A rootkit is a program designed to make unauthorized modifications to computer systems without the knowledge of the person who installed it or the users of that system. Rootkits originated in the UNIX operating system, where they were intended as aids for computer system administrators. They were first used commercially in 1988 by firms such as Computer Associates and McAfee, which employed them to help secure their systems from other unauthorized individuals who might want to access them.
Hackers utilize rootkits and malicious software in several different ways: as part of an initial hack, as a post-exploitation utility (devices infected with malware can also be remotely controlled by an attacker), or even benignly for information collection purposes.
Functionalities of Rootkit:
- A rootkit can include very basic or complex functionality.
- The most basic form of a rootkit is a collection of files used to hide the existence of certain processes, files, directories, and registry entries from users and system administrators.
- Depending on the type of rootkit, the processes may be hidden from standard operating system tools such as Windows Task Manager.
- In addition, some rootkits may use techniques such as falsifying entries in the file system table (also known as “overwriting” files) to prevent they’re being detected by standard antivirus software.
- Rootkits can be used for legitimate purposes by operating-system vendors or independent software vendors to lock down a computer system even further than allowed by default settings.
Remove Rootkit Through Software:
Rootkits are malicious programs that are used by attackers to take control over the affected machine and do whatever they want with it- like stealing information and personal data, making money, or installing more malware If this sounds familiar then this post will show you how to remove rootkit windows 10 so that your computer can go back to working its best
- Download an anti-rootkit software program from the internet (we recommend using Microsoft Security Essentials).
- Extract the files to a computer that has internet access so that it can start up automatically when Windows restarts.
- Go to the Start menu, go to All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt.
- Type in “SLMGR –rearm” and hit ENTER. This will restart your computer; try starting Windows 10 again
- When your computer restarts, run Security Essentials and check for any malware infections. If there are any then delete them from the scan results before continuing with this guide.
- Remove any modifications on the hard drive by typing in “fsutil ucmgfaultfind /h:d:s” and pressing ENTER. (Note: Replace “h:” with the letter of your hard drive and “d:” with the letter of your CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive.
- If you’re using a Windows 10 operating system and you suspect that your computer was infected by a rootkit, then it’s important to run an antivirus system. For that kind of malware, running Windows Defender isn’t good enough; you’ll need a more powerful scanner.
- Scan your computer for malware and viruses by typing in “mbam-scan” and pressing ENTER. Let it complete the scan and once it’s done, hit CLEAN ALL to remove all malicious files from your computer (even if they show up again.
- When the cleaning process is over, restart your computer.
- If you’re using Windows 7, then download Microsoft Security Essentials from the internet; follow this guide here if you need assistance getting it running.
Steps To Remove Rootkit Manually:
- Scan the entire drive with any reliable anti-rootkit scanning software to find out the rootkit files and components.
- Delete all those files and folders related to the rootkit.
- Rescan with anti-rootkit software after deleting all rootkits that are found in your system.
- Fix all directories entry which is renamed above the e steps but can’t be deleted by system tools, then these entries need to be fixed by hand.