How to remove UwUdis RAT from infected devices

Trojan

Also Known As: UwUdisRAT

(updated)

Damage level:

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What kind of malware is UwUdis?

UwUdis RAT (or UwUdisRAT) is one of several Discord-based remote access trojans (RATs). It has typical RAT functions, such as remote control, data collection, and payload delivery, and shares core code and operational similarities with STD RAT, Minecraft RAT, and Propionanilide (other Discord‑based RATs).

UwUdis malware

More about UwUdis

UwUdis uses Discord to communicate with attackers and hides sensitive data, such as Discord tokens, through simple encoding. Since it is a remote access Trojan, it allows cybercriminals to remotely execute commands, browse, copy, modify, or delete files, capture screenshots, and record audio.

Additionally, threat actors can utilize the RAT to steal credentials, tokens, and other sensitive data, download and execute additional malware (such as ransomware and spyware), and potentially employ it for other malicious purposes. With UwUdis, cybercriminals may be able to steal identities and money, hijack personal accounts, launch further attacks, and more.

It is essential to note that UwUdis can be used to deploy additional payloads, which means victims may be unable to access their files due to encryption, have their personal accounts exploited to trick others into running malware on their devices, or have their devices used to mine cryptocurrency, among other potential consequences.

Thus, it is important to eliminate this threat using a reliable security tool like Combo Cleaner from compromised devices as soon as possible.

Threat Summary:
Name UwUdisRAT
Threat Type Remote Access Trojan (RAT)
Detection Names Avast (Win64:MalwareX-gen [Misc]), Combo Cleaner (Gen:Variant.Giant.Mikey.282), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of Win64/Agent.ABU), MaxSecure (Trojan.Malware.331574870.susgen), Microsoft (Trojan:Win64/Lazy.GNE!MTB), Full List (VirusTotal)
Symptoms Remote Administration Trojans are designed to stealthily infiltrate the victim's computer and remain silent, and thus no particular symptoms are clearly visible on an infected machine.
Possible distribution methods Infected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, social engineering, software vulnerabilities, software 'cracks'.
Damage Stolen passwords and banking information, identity theft, the victim's computer added to a botnet, additional infections, monetary loss.
Malware Removal (Windows)

To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner.

Download Combo Cleaner

To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

Conclusion

In summary, UwUdis poses a significant security risk due to its ability to grant attackers extensive control over compromised systems and expose sensitive information. Victims can face serious consequences, including financial loss, account takeover, and further malware infections.

Some examples of other RATs are Atroposia, SilentSync, and kkRAT.

How did UwUdis infiltrate my computer?

Malware is most often spread via deceptive emails that carry malicious attachments or links, as well as through malicious adverts and technical support scams that trick users into running harmful files. Attackers commonly use executables, Office or PDF documents, archives (ZIP/RAR), and script files as delivery tools.

Cybercriminals also use peer‑to‑peer networks, pirated software, cracking tools, key generators, third‑party downloaders, fake or compromised websites, and infected USB drives to lure victims into downloading malware.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be careful with emails - do not open links and files in unexpected attachments from unknown senders. Download software and files only from trusted app stores or official websites. Never download pirated software, cracks, or key generators. Avoid interacting with ads, pop-ups, links, or buttons on suspicious websites, and do not allow them to display notifications.

Regularly update your operating system and installed programs, and run routine security scans with a reliable security tool. 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.

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.
Built into Windows. Boots to a clean environment to catch rootkits.
From Microsoft Sysinternals. Better than Task Manager - shows full paths and signatures.
From Microsoft Sysinternals. Lists every place malware can persist on your system.
Official Microsoft on-demand scanner. Always-current signatures - expires every 10 days.
Phase 1~ 5 min
Contain - limit the damage

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.

Run Windows 11 in Safe Mode with Networking
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.

Run Windows 10 in Safe Mode with Networking - press F5 at the Startup Settings screen
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

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.

Process Explorer showing a suspicious unsigned process running from %AppData%
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.

Autoruns 14.x with Hide Microsoft Entries enabled showing the Logon and Scheduled Tasks tabs
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

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.

Combo Cleaner full scan results showing detected threats
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

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

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.

Verifying malware removal in the Windows 11 Task Manager Startup apps tab

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

No, formatting your device is not necessary. Threats like UwUdis can usually be removed using trusted security software, such as Combo Cleaner, which is capable of detecting and removing RATs and other malware without wiping your files.

What are the biggest issues that malware can cause?

Malware enables cybercriminals to take control of a device, steal sensitive data including passwords, financial details, and personal files, compromise user accounts, drop additional malicious payloads, encrypt files, and perform various other malicious activities.

What is the purpose of UwUdis?

UwUdis is designed to give attackers remote control over infected systems. Its primary purpose is to let cybercriminals run commands, access files, capture data, and potentially deploy additional malware for further malicious activity.

How did a malware infiltrate my computer?

Cybercriminals commonly distribute malware through harmful executables, documents, archives, and script files. They use tactics like phishing emails, misleading ads, fake support scams, software exploits, and rogue or compromised websites. Attackers may also use peer-to-peer networks, pirated software, keygens, and infected USB drives.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?

Combo Cleaner can detect and remove most known malware. Since sophisticated threats can hide deep within the system, performing a full system scan is important to make sure every malicious component is found and removed.

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Tomas Meskauskas

Tomas Meskauskas

Expert security researcher, professional malware analyst

I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats.

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