W32 LeChuck
W32 LeChuck is a sneaky software virus that will use disguise to get itself downloaded onto your computer and then secretly launch its harmful processes. Stealthy viruses like W32 LeChuck are oftentimes used to mine BitCoin from the user’s computer, to spread Ransomware, or to spy on their victims.
The W32 LeChuck virus is used to steal personal information, and spread other viruses
“Trojan Horses” in computing is a commonly encountered term mainly used to describe a type of malicious computer programs that can secretly infect a computer’s system and initiate various harmful activities in it. Normally, these programs are used to steal personal information, spread other viruses (such as Ransomware or Spyware) or to use the infected computer’s resources for various shady tasks. In addition, the hackers can use these infections to gain unauthorized remote access to computers, infect files and damage the system. When a Trojan infiltrates a computer, it typically remains hidden from the victim and doesn’t necessarily show any visible symptoms which is why this type of malware is quite difficult to detect. That’s why you should always have a trusted antivirus or anti-malware software in your computer to catch those threats on time. The activity of each Trojan depends on the intentions of its creators and that’s why it is very difficult to tell you what kind of damage to expect if your computer gets compromised. However, one thing is sure – you must remove the infection as soon as you detect it.
Unfortunately, there are many Trojans out there and the criminals keep creating new versions with more advanced capabilities. In this post, we will speak about one recently reported representative of this malicious software family, which the security experts refer to as W32 LeChuck. As a new addition to the Trojan Horse family, the goal of this infection is to spread itself as much as possible and to infect the systems of its victims without the knowledge of the latter. There are a few common methods used by the hackers behind W32 LeChuck that allow them to attack big numbers of computers. In many cases, the malware is distributed with the help of spam email messages, file sharing networks and online chats inside unreliable sites. The virus can be disguised as an attachment, a link inside a text message or as an additional component inside pirated programs. Once the user opens the infected component, the Trojan gets installed silently in the system. The problem is, due to the usual lack of visible symptoms, the victims may not even have a clue that they have been infected and may only learn about the infection once some major issue with the computer takes place. That’s why it is not a good idea to leave your computer without reliable security software which can scan, detect and remove infections like the W32 LeChuck Trojan on time.
The W32 LeChuck Virus
The W32 LeChuck virus is capable of causing different issues depending on what exactly it has been programmed for. Advanced threats like the W32 LeChuck virus, for instance, can be set to corrupt and rewrite files, replace essential system components and cause software failure.
They can also be used to destroy the entire system, to delete key files or to format the hard drives. Stealing bank details such as credit or debit card numbers, names, passwords, valuable personal documents and other sensitive user information is another possible use for these infections. Some Trojans can also take screenshots from your screen and initiate other activities aimed at obtaining sensitive information from your machine. Then, they can send the gathered data to predefined email addresses or upload them to the hackers’ servers, allowing the anonymous cyber criminals to blackmail you and to harass you in different ways. One of the most feared Trojan Horse abilities, however, is the ability to secretly insert other viruses inside the infected computer. In many cases, threats like W32 LeChuck and 000.exe can be used as transmitters of Ransomware, Rootkits and other nasty malware programs because they can create system vulnerabilities which can easily be exploited by other infections.
SUMMARY:
| Name | W32 LeChuck |
| Type | Trojan |
| Danger Level | High (Trojans are often used as a backdoor for Ransomware) |
| Symptoms | In most of the cases, the infection hides its presence by not showing visible symptoms. |
| Distribution Method | Software installers with infected components, torrents, fake ads, malicious email attachments, spam. |
| Detection Tool |
Remove W32 LeChuck Virus
If you are looking for a way to remove W32 LeChuck you can try this:
- Click on the Start button in the bottom left corner of your Windows OS.
- Go to Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> Uninstall a Program.
- Search for W32 LeChuck and any other unfamiliar programs.
- Uninstall W32 LeChuck as well as other suspicious programs.
Note that this might not get rid of W32 LeChuck completely. For more detailed removal instructions follow the guide below.
If you have a Windows virus, continue with the guide below.
If you have a Mac virus, please use our How to remove Ads on Mac guide.
If you have an Android virus, please use our Android Malware Removal guide.
If you have an iPhone virus, please use our iPhone Virus Removal guide
Some of the steps will likely require you to exit the page. Bookmark it for later reference.
Reboot in Safe Mode (use this guide if you don’t know how to do it).
WARNING! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!
Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC at the same time and go to the Processes Tab. Try to determine which processes are dangerous.
Right click on each of them and select Open File Location. Then scan the files with our free online virus scanner:
After you open their folder, end the processes that are infected, then delete their folders.
Note: If you are sure something is part of the infection – delete it, even if the scanner doesn’t flag it. No anti-virus program can detect all infections.
Hold together the Start Key and R. Type appwiz.cpl –> OK.
You are now in the Control Panel. Look for suspicious entries. Uninstall it/them. If you see a screen like this when you click Uninstall, choose NO:
Type msconfig in the search field and hit enter. A window will pop-up:
Startup —> Uncheck entries that have “Unknown” as Manufacturer or otherwise look suspicious.
- Remember this step – if you have reason to believe a bigger threat (like ransomware) is on your PC, check everything here.
Hold the Start Key and R – copy + paste the following and click OK:
notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts
A new file will open. If you are hacked, there will be a bunch of other IPs connected to you at the bottom. Look at the image below:
If there are suspicious IPs below “Localhost” – write to us in the comments.
Type Regedit in the windows search field and press Enter.
Once inside, press CTRL and F together and type the virus’s Name. Right click and delete any entries you find with a similar name. If they don’t show up this way, go manually to these directories and delete/uninstall them:
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—–Random Directory. It could be any one of them – ask us if you can’t discern which ones are malicious.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—Microsoft—-Windows—CurrentVersion—Run– Random
HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—Microsoft—Internet Explorer—-Main—- Random
If the guide doesn’t help, download the anti-virus program we recommended or try our free online virus scanner. Also, you can always ask us in the comments for help!
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