How to remove Trojan Kotver malware (Virus Removal Guide)

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Written by: Stelian Pilici

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Kovter is a trojan horse that is used to perform click-fraud operations on the computers it infected, in order to generate revenue for its authors. When the new Kovter variant comprises a computer, the Trojan has the ability to reside only in the registry and not maintain a presence on disk. It accomplishes this by using registry tricks in an attempt to evade detection. The threat is also memory resident and uses the registry as a persistence mechanism to ensure it is loaded into memory when the infected computer starts up.
Trojan Kotver virus
The Kovter malware family has been around since at least 2013 and has evolved over time. The threat rose to prominence in 2013 and 2014 thanks to its association with traditional ransomware (Trojan.Ransomlock.AK) which locks a victim’s computer screen and displays a message demanding a fine for illegal activity. However, Kovter itself is known to perform click-fraud activities.

The Trojan Kotver virus is distributed through several means. Malicious websites, or legitimate websites that have been hacked, can infect your machine through exploit kits that use vulnerabilities on your computer to install this Trojan without your permission or knowledge.
Another method used to propagate this type of malware is spam email containing infected attachments or links to malicious websites. Cyber-criminals spam out an email, with forged header information, tricking you into believing that it is from a shipping company like DHL or FedEx. The email tells you that they tried to deliver a package to you, but failed for some reason. Sometimes the emails claim to be notifications of a shipment you have made. Either way, you can’t resist being curious as to what the email is referring to – and open the attached file (or click on a link embedded inside the email). And with that, your computer is infected with the Trojan Kotver virus.
Trojan Kotver spam

If your machine is infected with the Trojan Kotver you will see very high CPU usage, and multiple mshta.exe or powershell.exe process running in Windows Task Manager.
When Trojan Kotver has infected a computer, users will also see alerts stating that “Windows PowerShell has stopped working“.
Windows PowerShell has stopped working pop-up
And to make matters worse, you will also find that this adware will cause your computer to act more sluggish or for your web browser to freeze.

How to remove Trojan Kotver malware (Virus Removal Guide)

This page is a comprehensive guide which will remove the Trojan Kotver malware from Windows.
Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point, STOP and ask for our assistance.

To remove Trojan Kotver virus, follow these steps:
STEP 1: Stop the malicious processes with Rkill
STEP 2: Scan your computer with Symantec Kovter Removal Tool
STEP 3: Scan your computer with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
STEP 4: Scan your computer with HitmanPro
(OPTIONAL) STEP 5: Scan your computer with Zemana AntiMalware

STEP 1: Stop the malicious processes with Rkill

RKill is a program that will attempt to terminate all malicious processes associated with this infection, so that we will be able to perform the next step without being interrupted by this malicious software. Because this utility will only stop the malicious process and does not delete any files, after running it you should not reboot your computer.

  1. You can download Rkill from the below link.
    RKILL DOWNLOAD LINK (his link will open a new web page from where you can download “RKill”)
  2. Double click on Rkill program to stop the malicious programs from running.
    Start the Rkill program
  3. RKill will now start working in the background, please be patient while this utiltiy looks for malicious process and tries to end them.
    Rkill Running
  4. When the Rkill tool has completed its task, it will generate a log. Do not reboot your computer after running RKill as the malware programs will start again.
    Rkill Program

STEP 2: Scan your computer with Symantec Kovter Removal Tool

Symantec Kovter Removal Tool is a specialized tool to remove Kovter Trojan from Windows.

  1. Trojan Kotver will change your Internet Explorer security settings so that you are unable to download files with it. To fix this, press the Windows key on your keyboard, and while holding it down, also press the R key on your keyboard. This will open the Run dialog box as shown below.
    inetcpl.cpl
    Next, we will need to type inetcpl.cpl in the “Run” box to open the Internet Explorer settings.
  2. In Internet Explorer, click on the “Security” tab, then on “Reset all zones to default level” button. Click on “Apply” and “OK” to save these settings.
    Reset all zones to default level in Internet Exlorer
  3. Next, download Symantec Kovter Removal Tool from the below link:
    SYMANTEC KOVTER REMOVAL TOOL DOWNLOAD LINK (This link open a new webpage from where you can download Symantec Kovter Removal Tool)
    This tool comes in a 32-Bit and 64-Bit version, so make sure to download the version that has the same bit type as your installed version of Windows.
  4. Once Symantec Kovter Removal Tool has been downloaded, double-click on FixToolKotver32.exe or FixToolKotver64.exe, depending on which version you downloaded.
    Symantec FixToolKotver64
  5. To start a scan with Symantec Kovter Removal Tool, click on the Start button. This scan should not take more than a few minutes.
    Symantec Kovter Removal Tool Scan
  6. When the removal tool has finished scanning and removing the infection, it will display a prompt that it has finished.
    Symantec FixToolKotver log infection

STEP 3: Scan your computer with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a powerful on-demand scanner which should remove the Trojan Kotver virus from your machine. It is important to note that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will run alongside antivirus software without conflicts.

  1. You can download download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware from the below link.
    MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “Malwarebytes Anti-Malware”)
  2. Once downloaded, close all programs, then double-click on the icon on your desktop named “mbam-setup” to start the installation of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
    Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Icon
    You may be presented with a User Account Control dialog asking you if you want to run this file. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
    Windows asking permission to install Malwarebytes
  3. When the installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard which will guide you through the installation process.
    Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard
    To install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware on your machine, keep following the prompts by clicking the “Next” button.
    Malwarebytes Anti-Malware setup wizard
  4. Once installed, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically start and will update the antivirus database. To start a system scan you can click on the “Scan Now” button.
    Start a scan with Malwarebytes scan
  5. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for malware. When Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is scanning it will look like the image below.
    Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for malware
  6. When the scan has completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has detected. To remove the malicious programs that Malwarebytes Anti-malware has found, click on the “Remove Selected” button.
    To remove malware click on the Remove Selected button
  7. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now quarantine all the malicious files and registry keys that it has found. When removing the files, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware may require a reboot in order to remove some of them. If it displays a message stating that it needs to reboot your computer, please allow it to do so.
    Restart computer to complete the malware removal process
    After your computer will restart, you should open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform another scan to verify that there are no remaining threats

STEP 4: Scan your computer with HitmanPro

HitmanPro can find and remove malware, adware, bots, and other threats that even the best antivirus suite can oftentimes miss. HitmanPro is designed to run alongside your antivirus suite, firewall, and other security tools.

  1. You can download HitmanPro from the below link:
    HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “HitmanPro”)
  2. Double-click on the file named “HitmanPro.exe” (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or “HitmanPro_x64.exe” (for 64-bit versions of Windows).
    HitmanPro Icon
    Click on the “Next” button, to install HitmanPro on your computer.
    HitmanPro setup process
  3. HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for malware.
    HitmanPro scanning for malware
  4. When it has finished it will display a list of all the malware that the program found as shown in the image below. Click on the “Next” button, to remove malware.
    HitmanPro detected malware
  5. Click on the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial, and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
    Activate HitmanPro to remove malware

(OPTIONAL) STEP 5: Scan your computer with Zemana AntiMalware

Zemana AntiMalware is a powerful utility which will remove Trojan Kotver malware from your machine.
This step should be performed only if your issues have not been solved by the previous steps.

  1. You can download Zemana AntiMalware from the below link:
    ZEMANA ANTIMALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will start the download of “Zemana AntiMalware”)
  2. Double-click on the file named “Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup.exe” to start the installation of Zemana AntiMalware.
    Double-click on the Zemana AntiMalware to instal it
    You may be presented with a User Account Control dialog asking you if you want to run this file. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
    Zemana AntiMalware UAC
  3. Click on the “Next” button, to install Zemana AntiMalware on your computer.
    Zemana AntiMalware installation
  4. When Zemana AntiMalware will start, click on the “Scan” button.
    Scan computer with Zemana AntiMalware
  5. Zemana AntiMalware will now scan computer for malicious files. This process can take up to 10 minutes.
    Zemana AntiMalware performing a scan
  6. When Zemana AntiMalware has finished it will display a list of all the malware that the program found. Click on the “Next” button, to remove the malicious files from your computer.
    Zemana AntiMalware removing malware
    Zemana AntiMalware will now remove all the detected malicious files, and at the end a system reboot may be required to remove all traces of malware.

If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove Trojan Kotver virus from your machine, please ask for help in our Malware Removal Assistance forum.

How to Stay Safe Online

Here are 10 basic security tips to help you avoid malware and protect your device:

  1. Use a good antivirus and keep it up-to-date.

    Shield Guide

    It's essential to use a good quality antivirus and keep it up-to-date to stay ahead of the latest cyber threats. We are huge fans of Malwarebytes Premium and use it on all of our devices, including Windows and Mac computers as well as our mobile devices. Malwarebytes sits beside your traditional antivirus, filling in any gaps in its defenses, and providing extra protection against sneakier security threats.

  2. Keep software and operating systems up-to-date.

    updates-guide

    Keep your operating system and apps up to date. Whenever an update is released for your device, download and install it right away. These updates often include security fixes, vulnerability patches, and other necessary maintenance.

  3. Be careful when installing programs and apps.

    install guide

    Pay close attention to installation screens and license agreements when installing software. Custom or advanced installation options will often disclose any third-party software that is also being installed. Take great care in every stage of the process and make sure you know what it is you're agreeing to before you click "Next."

  4. Install an ad blocker.

    Ad Blocker

    Use a browser-based content blocker, like AdGuard. Content blockers help stop malicious ads, Trojans, phishing, and other undesirable content that an antivirus product alone may not stop.

  5. Be careful what you download.

    Trojan Horse

    A top goal of cybercriminals is to trick you into downloading malware—programs or apps that carry malware or try to steal information. This malware can be disguised as an app: anything from a popular game to something that checks traffic or the weather.

  6. Be alert for people trying to trick you.

    warning sign

    Whether it's your email, phone, messenger, or other applications, always be alert and on guard for someone trying to trick you into clicking on links or replying to messages. Remember that it's easy to spoof phone numbers, so a familiar name or number doesn't make messages more trustworthy.

  7. Back up your data.

    backup sign

    Back up your data frequently and check that your backup data can be restored. You can do this manually on an external HDD/USB stick, or automatically using backup software. This is also the best way to counter ransomware. Never connect the backup drive to a computer if you suspect that the computer is infected with malware.

  8. Choose strong passwords.

    lock sign

    Use strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts. Avoid using personal information or easily guessable words in your passwords. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts whenever possible.

  9. Be careful where you click.

    cursor sign

    Be cautious when clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. These could potentially contain malware or phishing scams.

  10. Don't use pirated software.

    Shady Guide

    Avoid using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing programs, keygens, cracks, and other pirated software that can often compromise your data, privacy, or both.

To avoid potential dangers on the internet, it's important to follow these 10 basic safety rules. By doing so, you can protect yourself from many of the unpleasant surprises that can arise when using the web.

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