GoBotKR Trojan – Easy Guide to Remove it from system

Guide to Remove GoBotKR Trojan

GoBotKR Trojan is a malicious program that first surfaced to limelight in May 2018. The analysis has revealed that GoBotKR is an advanced version of GoBot2 Trojan. It has targeted a large number of computer users across the world, especially in South Korea.

Infected e-mail attachments, torrent websites, bogus downloads & infected advertising are the best used mediums for this Trojan to propagate its infection.

On infecting the system slyly, GoBotKR Trojan creates a backdoor for cyber-criminals, hence allowing them to access your system remotely. The worst part- hackers may modify system settings without your consent & makes it vulnerable for other malware & Trojan attacks.

How would you know if your system is infected by this pernicious GoBotKR malware? What harm can it cause to your computer? Is it possible to delete GoBotKR Trojan virus?

Don’t worry. We have got you covered. Read on to learn how it attacks & how you can prevent GoBotKR virus from infecting your system.

Threat Summary

Threat Behavior of GoBotKR Trojan

Just like other Trojan infections, GoBotKR Trojan has been designed to create a backdoor for the hackers & permit them to access your system remotely. It enters the system stealthily, infects it & works slyly until it is detected by security utilities.

It acts as a key to the user’s PC for hackers, thus allowing them to spy on the system, make unauthorized modifications or install additional malware on the system.

In addition to that, the hackers may install data-stealing Trojans on the infected systems. The malware targets bank, social media, e-mail & other personal accounts of the user. It gathers user’s contact list, user name, login/passwords & other sensitive data & stores it on the hacker’s server.

This stored information may be later used by the hackers to generate revenue (by transferring money/making online purchases) or sell this information to extremely suspicious people to mint illicit money.

South Korea at the target of GoBotKR Trojan Virus

Research has shown that this spyware virus is mainly spreading through pirated torrent websites & links. South Korea, with over 80% of compromised systems, is currently at the target of the cyber-crooks. Other GoBotKR malware campaigns have been spotted in China & Taiwan.

Cyber-security analysts have stated that the compromised systems are used for executing DDos Attacks, seeding torrent sites & spreading the infection even further.

Following are the common symptoms that you may observe if your system is under the attack of GoBotKR Trojan Virus.

• Significant degradation in the system’s performance (sluggish behavior)
• Modified web-browser settings
• Commands may take longer than usual to respond
• Corrupted Windows Registry
• Severe malfunctions & sudden system crashes
• Blocked Access to authorized sites
• Unexpected behavior of the applications & system
• Suspicious Programs running in the Task manager

In case your system is displaying following symptoms, there are positives that your system is infected by this devious GoBotKR Trojan. It is advised to download GoBotKR Trojan removal tool or manually remove it from the system.

Distribution Techniques of  GoBotKR Trojan

The chief method of propagation employed by the hackers behind GoBotKR Trojan Virus is torrent websites.

These malicious executable files & programs of GoBotKR Virus are disguised as Korean TV Shows, Movies or Games & then propagated rapidly through Korean torrent links.

Other spread techniques employed by the hackers include-

• Unofficial Software Download Sources
• Suspicious pop-ups, luring ads
• Spam e-mail campaigns (e-mails with deceptive subject lines containing malicious attachments/links)
• Free file hosing sites & freeware download sites
• Peer-to-Peer Networks

How to remove GoBotKR Trojan infection from the system

STEP A: Reboot Your System to Safe mode with Networking

To restart the system to Safe Mode with Networking,  if already switched ON then follow the below steps:

Windows 7/ Vista/ XP

1. Click on Windows icon present in the lower left corner of the computer screen.
2. Select and click  Restart.
3. When the screen goes blank, Keep tapping  F8  Key until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
4. With the help of arrow keys on keyboard, Select Safe Mode with Networking  option from the list and press the Enter Key. The system will then restart to Safe Mode with Networking.

5 Click on the username and enter the password (if any).

Windows 10 / Windows 8

1. Press and hold the Shift Key and simultaneously click on the windows icon present in the lower left corner of your computer screen.
2. While the Shift key is still pressed click on the Power button and then click on Restart.
3. Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings.
4. When the Startup Settings screen appears which is the first screen to appear after restart, select and click on Enable Safe Mode with Networking. The system will then restart to Safe Mode with Networking.
5. Click on the username and enter the password.

STEP B: Remove the malicious file from the System configuration settings

1. Type “Msconfig” in search box / Run Box, select it and press Enter.
2. Click on “Services” Tab and click on “Hide all Microsoft services”.
3. Select GoBotKR Trojan from the list of remaining services and disable it by removing the tick mark from the checkbox and click on Apply button.

Windows 7

1. Click on the next tab – “Startup”.
2. Find any blank or suspicious entry or the entry with GoBotKR Trojan mentioned and remove the check mark.
3. Click on Apply button and then click on OK.

Windows 10

1. Click on the next tab – “Startup”.
2. Take the mouse cursor to ‘Open task Manager‘ link and click on it.  This opens the Task Manager window.
3. Find any blank or suspicious entry or the entry with GoBotKR Trojan mentioned and click on it.
4. Then click on Disable button.

STEP C: Delete the Suspicious File from the Registry Key

1. Type “Regedit” in search box / Run Box, select it and press Enter.
2. An authorization dialog box will appear, then you just have to click “Yes”. (The dialog box appearance may vary depending on OS used. For Windows 10 the the dialog box looks like the first screenshot and for windows 7 it appears like the second screenshot)
3. In the registry editor, take the backup of the current registry settings before making any changes in case you want to revert to old settings later. For this, Click on File option in the menu and select Export. Save the entry at a known location.
4. From the Menu, Click Edit and Select Find.
5. Enter GoBotKR Trojan and click Ok in the search box.
6. Select and delete suspicious  enteries.

How to prevent GoBotKR Trojan from infecting your system

1. Keeping the Operating System Updated- In order to remain protected and avoid such infections, it is recommended to keep your Operating System updated by enabling the automatic update on your system. The systems with outdated or older versions of Operating System become an easy target for the attackers.
2. Resist clicking on spam emails – One of the major techniques used for malware distribution is forwarding spam emails to the user. The system gets infected as soon as the user clicks on the attachment. These mails appear to be genuine, so be aware and resist falling for these tricks.
3. Keep an eye on third party installations- It is quite important that you take due care while installing any third party applications for they are major source of such infections. Such malware programs come bundled with the free applications thereby requiring the user to remain cautious.
4. Regular periodical backup- In order to keep your data and files safe, it is recommended to take regular back up of all your data and files either on an external drive or cloud.
5. Use Anti-Virus Protection- We strongly recommend the use of antivirus protection/internet security in your PC like Vipre, Kaspersky & BULL GUARD so that it remains safe.
6. Enable the Ad Blocker/Popup Blocker in your browser- Enabling the popup blocker/ ad blocker in your chosen browser will help you to stay protected from annoying adware.