Proteus malware (Improved Instructions)

Proteus malware Removal Guide

What is Proteus malware?

Proteus malware mines virtual currencies, spies on victim, and transforms target computers into proxy servers

Proteus virus is a new menace to all computer users who use the Internet. Written in .NET language, this malicious software can be remotely controlled by hackers and dig information from compromised computers. This multi-faceted malware example has a rich set of features that can severely mess up victim’s computer and connect it to a botnet to perform malicious activities such as DDoS attacks. It also sets up a malignant SOCKS proxy server on infected machine to use it as a stopover for malicious traffic flow. Proteus virus utilizes SHA256 miner, CPUMiner, and ZCashMiner to use victim’s PC for crypto-currency mining, installs a malicious keylogger to track victim’s keystrokes (to find out private information such as login details and credit card codes). What is worse, it becomes capable of downloading and executing malicious executables on victim’s PC. It has also been noticed that malware uses compromised PCs to log into stolen eBay, NetFlix, Amazon or Spotify accounts, and scrap sensitive data from users’ profiles. In between operations, virus repeatedly examines if its Command&Control server is active, and if it is, it continues its malicious activities.
Proteus virus

The worst thing about such malware is that it acts in silence. You will not see any pop-ups, error messages, or similar notifications that would inform you about its existence. You might notice that computer works slower than usual, but since computer slowdowns can be a consequence of numerous other processes, it is not going to draw your attention. That is why it is extremely important to update your security programs or install some if you do not have any yet. For Proteus removal, it is recommended to use experts tools such as SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or FortectIntego. This malicious software modifies Windows Registry, adds dozens of malicious files and roots into the computer system deeply, so you should not try to carry out Proteus removal on your own. The virus might attempt to infect your device with severe malware like ransomware if it notices that its components are getting deleted, so it is important to push all of them out at once, the sooner, the better.

Distribution channels

Malware is reportedly distributed via Andromeda botnet, which drops a fake chrome.exe file into %APPDATA% folder and executes it. Then this fake chrome.exe file sends a packet of information to the C&C server, including compromised computer’s name, operating system version, bot version, and the “fingerprint.” Fingerprint contains technical details about the infected machine, including processor’s type, BIOS, and baseboard information. Following a successful registration on C&C server, malware receives a message “Successful.”

Your PC can be recruited into a botnet after opening a malicious email attachment or link, installing a fraudulent program or software update (from untrustworthy source), or clicking on a malware-laden ad. If you do not become a victim of such vicious malware attacks, protect your PC in adware and avoid shady content that the world wide web presents.

Remove Proteus Trojan using time-tested malware removal tools

You should not try to remove Proteus virus without an automatic malware removal tool. If you do, you can do more harm than good. Proteus malware is extremely dangerous piece of software, and it is constantly monitored from Command&Control server, so unsuccessful attempts to remove it can provoke unexpected behavior. Please read what the Proteus removal guide says and get ready to delete this malicious software from your device:

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Compatible with Microsoft Windows Compatible with macOS
What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Fortect, try running SpyHunter 5.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.

Getting rid of Proteus malware. Follow these steps

Manual removal using Safe Mode

These instructions are helpful when trying to safely remove critical computer viruses. Carry them out with extreme caution.

Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.

Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking

Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment. 

Windows 7 / Vista / XP
  1. Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
  2. When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. – it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
  3. Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list. Windows 7/XP
Windows 10 / Windows 8
  1. Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
    Settings
  2. Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
    Update and security
  3. On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
  4. Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
  5. Click Restart now.
    Reboot
  6. Select Troubleshoot. Choose an option
  7. Go to Advanced options. Advanced options
  8. Select Startup Settings. Startup settings
  9. Press Restart.
  10. Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking. Enable safe mode

Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes

Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details.
    Open task manager
  3. Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
  4. Right-click and select Open file location.
    Open file location
  5. Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
    End task
  6. Delete the contents of the malicious folder.

Step 3. Check program Startup

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
  2. Go to Startup tab.
  3. Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
    Startup

Step 4. Delete virus files

Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:

  1. Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
    Disk cleanup
  2. Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
  3. Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:

    Temporary Internet Files
    Downloads
    Recycle Bin
    Temporary files

  4. Pick Clean up system files.
    Delete temp files
  5. You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):

    %AppData%
    %LocalAppData%
    %ProgramData%
    %WinDir%

After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.

Remove Proteus malware using System Restore

  • Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
    Windows 7 / Vista / XP
    1. Click Start Shutdown Restart OK.
    2. When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
    3. Select Command Prompt from the list Select 'Safe Mode with Command Prompt'

    Windows 10 / Windows 8
    1. Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
    2. Now select Troubleshoot Advanced options Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
    3. Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window. Select 'Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt'
  • Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
    1. Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter. Enter 'cd restore' without quotes and press 'Enter'
    2. Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again.. Enter 'rstrui.exe' without quotes and press 'Enter'
    3. When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of Proteus malware. After doing that, click Next. When 'System Restore' window shows up, select 'Next' Select your restore point and click 'Next'
    4. Now click Yes to start system restore. Click 'Yes' and start system restore
    Once you restore your system to a previous date, download and scan your computer with FortectIntego and make sure that Proteus malware removal is performed successfully.

Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from Proteus malware and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes

How to prevent from getting malware

Access your website securely from any location

When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.

If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.

 

Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks

While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.

Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection. 

 

About the author
Olivia Morelli
Olivia Morelli - Ransomware analyst

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