Danber (Free Guide) - Jul 2018 update

What is Danber?

Danber – a dangerous worm capable of multiplying itself fast

Danber is a dangerous worm that can replicate itself and spread to many computers without anybody noticing

Danber is a type of malware that is capable of replicating itself not only on the targeted computer but all devices connected to it through a network. The virus does not inflict damage to the machine itself. Instead, in plants multiple executables (.exe) files into the Windows and runs in the background. Soon after that W32.Danber worm^[1] looks for other computers connected to the same networks and multiplies itself. As soon as malware establishes itself, it may attempt to download and install other malicious software, capable of inflicting damage to system files, stealing personal data and engage in other malicious activities.

The ultimate goal of Danber virus is to remain undetected, boot every time Windows is booted, protect other malware that gets installed on the machine, and, finally, take over the computer entirely. For that reason, the worm creates its copies in all drives, copies its main executable into %System%\DanbtR270414.exe and creates the following registry entry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\”DanBtR270414″ = “%System%\DanBtR270414.exe”

Users most likely infect their computers with W32.Danber worm while connecting a contaminated external drive (such as a USB stick, memory card, DVD, etc.), or obtain it from the internet. Those who enjoy pirated software can also receive this little surprise because it can be embedded into any executable only. It is a well-known fact that file-sharing sites often host malware.

Because the primary goal of Danber malware is to remain hidden, it rarely exposes any symptoms. If anything, computer operation can be as healthy as usual. That is why it is essential to have security software installed (such as FortectIntego or Malwarebytes) and continually perform system scans. Don't forget the real-time protection function to be on at all times. What is more, security software is essential for Danber removal, as it would be a too complicated task for a regular user.

In some cases you might experience the following symptoms of Danber infection:

• overall sluggish performance of the PC;
• BSoDs^[2] occurance;
• additional/unknown applications installed without your knowledge;
• software shutting down or crashing suddenly;
• questionablo pop-up messages appearing out of nowhere.

Regardless if you encounter any symptoms or not, you need to remove Danber as soon as possible, because as long as it remains on your computer, it poses a severe security threat. W32 can easily inject such cyber threats like ransomware, keyloggers, spyware and other unwanted programs.Danber worm without your knowledge.

Danber is a virus that is capable of injecting other malware into users'machines

Avoid dangerous malware online

It is essential to be wary when using the internet, as computer worms and various viruses were developed even before the internet as we know it was just being born – back in 1982 the Elk Cloner was first virus of its kind. When the world wide web was born, it only became much easier to spread the infections. Regardless of what many users think, the virus cannot get into the machine on its own – the trigger is always the human.

Therefore, make sure you stay alert. Do not connect any unknown external drives to your PC (typically, the AV engine would detect malware, so make sure you have one enabled), avoid questionable websites, such as file-sharing, torrent, cracked software and similar. Instead, download freeware from trusted sources and make sure you pay attention to the installation process accordingly.

Additionally, it is equally important to patch your system as soon as updates are out. Cybercriminals often abuse software vulnerabilities to their advantage.

Remove Danber worm from your system

As we already mentioned, Danber virus can experience no symptoms at all. Therefore, some users might fail to detect it for months, and it can be too late. Thus, please do not delay Danber removal. To succeed, we recommend using reputable anti-virus tools, such as FortectIntego or Malwarebytes. These applications are capable of disabling malware and reverting the caused damage.

Security researchers^[3] warn not to try to remove Danber manually, as you will not succeed. Computer worms are complicated infections and only trained IT professionals are capable of manually restoring the computer back to normal. Thus, trust security software. By the way, in case the malware is blocking anti-virus program from starting, boot Windows in Safe Mode with Networking.