from the operating system

What kind of malware is Doenerium?

Doenerium is an information stealer masquerading as Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. This malware targets cryptocurrency wallets, Internet browsers, clipboard data, and system information. Also, the malware author uses Doenerium to mine cryptocurrency on computers attacked by threat actors distributing this malware.

Doenerium overview

At first, Doenerium creates an exfiltration folder with other folders in it. Then it checks for crypto wallets stored in a computer. Doenerium looks for Armory, AtomicWallet, Bytecoin, Coinomi, Electrum, Ethereum, Guarda, Jaxx, and Zcash crypto wallets. It stores located wallets in a folder named "Wallets".

Also, Doenerium steals Discord tokens and data from browsers, such as autofill data, bookmarks, cookies, history, passwords, and wallets. Additionally, Doenerium includes a clipper module allowing it to search for cryptocurrency wallet addresses in the computer's clipboard. If a crypto wallet is found, it gets replaced with the one owned by the attacker.

After collecting data, Doenerium compresses it to a ZIP archive file and uploads it to a free file sharing and storing platform. Once the stolen data is uploaded, Doenerium deletes the ZIP file and the exfiltration folder from the victim's computer.

More about Doenerium

The author of Doenerium uses this malware in a cryptocurrency mining operation. Computers that get infected with Doenerium by its distributors are used to mine cryptocurrency for the malware author. The computers of Doenerium distributors possibly are used to mine cryptocurrency too.

Examples of other information-stealing malware reviewed by our malware researchers are Titan, XStealer, and RAXNET.

How did Doenerium infiltrate my computer?

Doenerium is distributed via deceptive emails disguised as letters regarding an important Windows Defender update. Those emails claim that Windows Defender has recently detected malware on the recipient's computer. They contain a download button designed to open a website hosting the Doenerium malware.

The website hosting Doenerium is disguised as a Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool download page. It downloads a ZIP file containing a text file and an executable. A computer becomes infected with Doenerium after executing the executable within a downloaded ZIP file.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Do not trust suspicious emails (e.g., irrelevant emails sent from unknown addresses) containing links or attachments. Always double-check emails before opening their contents. Also, do not trust ads and links on shady websites or use unreliable sources (e.g., P2P networks, unofficial pages, third-party downloaders) to download files and software.

Download software from official pages and stores only. Keep the operating system and installed software updated. Never use third-party tools to activate or update any software. Run antivirus scans regularly. Use a reputed antivirus solution for computer protection.

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.

The website that cybercriminals promote via email and use to distribute Doenerium:

Cryptocurrency wallets that were used by cybercriminals while attempting to steal crypto using the Doenerium's clipper:

• BCH: qpxtael7lhdgz8zfqnggslf5cxmlmzhjhsglmjgr79
• BTC: bc1q605q2gcgc6eu8dz4vx5xg98cp2m87avvxdsdtm
• DASH: XbV9Zk1MCExHtdx7s73BfXgnG5VxPLxi4M
• DOGE: DH6avoTu46DvZEX65BWQzC87FKZuMtDYwf
• ETH: 0xfd87BB4EC7F0e470C9AbceEDe5281B7c1a47Ba73
• LTC: ltc1qrvjfhlk7acmxt672ytydwltrp0lfkf6rdkzwmq
• NEO: NcVAPdQfnoxvVGU16uJZjdzt7exwSGDu1v
• XLM: GAGBLWI74Y446TML2OKN4RTLBEBHC2MIE4RZYOBEMZ52CJJL6ERYR536
• XMR: 49QSYffaKSPE3sYtzj2LNJMhrcFujPv7RC8kvXwDTDA31m94j Hq88jCBWoVcQ6daq6i8LDTvfdpEsfxhVnf8CZqKG5Unv2r
• XRP: rEdtuiP5RSG6bFoMS6W9wfqsFD1k3KEEGA

Screenshot of a fake AnyDesk download website (anydesks[.]co) spreading Doenerium stealer:

Update November 14, 2023 – new campaign spreading Doenerium stealer has been discovered. This malware was noted being distributed through fake video game websites, e.g., disguised as a Pokemon site, download webpage for the Nobody's Left game, etc.

These websites were promoted via posts and private messages on Discord, primarily posted from compromised accounts. The malicious files carrying Doenerium were observed in the following formats – password-protected RARs, ZIPs, and EXEs. In some instances, upon opening, the files display a decoy requesting beta tester keys.

Screenshot of a fake Pokemon game website used to spread Doenerium stealer:

Screenshot of a fake Nobody's Left game download website used to spread Doenerium stealer:

Update March 7, 2025 - Cybercriminals were observed delivering Doenerium by injecting ads into videos on illegal streaming sites. These ads then redirected users to malicious GitHub repositories that distributed Doenerium and other malware. In this campaign, the attackers used PowerShell and AutoIt scripts to gain persistent access.

Some of the payloads were also hosted on Dropbox and Discord. This campaign targeted various organizations and industries.

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

Malware can be removed using an antivirus software or manually (see our malware removal guide above).

What are the biggest issues that malware can cause?

Malware can be the reason behind issues such as identity theft, financial losses (including cryptocurrency), decreased computer performance, additional infections, hijacked online accounts, etc.

What is the purpose of Doenerium malware?

Doenerium steals information from web browsers (including passwords, wallets, cookies, history, autofill data, and bookmarks). Also, it targets several cryptocurrency wallets (they are mentioned in our Doenerium overview) and Discord tokens.

How did Doenerium malware infiltrate my computer?

This malware is distributed via a deceptive page that crooks promote via email (emails disguised as letters regarding important an important Windows Defender update). Computers get infected after executing an executable file extracted from a ZIP file downloaded from that deceptive page.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner removes malware and other unwanted software from them operating system. It can detect almost all known malware. When computers are infected with high-end malware, they must be scanned using a full system scan. High-end malware usually hides deep in the operating system.