Zacinlo virus - How to remove

Zacinlo adware is not a new virus in the cyber world. Actually, it has quite a history. Since 2012 malware hunters noticed over 2500 samples with 25 different components. Slowly Zacinlo kept improving and by the end of 2017 reached its activity peak. Now the Zacinlo virus has been mostly seen in the USA, but some other countries like Germany, France, Brazil and China experienced the problem as well.

The paradox is that most compromised (89% of all infections) operating system is Windows 10, which has the security feature that should protect you from the Rootkits. Zacinlo virus is an adware but it has rootkits qualities too that allow the parasite to invade the deeper OS levels, resulting in more than just the revenue building from the advertising, but actually taking over the computer beyond the browser.

No matter what browser you have, if you do install the S5mark free VPN service, that the Zacinlo virus is been known to be spreading with, you will for sure end up with an infected Windows even if you won’t be able to obviously see it. At the moment Zacinlo is more concerning even than some ransomware, therefore please keep reading this article to learn more about the scandalous adware and learn how to solve the infection if you have accidentally caught it.

What makes Zacinlo virus malicious

Zacinlo has mostly been known for its malvertising abilities, yet this six-year-old platform currently really drew the attention of the cyber researchers because more unusually evil features, were noticed about it:

• Zacinlo has its own updater, constantly helping to upgrade the malware without needing the interaction from the user
• making screenshots of any page (can be bank information, logins, emails, messages and etc.) and sending them to the hackers
• man-in-the-browser capabilities to decrypt SSL, letting any Javascript codes into the websites
• ability to disable other adware, so there wouldn’t be any competition
• uninstalling and deleting services based on the details from the command and control infrastructure
• using Lua script to download additional components
• shutting down the antivirus programs

The regular adware features involve redirecting, clickjacking, using Google AdSense to advertise, promotion placement on almost all pages (even HTTPS) and etc. As you can see not only your browsing experience becomes unpleasant because of the ads and slower speed, but also your privacy gets in great danger because hackers can see the screenshots of everything you do online.

Read more about the found qualities on Hackread.com. All these features are already creating problems but the flexible and adjustable Zacinlo adware can be even more intrusive and dangerous in the future.

And yet the most shocking fact is that the Zacinlo parasite’s rootkit not just hides from the antivirus programs but it actually targets them by finding their files by the name or certificate subject name and then stops the modules to prevent antimalware programs from starting and running. It affects even the most sophisticated antiviruses like Kaspersky, Bitdefender, Malwarebytes, Symantec, HitmanPro, Avast, AVG and etc. That is why you may still catch a Zacinlo virus even when you have a good antivirus.

How does Zacinlo adware install on computers

Throughout Zacinlo virus existence, this malware was associated with many programs that the hackers used to infect the gullible users. At the moment the software that Zacinlo uses to spread is a free anonymous VPN service called ‘S5Mark’. Usually, this VPN product pops up on shady websites that are full of torrents, adult content, illegal music and etc. promoting free of charge services that are supposed to make you untraceable and less of a target for the malware.

Unfortunately, the software will do exactly the opposite and it only pretends to be a VPN service. Once the trojan-like software is executed it downloads some other elements that will later install the rootkit and adware features for Zacinlo.

In order not to get caught by the antivirus, the main downloader that got into your system as a VPN service uses Powershell command to freeze the real-time Windows Defender monitoring so that the malicious adware components and updater for the Zacinlo could get installed into computer unnoticed. After that, the protection will be enabled. This all happens in a matter of minutes and the compromised user simply thinks that this is how the program makes the VPN connection, while in reality, much more sinister processes are happening in the background.

How to eliminate Zacinlo virus

Zacinlo is a tough cookie when it comes to getting rid of it. During these six years, the crooks have managed to really get to the core of the operating system compromising the Kernel level, creating the persistence which can’t be solved even after the regular system restore. This makes Zacinlo almost as scandalous and malicious as WannaCry, which has become a nightmare for many companies and cybersecurity specialists.

Yet some professionals claim that Zacinlo adware has the potential to be fixed and deleted, but for that victim should combine both automatic and manual removal methods. The anti-spyware tool like Spyhunter or Malwarebytes would be a good start for the automatic removal because they have the newest and broadest malware database and confident removal abilities.