Trochilus virus (Virus Removal Instructions) - Free Guide
Trochilus virus Removal Guide
What is Trochilus virus?
Trochilus virus is a dangerous Remote Access Trojan that was used in Myanmar's political cyber-espionage campaign
Trochilus virus is a type of malware that enters the device without any signs, gains access to it, and allows hackers to execute various malicious activities remotely, all while harvesting sensitive data from the device. These type of infections are called Remote Access Trojans and are usually heavily obfuscated, which prevents the detection from many anti-virus engines. Trochilus RAT was first spotted back in 2015 and made headlines in 2016 when attackers, who later turned out to be a hacking group by the name “Group 27,” injected the malicious code into Myanmar's governmental website.[1] The group of hackers responsible for the threat also used several other RAT tools like EvilGrab or PlugX in a sophisticated campaign against South East Asian countries. Later same year, bad actors attacked multiple organizations in Thailand using Trochilus virus as well as MoonWind malware.[2]
| Name | Trochilus |
| Type | Remote Access Trojan |
| First spotted | October 2015 |
| Developers | Group 27 |
| Infiltration | Spam emails, hacked websites |
| Related campaigns | “Seven Pointed Dagger” |
| Symptoms | Almost undetectable visually |
| Elimination | Use sophisticated security software |
| Recovery | Download FortectIntego to recover from virus damage |
Initially, Trochilus malware was spread with the help of the phishing emails that included the malicious .rar attachment. However, hackers managed to compromise Myanmar's governmental website where they inserted the malware, increasing the infection rate drastically. Because the threat does not write any data on the disk, Trochilus virus removal proves to be a difficult task for many anti-malware programs.
Once the Trochilus virus compromises the system, it establishes the connection to a remote Command & Control server that only threat actors have access to. The trojan is capable of the following:
- Read and send system information;
- Manage system files;
- Interact with Shellcode;
- Execute arbitrary commands;
- Download and upload files;
- Uninstall programs remotely.
This functionality allows Trochilus RAT to become extremely adaptive and execute any actions that are initiated by hackers. Additionally, the malware can spread laterally on the network, targeting vulnerable machines. For that reason, Trochilus virus threat is particularly dangerous.
The worst part is that the Trochilus virus does not emit any signs or symptoms and generally acts like legitimate programs. Therefore, threat detection might become particularly difficult. However, some anti-virus programs can detect and remove Trochilus virus safely.
Once you get rid of the malware, we suggest you scan your computer with FortectIntego to repair the damage done by the virus.
Beware of hacked websites and spam emails
Hackers are often using multiple propagation methods for malware to spread. Perhaps the most common distribution tactic used by cybercriminals is spam emails. From ransomware to trojans – the most malicious viruses are often enclosed within an innocent-looking, a few hundred kilobytes in size, attachment. Additionally, the malware can be downloaded from a malicious domain that users get redirected to with the help of hyperlink that is disguised inside the email or online site.
To avoid infiltration, you should be extremely wary when it comes to checking emails. What starts as a good day to check what's new in your inbox might end up with the complete corruption of your system. Therefore, experts[3] recommend following these safety tips:
- Keep an updated security software enabled on your computer at all times;
- Patch your system and installed programs to ensure no vulnerabilities are exploited by hackers;
- Prepare some backups of your personal files;
- Never download cracks or keygens;
- When dealing with emails, make sure you know who the sender is;
- Scan all newly-obtain files with tools like Virus Total;
- Use program that can block malicious ads (not optimal).
Delete Trochilus RAT with the help of anti-malware software
As we already mentioned, Trochilus malware does not install any files into the hard disk but instead uses memory for the task. For that reason, threat's detection might be impossible for some weaker security programs.
To remove Trochilus virus from your device, you will have to employ multiple anti-virus engines and perform a full system scan in Safe Mode with Networking. The safe environment can disable most of the malware's functionality and allow the security tool to perform its job.
In case Trochilus virus removal fails using one security application, we suggest trying another one until you succeed. After the elimination, we suggest you scan the computer with FortectIntego to repair virus damage.
Getting rid of Trochilus virus. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
To ensure a safe environment where Trochilus RAT would be temporarily disabled, enter Safe Mode with networking and perform system scan:
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.
Remove Trochilus using System Restore
An alternative method to remove Trochilus is to try System Restore:
-
Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Windows 7 / Vista / XP- Click Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
-
Select Command Prompt from the list
Windows 10 / Windows 8- Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
- Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
-
Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window.
-
Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
-
Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
-
Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again..
-
When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of Trochilus. After doing that, click Next.
-
Now click Yes to start system restore.
-
Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from Trochilus and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting remote administration tools
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 Private Internet Access 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 Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
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- ^ Max Metzger. 'Trochilus' RAT targets government of Myanmar. SC Media. Cybersecurity News, analysis and Product Reviews.
- ^ Jen Miller-Osborn and Josh Grunzweig. Trochilus and New MoonWind RATs Used In Attack Against Thai Organizations. Unit 42. Paloalto research team.
- ^ ZonderVirus. ZonderVirus. Cybersecurity news and articles.