How to remove VoidStealer from infected systems

What kind of malware is VoidStealer?

VoidStealer is a type of malware that steals sensitive data from browsers. It uses a technique, a debugger-based method to bypass browser protection (Application-Bound Encryption) by monitoring memory while the browser is running. This allows it to capture encryption keys without needing special permissions or injecting code. Because of this, it is harder for security tools to detect.

Introduction

Application-Bound Encryption (ABE) is a security mechanism that encrypts sensitive data (such as saved passwords) so that only the browser can access it. This security feature was added to Google Chrome in 2024. VoidStealer is the first known malware-as-a-service (MaaS) infostealer observed using an ABE-bypass method.

VoidStealer has multiple versions, and this bypass technique was added in version 2.0 of the malware. The stealer uses two different methods to bypass browser protection in case one does not work. The first method is well known and involves injecting into the browser process, but this can be easily detected by security tools.

The second method is newer and more hidden, as it only reads the browser's memory and attaches as a debugger. This makes it less noticeable and harder to detect. In Google Chrome, saved passwords and other sensitive information are encrypted and stored in a local database. This data is kept in a SQLite database file on the system, typically located in the AppData folder.

Generally, passwords are protected so that only the browser (and authorized processes) can read them. Application-Bound Encryption (ABE) protects a secret key using the highest system privileges on Windows. Chrome itself runs as a normal user, so it cannot access this key directly.

To solve this, Chrome uses a special background service that runs with higher privileges to safely unlock the key when needed. When Chrome requests it, the service checks the request and then returns the decrypted key. Chrome then uses this key to encrypt and decrypt sensitive data like passwords and cookies.

Information stealers could bypass the protection by running with full privileges, but that only works in some cases. They can also inject into Chrome to request the key, but that is easier for security tools to detect. Chrome protects the key by keeping it in memory only briefly and encrypting it.

VoidStealer takes advantage of that short moment by checking the browser's memory using a debugger and capturing the key without needing high privileges or code injection.

How the technique works

VoidStealer targets browsers like Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. It starts a hidden browser process and attaches itself as a debugger. This is done because during startup, the browser loads and decrypts protected data like cookies. At that moment, the secret key is shortly available in memory, making it the right time for the malware to capture it.

VoidStealer sets breakpoints and monitors the process until it reaches that exact moment, then extracts the key directly from memory. With this key, it can decrypt and access sensitive data like saved passwords and cookies. Cybercrimimals can misuse this information for various malicious purposes.

They may use it to access accounts (e.g., social media or banking accounts), steal personal data, or commit fraud. They can also use hijacked accounts to sprad malware and scams. In some cases, they sell the stolen data to others on the dark web.

Conclusion

VoidStealer is a type of malware designed to steal sensitive information from browsers. It uses advanced techniques to bypass security protections and access stored data, such as passwords and cookies. This makes it a serious threat because it can operate in a stealthy way and avoid detection.

Some examples of other stealers are BoryptGrab, MaskGramStealer, and Xillen.

How did VoidStealer infiltrate my computer?

Cybercriminals often take advantage of security flaws in outdated software or spread malware through pirated programs, unofficial activation tools, and key generators. Other common methods include tech support scams, deceptive emails or messages that contain harmful links or attachments, and malicious ads.

Malware may also be distributed through infected USB drives, fake or compromised websites, peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks, and third-party download tools. Attackers typically hide it inside files such as executables, compressed archives, scripts, or documents like PDFs and Office files, which can infect systems once opened or additional steps are taken.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Keep your operating system and all installed programs up to date and download software and files from official websites or reputable app stores. Avoid interacting with suspicious ads, pop-ups, or unfamiliar links, especially on unreliable websites, and do not allow notifications from questionable pages.

Be wary of unexpected emails or messages from unknown senders—do not open attachments or click links unless you are certain they are safe. Use trusted security tools to perform regular scans and detect potential threats.

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.

VoidStealer promoted on a hacker forum (source: gendigital.com):

Update May 8, 2026 - Kaspersky researchers report that VoidStealer's bypass of Chrome's Application-Bound Encryption affects all Chromium-based browsers - including Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi - not only Chrome and Microsoft Edge as initially noted. During the attack, users may briefly notice their browser freezing as the malware captures stored credentials and session cookies.

VoidStealer is among several stealers to have developed similar bypass methods since Application-Bound Encryption was introduced in mid-2024 - others include Meduza, Whitesnake, Lumma, and Lumar. (source: kaspersky.com).

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

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

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.

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 device is infected with VoidStealer malware, should I format my storage device to get rid of it?

Resetting or wiping a device is an effective way to remove malware. However, it also deletes all data if it is not backed up. It is recommended to first try removing VoidStealer using a security tool like Combo Cleaner.

What are the biggest issues that malware can cause?

Malware can lead to various problems, such as financial loss or identity theft, as well as the theft of personal data. It can also take control of a device and damage or delete important files.

What is the purpose of VoidStealer?

The purpose of VoidStealer is to steal sensitive information from a user's computer, especially from web browsers. It is designed to extract things like saved passwords, cookies, and login data so attackers can access accounts or take other malicious actions.

How did VoidStealer infiltrate my device?

Cybercriminals spread malware by exploiting outdated software and using pirated programs, fake activation tools, and key generators. They also use phishing emails, malicious ads, and tech support scams. Additionally, malware can come from infected USB drives, fake websites, P2P networks, and third-party download tools, and is often hidden inside files like executables, archives, scripts, or documents.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove most known malware. However, some advanced threats can hide deeply in the system. That is why running a full system scan is important to make sure everything is found and removed.