Remove Zhong Stealer trojan

The Zhong Stealer trojan is a data-stealing type of infection that targets Windows systems. Because its functionality includes being able to steal browser data (e.g. saved passwords, authentication tokens), it’s considered to be a very dangerous type of infection. And because it’s a data-stealing trojan, it will try to stay in the background and avoid detection as much as possible. It’s a very serious infection that can cause a lot of damage to users.

 

 

The Zhong Stealer trojan targets Windows systems. Once the malware is initiated and becomes active, it unhides certain files and grants itself execution permissions. It also checks the system’s language because it has a list of countries to avoid. It collects various information about the computer, including the computer’s name, network settings, and security policies. It then proceeds to start stealing data. It specifically targets Brave Browser, Microsoft Edge, and Internet Explorer browsers and steals their data. In particular, it targets saved passwords, browser session data, and authentication tokens. This stolen information is sent to the command-and-control server that belongs to the trojan operators.

Malicious actors can use stolen information to access users’ accounts, including online banking, email, social media, etc. It’s bad enough that the trojan steals passwords but stolen authentication tokens could allow malicious actors to access accounts that are secured with multi-factor authentication as well. Accessing these accounts could allow malicious actors to steal identities, make unauthorized transactions, launch personalized phishing attacks from trusted accounts, and perform other malicious activities. If malicious actors do not use the stolen data themselves, it will be sold on hacker forums and marketplaces to other malicious actors.

The thing about data-stealing trojans is that they have to stay hidden to steal as much information as possible. Some malware is immediately obvious (e.g. ransomware) but some trojans try to avoid detection as much as possible. There are some signs that give away an infection but users need to be attentive. Infection signs include Internet issues, programs crashing without apparent reason, and the computer acting sluggish. Having an anti-malware program installed is important as it would prevent such infections from initiating and causing damage.

Trojans are very serious and sophisticated infections thus, using an anti-malware program to remove Zhong Stealer trojan is necessary. Trying to manually delete Zhong Stealer trojan could result in further damage to the computer. What’s more, not all components of the trojan could be deleted, which could allow it to carry on with data theft.

How is Zhong Stealer trojan being distributed?

At the moment, the Zhong Stealer trojan targets specific cryptocurrency and fintech companies. A sophisticated malicious campaign is used to attach targets. Malicious actors impersonate customers and initiate contact with a target company’s support representatives. They create new support tickets and request assistance from representatives, going as far as attaching screenshots and specific details to make the assistance request more legitimate. If support agents engage long enough, they will eventually be sent malicious files. Once initiated, the trojan can begin its malicious activities.

These types of attacks are why it’s so important that companies invest the resources to secure their systems and leave no vulnerabilities. There is always the risk that employees will open something they should not have, and security measures need to be implemented to minimize the damage when this happens. Users also need to be aware of what to look for in all communications to notice something out of place that would give away an attempt to infiltrate the system.

In general, trojan operators use various methods to infect users’ systems. Email campaigns are one of them. Generic email campaigns that target many users with the same campaign are often not difficult to identify. They generally contain loads of grammar and spelling mistakes, look very unprofessional, contain no credible information, and look very low-effort to anyone familiar with phishing emails. Torrents for movies, TV series, video games, etc., are also often used to distribute malware.

Remove Zhong Stealer trojan

Trojans are very sophisticated malicious infections, thus using a professional anti-malware program is necessary to remove Zhong Stealer trojan from the systems. Because it’s a data stealer trojan, it’s safe to assume that accounts have been compromised and need to be secured once the infection has been removed.