Security Bytes 2015: what it is and how to remove it
At the beginning of this post, we want to say that we haven't get Security Bytes 2015's example yet. that's why we can't claim that this virus is real.
Facts checked October 7, 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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Start the stepsSecurity Bytes 2015: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | Security Bytes 2015 |
| Type | Information stealer |
| 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 | One write-up by a security site; details still limited |
|---|---|
| File name | hunter.exe |
| First seen | 26 April 2021 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
What Security Bytes 2015 does
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
What is Security Bytes 2015?
At the beginning of this post, we want to say that we haven't get Security Bytes 2015's example yet. that's why we can't claim that this virus is real.
Nevertheless, the appearance of this name in some of security forums made us to create this post. If you think that your computer is infected with Security Bytes 2015, you should waste no time and scan it with the reputable anti-spyware.
According to those who report about this virus, it's one of Braviax threats. Once any of these programs infiltrates the system, in alters various system settings and starts pretending to be a genuine anti-spyware program.
Bear in mind that it's just another rogue anti-spyware that has no virus database and other features that should be found in anti-spyware. Similarly to other scarewares, Security Bytes 2015 just pretends to scan computer and after that reports about tens or even hundreds of different viruses that are supposedly hiding in victim's system.
Please, DO NOT trust these alerts because they contain invented viruses and are used only for tricking people into believing that their PCs are in danger and need to be fixed. The biggest mistake is to pay the money for the licensed version of this program.
That's because after paying the money you will not remove viruses that are 'hiding' in your computer. You will only lose your money and will also disclose your sensitive data to scammers who are responsible for creating this rogue. In order to remove this virus, you should rely on a reputable anti-spyware, such as , and get rid of it automatically.
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
How can Security Bytes 2015 infect my computer?
Security Bytes 2015 virus can be a serious cyber infection that is spread with an intention to steal people's money.
There is a whole list of such and similar programs that are spread using several distribution methods. In order to avoid their installation, you should be very careful when searching thru the net. You should keep in mind that there are various websites that are used for spreading viruses and malwares. None of these alerts should be trusted and you should avoid clicking them.
By the way, you should also be cautious about spam and avoid opening suspicious-looking messages. If you are not familiar with the sender, theme looks suspicious for you or you see grammar or typo mistakes, do not open it because you can easily get infected by Security Bytes 2015 virus. If it gets inside a computer, it starts delivering such and similar alerts:
Do not waste your time if you have already noticed such and similar notifications and fix your computer right now.
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Security Bytes 2015
- System security threat was detected.
- Viruses and/or spyware may be damaging your system now.
- Prevent infection and data loss or stealing by running a free security scan.
How to check the PC for Security Bytes 2015
- File:
hunter.exe
How to remove Security Bytes 2015
How to remove Security Bytes 2015 and secure your accounts
A stealer usually takes what it wants within minutes and may already be gone.
The scan comes first, then the accounts.
Step 1: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
A scan finds the parts of Security Bytes 2015 that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.
Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.
It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Step 2: Change passwords from another device and sign out other sessions
Security Bytes 2015 can copy saved passwords, cookies and session tokens and send them out in seconds, so cleaning the PC does not undo the theft.
Change your passwords on a device that was never infected, starting with the e-mail account, since every other reset goes through it. On each account, end all other sessions and check the recovery e-mail, phone number and forwarding rules.
Then turn on two-step verification. Sign in on the Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC again only after the offline scan is clean.
Full procedure with screenshots: Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account
Step 3: Delete the folders left behind
Uninstalling often leaves the program's folders, and some threats reinstall themselves from them.
Press Windows + R, type
%LocalAppData%and press Enter, then do the same for%AppData%and %ProgramData%, and look for folders named after Security Bytes 2015, its publisher or created on the day the problem started.Delete those folders, and check
C:\Program FilesandC:\Program Files (x86)too.If Windows says a file is in use, end it in Task Manager or delete the folder after a restart in Safe Mode. The folders are the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices.
Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings.
Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact - you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use for the data restoration process.
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
How to remove Security Bytes 2015 virus?
If you think that Security Bytes 2015 has already got inside your computer, you should scan it with a reputable anti-spyware right now and eliminate all registries that it detects.
DO NOT buy its license because you will not only lose your money in this way, but will also pose a risk to experience further thefts from your bank account. You should just download a reputable anti-spyware, update it and run a full system scan. If you need a detailed guide explaining how to do that, read this guide.
ATTENTION! If you can't download or launch any them, try these options:
1. USING SYSTEM RESTORE TO DISABLE VIRUS:
2. REBOOTING TO SAFE MODE WITH NETWORKING:
3. CREATING GUEST ACCOUNT FOR SCANNING COMPUTER:
If you have another user (guest) account, you can try to run a full system scan from it. You just need to log into it and download for a full system scan. You can activate your guest account with a help of these steps:
4. USING ANOTHER PC FOR DOWNLOADING ANTI-SPYWARE:
5. BLOCKING Security Bytes 2015 BEFORE A SCAN:
- Click Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore.
- Select Restore my computer to an earlier time and click Next.
- Choose the date and the specific restore point that you want and click Next.
- Wait until your PC reboots and click OK on the Restoration Complete window.
- Now download and run a full system scan after updating it.
- Restart your computer
- As soon as your computer becomes active, start pressing the F8 key continuously until you see Advanced Boot Options screen.
- Here, select Safe Mode with Networking (for that, use the arrow keys) and then hit Enter.
- Login as the same user as you were in normal Windows mode
- Now right click on IE or other browser's icon and select Run As or Run As administrator. Enter your Administrator account password (if needed).
- Enter this link to your address bar: https://www.2-spyware.com/download/hunter.exe and download a program on your desktop. Launch it to remove malicious files.
- Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel and select User Accounts.
- After a new window shows up, click on Guest -> Turn On Guest Account.
- Now wait until computer reboots and you see Windows log on screen
- Take another computer that is not infected by this virus and download or to it.
- After completing the procedure, transfer this anti-malware to the CD/DVD, external drive, or USB flash drive.
- In the meanwhile, kill malicious processes on your infected computer. For that you can use this tutorial.
- Stick the device you used for transferring anti-spyware program to your infected PC and launch it.
- Let Security Bytes 2015 start its work and finish its fake system scan.
- Click on Allow unprotected and close the warning message.
- Open File Explorer (click Start -> Documents) and enter %AppData% in the location bar. Click enter.
- Rename guard-agas or similar entry.
- Reboot your machine and enter this link to your address bar: https://www.2-spyware.com/download/hunter.exe
Questions about Security Bytes 2015
Is hunter.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 hunter.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.
hunter.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 hunter.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.
I deleted hunter.exe. Am I safe now?
Your PC may be, but your accounts are not yet. Deleting hunter.exe stops Security Bytes 2015 from running again, if nothing else on the PC restarts it, yet it does nothing about data that was already collected and sent.
Run the offline scan to make sure no other component or second payload remains. Then change passwords from a clean device, sign out of all sessions, move crypto and turn on two-step verification. Those steps, not the deletion, are what protect you from the stolen data.
Can I get back what Security Bytes 2015 took?
Accounts, usually yes; money, sometimes. Most services restore an account through their recovery process if you act quickly and still control the e-mail address. Card payments can often be disputed with the bank.
Crypto sent after an unfamiliar process called hunter.exe in Task Manager is much harder, because transactions cannot be reversed; report it to the exchange the funds went to and to the police, with the wallet addresses and times.
Do not answer offers from "recovery services" that contact you; they are a common second scam aimed at people who just lost funds.
Who should I tell about Security Bytes 2015?
Start with the companies that can act quickly:
- your bank
- card issuer and payment services if money is involved
- crypto exchanges if coins were moved
- the providers of any account that was taken over
Each has a fraud or account-recovery process. Then file a police or national cybercrime report if you lost money or your identity was misused. If the PC is used for work, tell your employer's IT team, because work accounts and data may be affected as well.
The scan found nothing. Am I safe from Security Bytes 2015?
The PC may well be clean, but your data may not be. Many stealers run for a minute, send what they find and delete themselves, so a clean scan after an unfamiliar process called hunter.exe in Task Manager is common. What matters now is the accounts:
- change passwords from another device
- sign out of all sessions
- turn on two-step verification
Move crypto to a new wallet. Watch for sign-in alerts and password-reset e-mails for a few weeks. If anything suspicious starts with Windows again, scan offline once more or reset the PC.
Can I change my passwords on the infected PC?
Not while the spyware may still be running. A keylogger or stealer would capture the new passwords too. Use a phone or another computer that was never infected, or wait until the Microsoft Defender offline scan on this PC comes back clean.
Start with your main e-mail account, because it can reset every other password, then banking and payment accounts. When you return to this PC, sign in to the browser again only after the scans are clean and you have ended old sessions.
Do I need to reinstall Windows to get rid of Security Bytes 2015?
Usually not. A thorough clean-up is enough when the offline scan finds nothing afterwards and you do not see an unfamiliar process called hunter.exe in Task Manager again. A reset is the safer choice if an attacker had remote control, if security tools were switched off, or if detections come back after every clean-up.
Windows 11 can reset itself without a USB stick under Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC. Copy documents and photos out first and scan the copies. A reset does not change passwords or undo stolen data, so the account steps still apply.
I have two-step verification. Am I protected?
Partly. Two-step verification stops an attacker who has only your password. But stealers also take session cookies, which represent a login that already passed the second step.
With a cookie, an attacker can open the account until the session expires or you sign out of all devices. So, after an infection, end all sessions as well as changing passwords.
Passkeys and hardware security keys resist phishing better, but a stolen session still needs to be ended. Review trusted devices and remove any you do not recognise.
Will Fortect remove Security Bytes 2015?
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 Security Bytes 2015, 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
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 7, 2026)