How to remove FastCash virus

FastCash virus is a trojan horse developed by the notorious Lazarus hacker group to steal money

FastCash virus is a malware that injects malicious code to running processes to communicate with financial services. This is a dangerous virus that already has been attacking companies on a large scale and stealing various information about people or even money from victims directly. Once executed, the Trojan.Fastcash has a goal to communicate with financial systems that utilize the ISO8583 standard and steal money from victims this way. This is a malware developed by a dangerous and well-known hacker group Lazarus. Recently the name of this group and the particular FastCash threat has reached headlines because of the WannaCry malware attacks all over the world and the more recent discovery of stealing money from ATMs using this particular trojan.

FastCash virus was discovered in November^[1] and not long after, the virus was reportedly^[2] used in a huge attack, in which targeted bank networks were hacked and with the help of this trojan, hackers managed to steal cash from ATMs. 

The initial alert about the activity involving this trojan stated:

According to a trusted partner’s estimation, HIDDEN COBRA actors have stolen tens of millions of dollars. In one incident in 2017, HIDDEN COBRA actors enabled cash to be simultaneously withdrawn from ATMs located in over 30 different countries. In another incident in 2018, HIDDEN COBRA actors enabled cash to be simultaneously withdrawn from ATMs in 23 different countries.  

The switch to servers was used to run money transactions when FastCash virus turned cash withdrawal requests into approved transactions. Attackers managed to steal cash directly from the ATMs in Asia and Africa.

The main functions of Trojan.fastcash:

• Monitoring incoming messages and responses on the financial system.
• Monitoring fraudulent transactions and preventing them from reaching the switch.
• Generating responses to redirect transaction requests and approve them.

In this recent discovery, experts found out that FastCash virus managed to steal over 10 millions of cash and these transactions started to work back in 2016.^[3] However, Lazarus group have been active since 2014 when North-Korea-based hacker group was involved in various cybercrimes, including espionage.^[4]

Typical Trojan functionality

Since this is a Trojan horse-type virus, you need to know about possible danger that may be caused by this FastCash virus. This is a malware that mostly focuses on bigger targets like companies and businesses but there is a possibility that you as an everyday computer user may encounter this cyber threat.

You need to be aware of the main trojan virus functionalities:

• Infecting the system with other more severe malware like ransomware.
• Tracking and recording your keystrokes.
• Stealing various credentials including personal information or online banking account logins and passwords.
• Mining cryptocurrency or running other processes in the background while using the resources of your device.

You need to remove FastCash virus from the system as soon as possible. To make sure there is no harm to the system or potential danger to your privacy. You should employ a good anti-malware program for this because trojans tend to run in the background.

FastCash virus removal can be a stressful process but you need to rely on reputable tools and do not forget to clean the virus damage with repair tools like FortectIntego. Also, you can find a few tips provided by experts,^[5] and software suggestions down below.

Targeted scam used to spread malware

Spear phishing campaigns^[6] are most often used to proliferate malware on the system of specific individual, company or even network of a business. This campaign focuses on sending emails that redirect to a rogue website or contains a direct payload of malware.

These emails use tactics to get attention and lure people to download and open the email or attached file on the device. These emails may pose as a message from the center for missing people or even government institutions. Cybercriminals also use names of well-known companies and services to hide the malicious purpose of the email and look more legitimate.

However, the minute people willingly download the attachment or enter the provided website malware gets on the targeted device and later can spread on the network or infect the computer with more prominent malware. You can use a firewall to block all connections from the internet and only allow services you want to. Also, make your passwords are more complex and difficult, remove devices that are unnecessary and may use the resources of your computer or be infected easily.

Make sure to perform FastCash virus termination using proper tools

FastCash virus is a trojan that targets large businesses and companies but it is possible that users get this virus on their personal computer too. When it comes to businesses and organizations they need to patch vulnerabilities and do that more frequently to avoid cyber infections on the network. Also, employing cybersecurity experts can be crucial in this case.

The best tip to users is to remove FastCash virus using trustworthy anti-malware tools. A full system scan with FortectIntego, SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes allows users to clean the device thoroughly. Trojans may have installed other programs or files to keep the persistence.

Automatic FastCash virus removal should be the best option for this dangerous threat just make sure to use an official source when getting this tool. Also, to make sure this virus is completely out of the system, enter the Safe Mode before scanning the computer.