RogueRobin Trojan

Also Known As: RogueRobin virus
Type: Trojan
Distribution: Low
Damage level: Severe

RogueRobin virus removal guide

What is RogueRobin?

RogueRobin is a high-risk trojan developed and proliferated by a hacker group called DarkHydrus. In most cases, this trojan is distributed using spam email campaigns that deliver malicious attachments (typically, Microsoft Excel documents). After successful system infiltration, RogueRobin connects to a remote server, downloads a text file, and runs a number of commands listed within that file.

RogueRobin malware

After infiltrating the system, RogueRobin checks the running environment. It is designed to gather information relating to the system: the amount of memory, CPUs, and other similar hardware details. Furthermore, it checks whether the environment is 'sandboxed' - whether the operating system is running on a 'virtual machine'. This checking is common to high-risk trojans. If a virtual machine is detected, the viruses typically terminate themselves. The program then connects to a remote Command & Control server. There are two known variants of this malware: the first is written in the C# programming language; the second simply uses PowerShell commands. Nevertheless, both have essentially the same behavior. Note that, recently, RogueRobin developers have started using the Google Drive service rather than an ordinary C&C server for malware communication. The trend of misusing legitimate services for malicious actions is becoming increasingly popular. Immediately after connecting, RogueRobin downloads a text file filled with certain commands written by the developers (cyber criminals). It then runs a legitimate Windows application ("regsvr32.exe") to execute these commands. One configures RogueRobin to run on each Windows startup. RogueRobin continually checks if the downloaded text file has been modified on the server and, if so, downloads a new version and re-executes the commands. This is called 'backdooring'. Cyber criminals gain remote access to the system and are then able to perform various actions within. Backdooring is often used to inject malware into the system. In this way, cyber criminals are able to implement RogueRobin commands to download and install other viruses into the system. There are many types of malware distributed using trojans. In most cases, however, criminals proliferate data stealers, cryptominers, and ransomware. Data stealers are designed to record information stored on the system. These viruses typically gather saved logins/passwords, credit card information, and other sensitive data. Some are designed to upload files stored on the computer to a remote server. Cryptominers misuse system resources to mine cryptocurrency without users' consent. The presence of this malware leads to a significant decrease in system performance, since it usually consumes up to 100% of system CPU/GPU resources. All generated revenue (cryptocurrency) is received by the cyber criminals. Finally, ransomware is a problem. This type of malware is designed to encrypt stored data and make ransom demands. Cyber criminals blackmail victims - asking hundreds or even thousands of dollars in exchange for the return of data. These people can never be trusted - most of them scam victims and do not decrypt data, even if the payments are submitted (ransom demands are met). Unfortunately, most of these viruses are not decryptable, and thus the only possible solution is to restore data from a backup. Malware infiltration is not the only threat imposed by the presence of RogueRobin. Cyber criminals can also run commands that perform actions within the system (e.g., change certain settings, run processes, etc.) Therefore, having RogueRobin installed might lead to a number of issues, including identity theft, financial/data losses, decreased system performance, misconfigured system settings, and so on. If you believe that your computer might be infected, immediately scan the system with a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite and delete all detected threats.

Threat Summary:
NameRogueRobin virus
Threat TypeTrojan, Password stealing virus, Banking malware, Spyware
Distribution methodsInfected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, social engineering, software cracks.
DamageStolen banking information, passwords, identity theft, victim's computer added to a botnet.

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There are many viruses distributed using spam email campaigns, however, not all are as sophisticated as RogueRobin. These viruses typically gather information, encrypt files, mine cryptocurrency, etc. Few perform multiple tasks such as the distribution of other malware. The list of viruses distributed using spam campaigns includes Hancitor, Adwind, TrickBot, and GandCrab 5.1. As mentioned above, the developers of these viruses are different and thus the behavior might also differ. Nevertheless, they all pose a significant threat to your privacy and computer safety. Therefore, you should eliminate these threats immediately.

How did RogueRobin infiltrate my computer?

As mentioned above, RogueRobin is mostly distributed using spam campaigns. Criminals send dubious emails to hundreds of thousands of users. These emails typically contain deceptive messages encouraging users to open attached files (in most cases, Microsoft Office documents). Once opened, the files ask users to enable macro commands. When a file contains macro commands, MS Office software (Word, Excel, and other software) displays a warning message. This is called "Protected View" mode - MS Office prevents attachments from automatically running commands without users' permission. These attachments often contain text, images, or other similar content, additionally alerting users that macros must be enabled (otherwise the content will not be displayed properly). When studying RogueRobin, however, the Microsoft Excel documents distributed were empty and the user was warned only by the software itself. In any case, remember that enabling macros results in malware infiltration.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Lack of knowledge and careless behavior are the main reasons for computer infections. The key to safety is caution. Therefore, to prevent this situation, be extremely cautious when browsing the internet and downloading/installing/updating software. Think twice before opening email attachments. If the received message has been sent from a suspicious/unrecognizable email address or the attachment seems irrelevant, do not open anything. Furthermore, download/install software from official sources using direct download links. Third party downloaders/installers (and software updaters) are often used to proliferate malware rather than the promised apps. Therefore, using these tools is not recommended. We also strongly advise you to use 2010 or newer versions of Microsoft Office, since these include the aforementioned "Protected View" mode, which prevents malicious attachments from automatically executing macros. Having a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite installed and running is also essential - this software can detect and eliminate viruses before they harm the system. If you believe that your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Spyhunter for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Malicious attachments distributing RogueRobin:

Malicious attachment distributing RogueRobin (sample 1) Malicious attachment distributing RogueRobin (sample 2)

Instant automatic removal of RogueRobin virus: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Spyhunter is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of RogueRobin virus. Download it by clicking the button below:

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How to remove malware manually?


malicious process running on user's computer sample



screenshot of autoruns application

manual malware removal step 2Restart your computer into Safe Mode:


Safe Mode with Networking



Windows 8 Safe Mode with networking



windows 10 safe mode with networking




extract and run autoruns.exe





locate the malware file you want to remove


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About the author:

Tomas Meskauskas

Tomas Meskauskas - expert security researcher, professional malware analyst.




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Malware activity

Global virus and spyware activity level today:

Medium threat activity

Increased attack rate of infections detected within the last 24 hours.

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Platform: Windows

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