Trojan.Poweliks

Trojan.Poweliks is a threat identified by Symantec and Norton security products. This is a typical malware that targets the core system of Windows in order to complete its tasks. Trojan.Poweliks was made to execute a series of commands once it gets inside the system. It will gather data like system settings, Windows version, network configuration, and so on. Collected data will be sent to remote attacker for analysis.

Threat behavior

Installation

In general, system will get infected with Trojan.Poweliks if malicious code is executed on the computer. Source of this trojan may vary due to the changing ways how it is deployed. Typically, spam email messages disguising as open letter from reputable institution are used to deceive recipients. Body of the message contains enticing phrases that tries to convince user into opening the attached file.

Malicious links from social media sites and instant messaging program are also seen as method used in distributing Trojan.Poweliks. Illegally distributed software and media materials may also contain code that can lead to the infection of this malware.

How does this malware operate?

In order to run itself on Windows start-up, Trojan.Poweliks will make a copy of itself under system files. Then, registry entry is created to call the file on each Windows boot-up. Apart from that, this malware will also drop non-malicious files on various folders of the compromised PC.

Trojan.Poweliks occasionally connects to a remote host to execute tasks like the following:

  • Notify attacker on the new infection
  • Sends gathered data from the infected computer
  • Download and execute additional files including an updated version of the Trojan
  • Accept command from a remote attacker

Symptoms

There is not much obvious symptom from this malware. Trojan.Poweliks operates silently in the background. However, Symantec Anti-virus may alert you on the presence of this trojan.

How to remove Trojan.Poweliks?

To totally remove Trojan.Poweliks from the computer and get rid of relevant viruses and trojans, please execute the procedures as stated on this page. Make sure that you have completely scanned the system with the suggested malware removal tools and virus scanners.

Quick Fix - Scan the PC with Combo Cleaner for Windows

Combo Cleaner is a trusted PC security and optimization tool equipped with a powerful virus and malware detection engine. This program can get rid of hazardous viruses like Trojan.Poweliks through this procedure.

1. Download the application from the following page:

2. Save the file to your preferred location.

3. Double-click the downloaded file CCSetup.exe and install with the default settings.

CC for Windows Installation

4. At the end of the setup process, click Finish to run Combo Cleaner.

5. The tool will update the signature file, please wait for this process to complete.

6. To begin checking for threats like Trojan.Poweliks, click on the Start Scan button. Wait for this scan to finish.

CC for Windows Start Scan

7. At the end of the scan process, click on Remove all threats to delete the Trojan.Poweliks virus, including all malicious objects from the computer.

Free features of Combo Cleaner for Windows include Disk Cleaner, Big Files finder, Duplicate files finder, and Uninstaller. To use antivirus, privacy scanner, and to delete identified threats, users have to upgrade to a premium version.

Please continue with the succeeding removal procedures if you are comfortable manually getting rid of the virus and malicious items linked to it.

Step 1 : Start Windows in Safe Mode With Networking

The method of running Windows in Safe Mode before running a virus scan is effective in getting rid of Trojan.Poweliks. This process can prevent most viruses and malware from loading, making it easier to detect and remove them.

1. On the Windows Search bar, please type msconfig.

Screenshot of MSConfig Command

2. Select and open System Configutation on the list of found results.

3. Once you are in the System Configuration window, go to the Boot tab.

Screenshot of SafeBoot

4. Under the Boot Options area, please check Safe Boot and select Network. This will allow Windows to boot in Safe Mode with Networking.

5. Lastly, click on Apply and OK to save the changes.

6. Please restart Windows.

Do not forget to restore the normal boot process of Windows after running the virus scan. Simply repeat the method above, and this time, uncheck the Safe Boot option to run Windows normally.

Step 2 : Run a virus scanner

To remove Trojan.Poweliks, we suggest that you scan the infected computer with this powerful virus removal tool. It can detect and get rid of Trojans, viruses, malware, and adware from the infected computer. To fully protect the computer against Trojan.Poweliks or similar attacks, you can activate Sophos to have real-time scanning and complete defense against all forms of threats.

1. Download Sophos Virus Removal Tool from the link below. Save the file on your computer where you can easily access it.

2. Once the download completes, browse the location of the file. Double-click to run the program and begin the install process.

3. On the first window of installation wizard, click Next to continue. Then, it will display the program’s License Agreement. You need to Accept the terms in order to proceed. If Windows prompts for User Account Control, please click Yes to proceed.

Screenshot of Sophos EULA Page

4. On succeeding windows, click Next or Continue to carry on with the installation. After completing the installation process, Launch Sophos Virus Removal Tool.

5. An internet connection is required when running this scanner in order to download important updates. Make sure that everything is up-to-date to effectively remove viruses like Trojan.Poweliks.

6. Click the Start Scanning button to  carry out the Scan. This will check the system for the presence of malicious objects, malware, and viruses. The tool reveals items that were found linked to Trojan.Poweliks and other suspicious entities. Be sure to remove all identified threats.

Screenshot of Sophos Virus Scan

After executing the above instructions, Trojan.Poweliks should have been completely removed from the computer. If there are still signs of infection or the computer is displaying unusual behaviors, please continue with the remaining procedures.

Another alternative for Windows 10/11 users is to scan the computer with Microsoft Defender Offline. This will run a virus scan in the recovery environment.

Step 3 : Double Check with Windows Security Apps

Microsoft Windows has a built-in security application that you can use to double-check if your computer is still infected with Trojan.Poweliks. For Windows 10/11 users, please run Windows Security.

Windows 10 / 11 Instructions:

Windows Security is a free tool that was built to help you remove Trojan.Poweliks, viruses, and other malicious items from Windows 10/11 systems. Follow these procedures to scan your computer with the tool:

1. Tap or click the Search charm, search for Windows Security, and then open the application.

Image of Windows Security Search

2. On the Home tab, click Virus and threat protection from the sidebar.

3. On the main window, click on Scan Options. Then, click on Full Scan button.

Image of Scan Options

4. Lastly, click on the Scan now button to start scanning for the presence of Trojan.Poweliks. The process may take a while to complete.

5. After the scan, Delete/Quarantine identified threats, whether they were relevant to Trojan.Poweliks or not. You may now restart Windows to complete the virus removal process.

For older versions of Windows, you can scan the computer for free with the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT 64-Bit). It is a stand-alone virus scanner tool that targets prevalent malware groups.

How to protect the computer from Trojan.Poweliks?

The initial defense that comes to mind for any computer user is to install an anti-virus or anti-malware program. This move is sensible and probably the most practical way to protect the computer against a Trojan.Poweliks attack. Hence, keep in mind that having security software does not guarantee full protection. The majority of the prevention still lies in being cautious of users, and therefore, we are providing the following information as guidelines to protect the computer from virus infection.

Avoid Malicious Websites

There are enormous numbers of websites that were made for the primary purpose of spreading Trojan.Poweliks. Normally, these sites are involved in integrating malicious pop-up and browser hijacker, that will eventually cause further virus infections. Avoid such websites.

Ignore and Delete Phishing Emails

The mass-mailing of computer viruses gives the attackers the luxury of spreading their malicious code in just one send-off. This will arrive in the inbox as an email that appears to be from a legitimate organization. So, if you receive an unexpected email with a link or an attached file, better delete it immediately.

Do Not Click a Suspicious Link

Links from social media, forums, and blog sites are sometimes being utilized by attackers to drive web users to a malicious page that contains malicious code. Therefore, do not just click on any link, especially if it looks suspicious. Accidental access to the destination site may lead to a Trojan.Poweliks infection.

Be Careful When Downloading Files

Cracked software, serial key generators, and several freeware are seen as another method that spreads the Trojan.Poweliks virus. Avoid acquiring these types of applications, and if there is a need to download freeware or shareware, be sure to obtain it from the official website or trusted providers.

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24 thoughts on “Trojan.Poweliks”

  1. I did all those steps and it is still infected. both apps say I am clear but I keep getting the Dllhost com surrogate memory chewing processes that signal Poweliks. Any other ideas?

  2. Download power eraser and MSE load both onto a jump drive as a file do not install yet.
    Shut down and disconnect your internet.. Restart in safe mode with networking. Once up insert jump drive, load and run windows security scanner. This will take time program is slow it took me almost 2 hours. It found 25 issues after a full day of other removal software trying. It will solve what it can then ask to restart.. do so… start in normal mode once up and running reattach internet and run power eraser from jump drive, update and scan do as asked restart and you should be free of the issues.

    The micro scanner looks for changes in the windows files and fixes them and the power eraser should clean up anything left behind… It worked for me.. good luck

  3. My infection consisted of a registry entry. I used the Farbar recovery scan tool to find it and delete it.

  4. Just like Ellen Thuss, same issue. Keeps coming up clean and keeps restarting the Dllhost Com surrogate every time i connect to the internet, scan again and it’s found. Went through the registry manually as well to make sure there was nothing left. Have run, RoguekKller, Malwarebytes, Search and Destroy, Power Eraser, Sophos, and Adwcleaner and none have gotten rid of it permanently!

  5. Download Rogue killer from bleeping computer. Also download Process Explorer from the Microsoft site.

    Run Rogue killer and follow the removal instructions.

    Worked for me.

  6. Robert Williams

    After days of aggravation and running every anti-virus anti-malware tool that I knew, only 1 tool actually killed the “Poweliks” virus. This virus seems to exist only in the registry, and one of its notable features is that it keeps running lots and lots of dllhost.exe processes, gradually using more memory and cpu cycles until it renders your PC almost useless. On my PC it also kept on creating \temp directories and filling them with useless garbage, so much so that CCleaner could hardly delete all the trash.

    Anyhow, the tool that finally worked for me was Rogue Killer at Adlice software. Its a free tool and they actually have a writeup on how to use it to get rid of the Poweliks software. You will have to boot up in Safe mode with networking for it to work.

    Good luck, Poweliks was the most annoying virus I had to deal with in the past 10 years.

  7. Symantec alerted to the presence of AdClicker, and PoweLik, ran a full scan with Symantec, cleaned up a little trash that it usually gleans during the weekly scheduled scan, but left me with AdClicker and Powelik, and the Com.Surrogate issue remained. I scanned with ComboFix 24-hours ago, and the Com.Surrogate issue seems resolved.

  8. I’m in the same situation as Ellen. After NPE.EXE ran it found nothing but my Norton virus protection was still blocking attacks. Since it is trying to send data, I unplugged the Internet cable until I find a solution.

  9. Download the RogueKiller executable, run it once. You won’t be able to fix anything but it needs to register itself. Then, reboot in safe mode, run the executable again. After the pre-scan is done, hit scan and wait. Get Task Manager running. After the scan is done, check the boxes for everything that is red or orange under the registry tab. After you’ve check the boxes, marking the items for deletion, use task manager to “end process” on every instance of dllhost.exe and then QUICKLY hit “DELETE” on RogueKiller (dllhost.exe processes will start running again if you wait too long, and you want to hit “DELETE” while none of them are running). Re-boot. You’re done and everything is back to normal.

  10. I have a subscription to Norton AV. I had to call them. I was on the phone with someone in the Philippines for 4 hours. He finally got rid of the virus and said it was a Trojan Powelicks. I go into the mildest of websites. Parenting and cooking, that’s all. And I pay bills. My first computer was infected so badly I had to get rid of it and lost all my pictures. ( I didn’t have Norton then) All I got on the processes was dllhost.exe and they would multiply. I couldn’t get rid of it. Got a brand new computer 10/10 and by 10/22 it was infected. I am beside myself. Now all seems well but I’d like to know what to do to avoid it. How do I know it won’t happen again next week? What site am I going to that I am getting it? Someone please advise me. What do these people want anyway?

  11. I’m with Ellen Thuss on this one I’ve used several different removers and everything says I’m clean but the Dllhost com surrogate replicates to the point of a blue screen crash.

  12. Keep the system OFFLINE This little shit tries to contact a server in Russia with the domain f0fff0 [dot] com. You need to know your way around your registry to get rid of this little shit. RK will find it but won’t necessarily get rid of it. Use ComboFix. I ran into this today and CF was my last resort. It’ll probably list under Other Deletions if not show a bunch of registry entries getting deleted.

  13. Robert Williams, thank you so much for recommending RogueKiller, after struggling with this virus for 3 days and various utilities, that is the the only one that got rid of it!!! Thank you

  14. I have blocked the Russian IPs, used Malwarebytes, NPE and Combo Fix multiple times… none of which worked.

  15. This virus is very difficult to remove, I’ve run NPE, Malwarebytes, etc. None of them find it. Farbar at least identified the offending key, but can’t do anything with it. In order to get the com surrogate processes to stop replicating, you have to find the key and at the very least delete the values inside of it, that’s the only way I could get it to stop taking over all the system resources.

  16. I tried Power Eraser to get rid of it and it didn’t work. It crashed at the end of the scan twice. Then I tried a program called ComboFix. I was warned that it could possibly delete something needed because it was very aggressive. I gave it a shot and it worked–BUT. Internet Explorer Browser is not working. Chrome works fine. I’ll wait just a little longer before overwriting the whole computer. Overall, my laptop is useable now without the incredible slow-down that the virus causes

  17. Hey BEEZ… you are the bee’s knees… Rogue Killer works wonders… If you made it to this discussion then look no further, after many days of struggle, Roguekiller fixed the Powelik when done just as Beez describes

    in reply to

    Download the RogueKiller executable, run it once. You won’t be able to fix anything but it needs to register itself. Then, reboot in safe mode, run the executable again. After the pre-scan is done, hit scan and wait. Get Task Manager running. After the scan is done, check the boxes for everything that is red or orange under the registry tab. After you’ve check the boxes, marking the items for deletion, use task manager to “end process” on every instance of dllhost.exe and then QUICKLY hit “DELETE” on RogueKiller (dllhost.exe processes will start running again if you wait too long, and you want to hit “DELETE” while none of them are running). Re-boot. You’re done and everything is back to normal.

  18. Hi. I have this virus too. I have tried to run the RogueKiller but it tells me that the publisher could not be verified. I click run anyway and then get RogueKiller x64 .exe is not a valid WIN32 application. I am running Windows 7b 64 bit. Can anyone help me?

  19. Hi again. I just downloaded it for about the 10th time. I think I will be able to run. thanks.

  20. First virus I’ve had in a long time and this one is nasty. It even infected my restore points. My advice. Keep regular backups of your documents (cloud or removable drive that isn’t connected). Wipe the drives and start fresh and load your backups.

    Word of caution, if you are connected to a corporate network, working from home or whatever, this will also infect any drives you are sharing on the corporate network. Be careful!

    Anyone have thoughts on where they picked this up? Clicked on an e-mail attachment? Downloaded a bad file? I’d like to avoid this again if I can.

  21. Followed the advice of Beez (30 October 2014 post) and it worked on our Win7/32-bit computer. Thank you, Beez, for taking the time to write up the step-by-step procedures for us.

  22. Norton provided Trojan.Poweliks Removal Tool. To get rid of this threat, please follow these steps:

    1. Login to your PC using Administrator account.

    2. Download Trojan.Poweliks removal tool from the link. Choose which version matches your system.
    FixPoweliks64 (for 64-bit computers)

    3. Save the file to a location on your hard drive.

    4. Once you have downloaded the file, please close all running applications.

    5. Locate the downloaded Trojan.Poweliks Removal Tool and double-click to run the program.

    6. When it prompts for EULA, please click I Accept.

    7. Once you are on the Trojan.Poweliks Removal Tool console, click on Start to begin the scan.

    8. Restart Windows once scanning has finished.

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