Unwanted software often piggy-backs on program downloads, delivered by software bundlers. These bundles, which you might have downloaded, can include software that you do not want, and some that are harmful. The bundled or “extra” software can perform actions on your device that run the gambit from unwanted to annoying to malicious. The threat that…
Category: MSRT
MSRT September 2016 release feature: Prifou
As part of our ongoing effort to provide better malware protection, the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) release this September includes detections for: BrowserModifier:Win32/Prifou TrojanClicker:Win32/NightClick Trojan:Win32/Suweezy Trojan:Win32/Xadupi This blog discusses BrowserModifier:Win32/Prifou (Prifou). Windows Defender detects this threat because it limits your choice and control over your browser and operating system. The unwanted behaviors are detailed…
MSRT August 2016 release adds Neobar detection
As part of our ongoing effort to provide better malware protection, the August 2016 release of the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) includes detections for BrowserModifier: Win32/Neobar, unwanted software, and Win32/Rovnix, a trojan malware family. This blog discusses BrowserModifier:Win32/Neobar and its inclusion in MSRT supports our unwanted software family detections in Windows Defender, along…
MSRT July 2016 – Cerber ransomware
As part of our ongoing effort to provide better malware protection, the July 2016 release of the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) includes detection for Win32/Cerber, a prevalent ransomware family. The inclusion in MSRT complements our Cerber-specific family detections in Windows Defender, and our ransomware-dedicated cloud protection features. We started seeing Cerber in February…
Limited Periodic Scanning in Windows 10 to Provide Additional Malware Protection
Every month, Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) scans more than 500 million Windows devices for malware and malicious software. This tool aids in the detection and removal of malware from 1 to 2 million machines each time, even on those devices running antivirus software. Meanwhile, many Windows customers continue to use the Microsoft Safety…
Large Kovter digitally-signed malvertising campaign and MSRT cleanup release
Kovter is a malware family that is well known for being tricky to detect and remove because of its file-less design after infection. Users from United States are nearly exclusively being targeted, and infected PCs are used to perform click-fraud and install additional malware on your machine. Starting April 21, 2016, we observed a large…
MSRT November 2015: Detection updates
The Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) is updated monthly with new malware detections – so far this year we have added 29 malware families. This month we are updating our detections for some of the malware families already included in the tool. We choose the malware families we add to the MSRT each month…
MSRT October 2015: Tescrypt
October’s Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) includes detection and remediation for the following families: Tescrypt Blakamba Diplugem Escad Joanap Brambul Drixed This blog focuses on the ransomware family Tescrypt. Tescrypt started showing up early in 2015 and, like most of its file-encrypting predecessors, it does what most typical ransomware does: Searches for specific file…
MSRT September 2015: Teerac
As part of our ongoing effort to provide better malware protection, the September release of the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) will include detection for the prevalent ransomware family Win32/Teerac. We first detected Teerac in early 2014. Since then, the family has joined Win32/Crowti and Win32/Tescrypt as one of the most prevalent ransomware families impacting…
MSRT August 2015: Vawtrak
As part of our ongoing effort to provide better malware protection, we are adding the following detections to the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) this month: Win32/Vawtrak Win32/Critroni Win32/Kasidet Critroni is a ransomware malware family that can lock your files and ask you to pay money to regain access to them. Variants in the Kasidet…