GameOver Zeus: what it is and how to remove it
GameOver Zeus is a Trojan that is based on Zeus trojan that has first emerged in 2006. Then the name of this variant was given because of one of its filenames - gameover2.php.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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GameOver Zeus: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | GameOver Zeus |
| Type | Loader |
| Symptoms | An unknown process in Task Manager |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 4 more facts
| Evidence | 7 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
|---|---|
| File names | explorer.exe |
| First seen | 11 August 2017 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
What GameOver Zeus can steal or download
From our report of Aug 2017 · not reviewed since
Security researchers are trying to take down the GameOver Zeus virus since 2011.
FBI, the U.S. and European security investigators and authorities launched several attacks against hacker's networks. However, all the attempts failed.
In January 2013, researchers were close to taking down the malware. However, months of their work were not enough because they overlooked a critical component. As a result, the hacker updated its malicious network and took back control over its program.
In 2015, FBI put a $3 million bounty on Slavik's head. It's the highest reward that has been offered for the cyber criminal in the United States. However, in 2017 he is still enjoying his life outside the jail.
How GameOver Zeus got on your PC
From our report of Aug 2017 · not reviewed since
GameOver Zeus is used for stealing financial data and spreading CryptoLocker ransomware
GameOver Zeus is a Trojan that is based on Zeus trojan that has first emerged in 2006.
Then the name of this variant was given because of one of its filenames - gameover2.php. Malware is used to get remote access to the computer and steal private information, such as banking logins, passwords, and other financial data.
The Trojan is known for almost a decade and has alternative names - GameOver Trojan, GOZ, and P2PZeuS. However, authorities also know who is standing behind this cyber threat - the Russian hacker Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev known as Slavik.
However, the success of malware is based not only on Slavik's work. He created a group of 50 cyber criminals that are called "Business Club."
In October 2013 GameOver Zeus has been started actively spreading and infecting systems with ransomware virus that is known as Cryptolocker. As soon as it is installed, it encrypts all important files that are stored on a computer and then demands payment for decrypting them.
The GameOver Zeus Trojan itself spreads via Cutwail botnet and uses encrypted peer-to-peer communication with Command and Control server. During its lifetime, it has been mostly used for stealing money from banks and banking data.
Therefore, getting infected with malware might end up with financial and personal information loss.
However, you may need to take extra steps for GameOver Zeus removal if it brought ransomware to your PC. The detailed explanation about its elimination you can find at the end of this article.
From our report of Aug 2017 · not reviewed since
Distribution methods of the GameOver Trojan
GameOver Zeus virus has been actively spread using phishing and spam campaigns.
In most of the cases, dangerous emails look like important messages from well-known organizations, such as FDIC, IRS, MySpace, Facebook, Microsoft, Federal Reserve Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA), etc.
Typically they include a link that redirects to the malicious website. When users get there, the Trojan is installed on the system.
Therefore, in order to avoid infiltration of a dangerous banking trojan, you should always inspect the email carefully:
If you still cannot decide should you trust the email or not, you can always call the organization or log in to the account directly by opening a new browser's tab. Then you can be sure if criminals tried to attack you or not.
- check the information about the sender;
- make sure that the email does not lack credentials;
- look up for grammar and spelling mistakes.
How to check the PC for GameOver Zeus
- File:
explorer.exe
How to remove GameOver Zeus
A loader's job is to install other malware, so treat the PC as infected with more than one program until the scans are clean.
Step 1: Check where explorer.exe runs from and stop it
explorer.exeis the part you can see, and its location tells you whether it belongs there. Right-click it on the Processes page of Task Manager and choose Open file location, then right-click the file > Properties > Digital Signatures to see who signed it.An unsigned file, or one in a user folder such as
%AppData%, is the one to remove: end the task, then delete the file.Note the folder name, because the same folder usually holds its other files. This is the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Full procedure with screenshots: Close a frozen app (Task Manager, Force Quit) On uGetFix
Step 2: Delete scheduled tasks that bring it back
Open Task Scheduler from the Start menu and click Task Scheduler Library. Select each task you do not recognise and read the Actions tab:
- a task that starts a file in
%AppData%or%Temp% - runs
powershellwith a long encoded line - opens a web address belongs to GameOver Zeus or a similar program
Right-click such a task and choose Delete, and check the subfolders too. Leave tasks from Microsoft, your PC's maker and programs you use. Task Scheduler is the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Windows 11: Task Scheduler Library, the task selected, the Actions tab shows the file it runs. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
- a task that starts a file in
Step 3: Remove it from startup
Whatever GameOver Zeus installed usually starts with Windows. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to Startup apps in Windows 11 or the Startup tab in Windows 10, and disable what you do not know, starting with entries that have an empty Publisher column.
Open file location on the right-click menu shows the file, which helps you decide and tells you what to delete later. Disabling is safe: if something you need stops working, switch it back on.
Full procedure with screenshots: Stop apps from opening at startup On uGetFix
Step 4: Delete the folders left behind
What the uninstaller leaves behind is usually in the user folders. Open File Explorer, switch on View > Show > Hidden items (in Windows 10 View > Hidden items), and go through
%LocalAppData%,%AppData%, %ProgramData% and the two Program Files folders.Sort by Date modified and delete folders that appeared together with the problem and belong to no program you use. Folders with random names that hold
.exe,.dll, .js or .ps1 files are the strongest sign.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
Step 5: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan and remove everything it finds. Then select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now: the PC restarts and scans before Windows loads, which finds files that hide while Windows runs.
Save your work first, because the offline scan takes about 15 minutes. Both scans are built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, and a second scanner from another vendor is a useful extra opinion.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Step 6: Change passwords from another device and sign out other sessions
Assume that the passwords saved in this PC's browsers, and the accounts that were open in them, are known to the attacker. From a phone or a clean computer, change the e-mail password first, then banking, shopping, social and gaming accounts.
Use each service's option to sign out of all other sessions, because stolen cookies keep a session open even after a password change. Turn on two-step verification on each account. Wait with the infected Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC until the scans are clean.
Full procedure with screenshots: Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Manual removal using Safe Mode
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
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- 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.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
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:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
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:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- 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).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- 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.
From our report of Aug 2017 · not reviewed since
Instructions for GameOver Zeus removal
To remove GameOver Zeus from the PC, you have to obtain reputable security software, such as , or .
After the installation, update your preferred tool and run a full system scan. The program should eliminate malware automatically.
After GameOver Zeus removal, we highly recommend changing all of your passwords in order to protect your money and sensitive information from the attackers.
If this Trojan has already infected your PC with Cryptolocker, try to follow these steps:
[GI=method-1]In order to disable the virus, follow these steps:
If GameOver Zeus brought Cryptolocker to your PC, you should try this tool to get back at least some of the files.
Take advantage of Windows Previous Versions feature
If System Restore has been enabled before malware attack, follow these steps to copy individual files:
Cryptolocker decryption software
Researchers have created several tools that might help to recover files encrypted by this malware. You can find download links and the explanation how to use them here.
- Run Regedit
- Search for WinLogon Entries and write down all the files that are not explorer.exe or blank. Replace them with explorer.exe.
- Search the registry for these files you have written down and delete the registry keys referencing the files.
- Reboot and run a full system scan with updated security software.
After removal: passwords, accounts and prevention
Accounts come next
Because the PC showed an unfamiliar process called explorer.exe in Task Manager, a sign of a program that could read browser data, the clean-up is only half of the work.
The other half happens in your online accounts.
Change passwords from a clean device, beginning with e-mail; sign out of all sessions; check forwarding rules and recovery phone numbers; and turn on two-step verification with an authenticator app or a passkey. Ask your bank to replace cards saved in the browser.
Why the order matters and what to check in each account: secure your accounts after 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 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, can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
Questions about GameOver Zeus
Is explorer.exe safe?
It depends on where the file is and who signed it, not on the name. Open Task Manager, go to the Details tab, right-click explorer.exe and choose Open file location. A file inside Program Files or System32 with a valid digital signature from a known company is usually part of a legitimate program.
A file in AppData, Temp or ProgramData with no signature, especially one that restarts itself after you end it, is suspicious. If you cannot tie the process to anything you installed, uninstall recent unfamiliar programs and run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan.
explorer.exe keeps coming back. What should I do?
A process that returns after you end it has a restart mechanism, and that is a reason to treat explorer.exe as unwanted. Check Settings > Apps > Startup, Task Scheduler and the Services list for entries pointing to its folder, and disable them.
Look in Installed apps for anything added the same day and uninstall it. Then delete the folder and run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan, which works before Windows starts and can remove files that are locked or hidden while the system is running.
Can I just delete explorer.exe?
Deleting explorer.exe by hand rarely removes GameOver Zeus. While the trojan runs, Windows may refuse to delete the file, and if you succeed, a scheduled task, a service or a second copy may bring it back at the next restart.
The file can also be only one part of the infection: loaders and remote access tools often install other programs. Use the Microsoft Defender offline scan, which removes the file together with its startup entries before Windows loads, and then check startup items and scheduled tasks as described in the plan.
Why can't I find GameOver Zeus in antivirus databases?
Because it is new or because it is listed under a different name. Antivirus companies name threats after the family they belong to, and a program that appears as GameOver Zeus on your PC may carry a generic or unrelated label in their databases.
Many new samples are first detected only by behaviour, without a family name. What you saw, an unfamiliar process called explorer.exe in Task Manager, is enough to act on:
- end the program
- remove its startup entry
- run a Microsoft Defender offline scan
- secure your accounts
A detection name from a scan is worth noting for later.
Why didn't my antivirus stop GameOver Zeus?
New trojan builds are packed and changed often so that signatures do not match, and some are signed with stolen or bought certificates. Many arrive inside password-protected archives, which scanners cannot open until you extract them.
Some downloads also tell the user to turn off the antivirus "because it gives false alarms", a common line in cracked software instructions. Keep real-time protection on, never disable it for an installer, and run the offline scan whenever you suspect something slipped through.
Should I reset my PC because of GameOver Zeus?
Only if the signs point to deeper access. Reset when you see an unfamiliar process called explorer.exe in Task Manager again after removal, when Windows Security cannot start or update, when remote access tools you did not install keep appearing, or when you simply cannot trust the PC any more.
Otherwise, the plan in this guide plus an offline scan is enough. If you do reset, choose Remove everything and Cloud download for a fresh copy of Windows, restore only documents and photos, and reinstall programs from their official sites. Change important passwords from the clean system afterwards.
Is a trojan infection worth reporting to the police?
If there was harm, yes. Unauthorised payments, accounts used for fraud, blackmail or a remote session during a scam call all belong in a report, and banks often ask for its reference number before they refund anything.
If antivirus caught GameOver Zeus before it ran and nothing was misused, there is nothing to report. Keep the evidence anyway:
- protection history
- the original download
- the dates
Businesses may also have to notify a data protection authority if personal data could have been accessed.
What are the signs of a trojan infection?
Most trojans try to leave no visible signs, so look for side effects. Common ones:
- Windows Security turned off or unable to update
- new entries in Startup apps or Task Scheduler
- programs in Installed apps you did not install
- browser settings that changed by themselves
- unusual network activity while the PC is idle
- password-reset or login-alert e-mails you did not trigger
None of these proves an infection on its own. Together with an antivirus alert naming GameOver Zeus, they are a strong reason to follow the full plan.
Is it safe to do online banking after seeing an unfamiliar process called explorer.exe in Task Manager?
Not on that PC until it is clean. A program that produces an unfamiliar process called explorer.exe in Task Manager runs with your rights and could read what you type or what the browser shows. Use a phone or another computer for banking and for changing passwords.
When the offline scan of the affected PC is clean and nothing suspicious starts with Windows any more, you can go back to using it. Check your bank statements for the past weeks either way, and call the bank if anything looks unfamiliar; banks can block cards and reset access quickly.
Will Fortect remove GameOver Zeus?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For GameOver Zeus, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Cutwail botnet (read October 6, 2026)
- Wired: Inside The Hunt For Russia's Most Notorious Hacker (read October 6, 2026)
- Gizmodo: The World's Most Wanted Hacker Sounds Like a Goddamn James Bond Villain (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)