Do you know what Octopus Trojan is?
Octopus Trojan is a malicious application that has been spotted in the wild, but it is definitely not an ordinary computer threat. Researchers have analyzed how this threat works, and it has turned out that ordinary computer users should never encounter it because it targets diplomatic organizations in Central Asia primarily. This fact no doubt distinguishes it from other threats that are categorized as Trojans. There is one more reason malware researchers consider it quite unique – it is distributed as a version of a legitimate online messenger. Computer users download it expecting that it is a harmless tool they could use for communication, but, unfortunately, it only performs various malicious activities. Owners of the affected computers do not know anything about the entrance of malicious software, so when it turns out that Octopus Trojan has been active on their PCs all the time, cyber criminals already have important personal details in their hands. Yes, this Trojan infection might be used to steal private data, so it is a must to delete it from the system the second it is detected. The removal of this malicious application will not be anywhere near easy, but you do not need to have a special tool to remove it from your computer – you can disable it by removing all components it has from your system.
Users launch Octopus Trojan themselves, but, of course, they do not know that malware is dropped on their computers. Since this threat is spread disguised as an alternative version of a legitimate and popular online messenger, they expect that they are launching a reliable program. Once this threat is executed by the computer user, it immediately drops a file with the .exe filename extension to %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. As a consequence, it can launch itself automatically on system startup. According to malware researchers, Octopus Trojan might be used to perform a bunch of activities, including, but not limited to, deletion, modifications, downloading, and copying. To be more specific, it might be used to delete important files and/or programs, apply significant modifications on affected computers, copy important data, and, finally, it might download and install a bunch of other untrustworthy applications on users’ computers. Without a doubt, it will do that without the user’s knowledge.
Octopus Trojan screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
Users are becoming more and more privacy-minded, so cyber criminals are forced to find new ways to distribute malicious applications and infect users’ computers with it. One of those new distribution methods is spreading malware disguised as some kind of popular legitimate software. In this case, research has shown that Octopus Trojan is spread masqueraded as a new legitimate version of Telegram, an instant messaging tool that ensures anonymity by heavily encrypting all sent messages. Specialists say that the most likely scenario is that users receive an email claiming that the Telegram messenger will be banned in their region and thus they should start using its alternative version ASAP. As mentioned, once the Trojan infection is launched, it immediately drops an executable file in the Startup folder. Even though quite sophisticated distribution techniques are used to spread Octopus Trojan, it does not mean that users cannot do anything to prevent this infection from entering their computers. The easiest way to do that is, without a doubt, to enable a security application on the system. Additionally, users should never download programs by clicking on links emails received contain. Instead, they must always download software from official websites they have.
Octopus Trojan is a pure malicious application, so keeping it installed is not only silly but also might have devastating outcomes like losing important personal data. It is no doubt easier to delete malware automatically rather than erase all its files one by one, but if you decide to delete threats from your system manually, make sure you do not leave a single malicious component active on the system. Our instructions will help you to erase this infection fully.
Delete Octopus Trojan
- Locate the main folder/archive that contains files listed below:
- CsvHelper.dll
- settings.json
- Telegram Messenger.exe
- TelegramApi.dll
- Delete it completely.
- Open Windows Explorer and go to %APPDATA%.
- Delete .profiles.ini.
- Access %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup.
- Remove Java.exe.
- Empty Trash.
In non-techie terms:
Octopus Trojan is a serious threat ordinary computer users should not encounter because it targets diplomatic organizations. The malicious application has been developed to enable hackers to access victims’ computers remotely. It can spy on victims, steal sensitive data, install malicious software, and perform various other malicious activities without the user’s knowledge. Keeping Octopus Trojan active is no fun.