How to remove XWorm from the infected computer

What kind of malware is XWorm?

XWorm is the name of a remote administration/access Trojan (RAT). RATs are malicious programs designed to grant unauthorized access and control over a victim's computer. Cybercriminals use RATs to remotely monitor user activities, steal sensitive data, and execute various malicious actions on the compromised system. XWorm is sold by its developers for $400.

More about XWorm

XWorm can steal system information. This information can provide valuable insights to attackers about the target's computer setup, which may be exploited for further attacks or to tailor specific malicious activities. Also, it can run files, access the victim's webcam and microphone, open URLs, execute shell commands, and manage files.

Furthermore, XWorm can enable and disable User Account Control (UAC), Registry Editor, Task Manager, Firewall, system updates, and invoke Blue Screen of Death (BSoD). Furthermore, this RAT can steal passwords, cookies, credit card details, bookmarks, downloads, keywords, history, and autofill data from Chromium browsers and passwords, cookies, bookmarks, and history from Firefox browsers.

Other capabilities include stealing Telegram session data, Discord tokens, WiFi passwords, Metamask and FileZilla data, accessing Registry Editor, logging keystrokes, running ransomware, managing clipboard data, services, and processes, and more.

One of the significant capabilities of XWorm is its keylogging functionality. Keylogging refers to the malicious process of capturing and recording all keyboard inputs made by a user on an infected system. It means that passwords, login credentials, sensitive messages, and other personal information are covertly recorded and sent to the attacker's command and control server.

Another significant capability of XWorm is to launch ransomware attacks. Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts files, rendering them inaccessible without a unique decryption key. After encrypting the files, XWorm's operators can demand payment in exchange for a decryption tool.

XWorm has been observed being employed by cybercriminals for clipboard hijacking. This method involves the malware monitoring and intercepting data copied to a victim's clipboard, with a particular focus on replacing cryptocurrency wallet addresses.

For instance, if a victim copies a Bitcoin or Ethereum (or other) wallet address, XWorm detects it and replaces it with a wallet address owned by the cybercriminals. As a result, victims unknowingly send their funds to the hackers' wallet instead of the intended recipient's address.

Conclusion

XWorm is a highly sophisticated and dangerous malware which possesses a wide range of capabilities. Victims of XWorm may experience financial loss, data encryption, additional infections, and other issues. Additionally, they may face system instability and loss of control over their devices, resulting in compromised privacy and security. Thus, victims should remove this malware from infected computers as soon as possible.

More examples of RATs are Pathfinder, Babylon, and Gh0stBins.

How did XWorm infiltrate my computer?

XWorm spreads through tricky emails that pretend to be about business matters, like invoices or purchase orders. These emails have files attached, like PDFs or Word documents. If someone falls for the trick and opens the attachment, they might enable macros commands in it or perform other actions, which causes a harmful program to download and run on their computer.

The attackers use special web addresses to make this happen. These web addresses lead to scripts and codes that download more dangerous software and help the malware stick around on the victim's computer.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be cautious with emails from unfamiliar senders, especially those with suspicious attachments or links. Only open attachments or click on links from trusted sources. Install reputable antivirus or anti-malware software on your computer and keep it up to date. Regularly update your operating system and software with the latest security patches.

Download files and programs from official web pages or stores. Avoid downloading software from unofficial or unreliable websites and clicking suspicious advertisements, links, pop-ups, buttons, etc. Do not allow dubious websites to send notifications. Never download pirated software or cracking tools.

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.

Email distributing XWorm with a malicious file attached to it ("Details for booking.doc"):

Text in the email:

Subject: Reservation For Room

Dear,
Sir, Madam!
We found your Place attractive after researching online we get to
know you have good ambition and good staff i want to book a room
for our honeymoon.we want to book your place for 2 feb 2023,i
would like to ask if you provide Dom Pérignon Rose Gold 6-litre
and is smoking allowed in your place let me know i am waiting for
your reply.
Check-in Date:1 March 2023
Sincerly,
Luna Camille

Malicious attachment:

Website promoting XWorm:

Screenshot of another spam email spreading XWorm RAT:

Update January 28, 2025 – new distribution method has been discovered in use to spread XWorm. This technique is called "ClickFix", and it basically tricks victims into executing malicious commands on their devices by presenting it as a solution to a specific issue. The XWorm trojan was proliferated through such a scam that claimed it was CAPTCHA verification. More on ClickFix can be read in our dedicated article.

Screenshot of the ClickFix scam promoting the XWorm trojan:

Update January 30, 2025 – a trojanized version of the XWorm RAT has been discovered. It was specifically used to target novice hackers (script kiddies). Over eighteen thousand devices were infected, although full credential theft was carried out from only two thousand. Most of the victims were located in Russia, the US, Ukraine, India, and Turkey.

The trojanized variant was proliferated through sources boasting hacking tips/guides and tools, including GitHub repositories, file-sharing platforms, Telegram channels, forums, and YouTube videos. More information on these developments can be found in an article by Vikas Kundu on the CloudSEK blog.

Update July 9, 2025 – recent XWorm RAT campaigns were noted boasting improved anti-analysis and anti-detection techniques. These infections were incredibly adaptive and relied on various scripting languages and file formats. Some examples include: PowerShell, VBScript, JavaScript, .BAT (batch files), .NET executables, .LNK (shortcut files), .ISO (base media file format), .IMG, .VHD (Virtual Hard Disk), .HTA (HTML Application), and malicious macro commands within Microsoft Office documents. More information on these developments is available in an article on the Splunk Blogs website.

Update March 16, 2026 – The new XWorm delivery method starts with a deceptive email that contains a ZIP attachment. Inside the archive is a JavaScript file, and when the victim opens it, the script runs and connects to a remote server to download the next stage of the attack.

That download is a PowerShell script containing encrypted malware. The script bypasses security checks and launches a legitimate Microsoft tool (Aspnet_compiler.exe) to hide the malicious activity. The malware is then injected directly into the memory instead of being saved as a normal file, making it harder for security tools to detect.

Once active, XWorm records the victim's keystrokes, stores them in a hidden log file, and periodically sends the stolen data to the attackers' server.

XWorm delivered in a new malspam campaign:

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

If your computer is infected with XWorm malware, formatting your storage device might remove the malware, but it will also erase all your data. Before considering formatting, try using a reputable anti-malware program like Combo Cleaner to scan and remove the XWorm malware.

What are the biggest issues that malware can cause?

Malware can cause significant issues, including data theft leading to identity theft and financial loss. It can also disrupt computer systems, leading to downtime, data loss, and potential damage to critical files and software. Additionally, malware can enable unauthorized access, compromising privacy and sensitive information.

What is the purpose of XWorm?

The purpose of XWorm is to serve as a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) that provides cybercriminals with unauthorized access and control over infected systems. It allows attackers to steal sensitive information, execute various commands, deploy ransomware, and perform other malicious activities, enabling them to exploit and compromise victims' computers for their gain.

How did XWorm infiltrate my computer?

XWorm infiltrated your computer through tricky emails that appeared to be related to business matters, such as invoices or purchase orders. These deceptive emails contained attachments like PDFs or Word documents. If you fell for the trick and opened the attachment, you might have unknowingly enabled macros commands or performed other actions that allowed a harmful program to download and run on your computer.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?

Combo Cleaner has the capability to remove nearly all known malware infections. It is important to be aware that advanced malware often conceals itself deeply within the system. Thus, performing a full system scan becomes necessary to detect and eliminate the malware.