Silver is a Remote Access Trojan known for its ability to spread through multiple methods, such as phishing, malvertising, and suspicious downloads. It excels in gaining remote access and control, stealing data, and performing surveillance through audio and video recording.
Its advanced features enable it to bypass security systems and spread across networks and devices, making it a significant threat. Therefore, it is crucial to have robust cybersecurity measures in place to prevent its propagation.
Silver Malware Overview
Silver is a malware developed in C# – not a common choice due to the ease of reverse engineering. It allows remote access and control of infected machines. Experts first observed it in the wild in autumn 2023. This Trojan exhibits both sophistication and versatility. The capabilities of Silver RAT include initiating chain infections and pilfering information. Currently, various hacker forums and platforms actively promote and sell it. Indications point to the RAT’s developers being located in Syria.
Silver Malware on VirusTotal
| Name | Silver remote access trojan |
| Threat Type | Trojan, Remote Access Trojan, Remote Access Tool, RAT |
| Detection | Trojan.Win32.Gen.sa, Trojan:MSIL/SilverRAT!MSR (Microsoft) |
| Damage | Stolen passwords and banking information, identity theft, the victim’s computer added to a botnet. |
| Similar Behavitor | PySilon RAT, JanelaRAT |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Silver Virus |
Technical Analysis
Remote access trojans like Silver grant remote access and control over compromised devices. Silver stands out for its anti-detection and anti-analysis features, successfully evading Microsoft Defender and possessing anti-debugging capabilities. It uniquely assigns custom names to its malicious processes. As a multifunctional tool, Silver’s abilities include bypassing User Account Control (UAC). It efficiently manages files, applications, and processes and can browse, search, modify, delete, and extract content on victims’ systems.
Silver simultaneously uses browsers and various applications, allowing it to operate even when the victim is active on the device. It can sabotage system recovery options. The RAT’s surveillance capabilities are extensive. It records audio and video through microphones and cameras on the device and has keylogging functions. Silver targets Internet cookies, capable of deleting and stealing them. It also functions as ransomware, encrypting files and demanding ransoms for decryption.
Malware developers often enhance their products, implying that future versions of Silver might possess new or altered features. There are plans to release an Android-compatible version of Silver. Silver’s presence on devices can lead to widespread system infections, irreversible data loss, significant privacy breaches, financial damage, and potential identity theft.
Spreading Methods
Various hacker forums, GitHub, Telegram, and other platforms actively promoted Silver during the research period. The methods cybercriminals use to spread this RAT vary. Typically, malware spreads through phishing and social engineering techniques. It often appears disguised or bundled with standard program/media files, including archives (RAR, ZIP), executables (.exe, .run), documents (Microsoft Office, OneNote, PDF), and JavaScript files. The most prevalent distribution methods are:
- Drive-by downloads, which are covert and misleading.
- Malicious attachments or links in spam are found in emails, direct messages, social media posts, etc.
- Online scams and malvertising.
- Distribution via pirated programs/media.
- Use questionable download sources, like freeware, third-party websites, and peer-to-peer sharing networks.
- Illegal software activation tools (“cracks”) and deceptive updates.
Malicious programs can also self-replicate through local networks and removable storage devices, such as external hard drives and USB flash drives.
How To Remove Malware
Removing malware like Silver manually isn’t advisable. This is because malware seeks to establish persistence, creating multiple instances of itself, which can be challenging to track completely. Consequently, manual removal efforts are often time-consuming and may yield limited results.
The most effective method for eliminating malware from your device is through anti-malware software. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is recommended for its speed, efficiency, and lightweight nature, proving highly capable of countering threats such as Silver. It offers a 6-day free trial, allowing you to evaluate its performance. For detailed removal practices specific to Silver, refer to the guide below.
Remove Silver with Gridinsoft Anti-Malware
We have also been using this software on our systems ever since, and it has always been successful in detecting viruses. It has blocked the most common malware as shown from our tests with the software, and we assure you that it can remove Silver as well as other malware hiding on your computer.
To use Gridinsoft for remove malicious threats, follow the steps below:
1. Begin by downloading Gridinsoft Anti-Malware, accessible via the blue button below or directly from the official website gridinsoft.com.
2.Once the Gridinsoft setup file (setup-gridinsoft-fix.exe) is downloaded, execute it by clicking on the file.
3.Follow the installation setup wizard's instructions diligently.
4. Access the "Scan Tab" on the application's start screen and launch a comprehensive "Full Scan" to examine your entire computer. This inclusive scan encompasses the memory, startup items, the registry, services, drivers, and all files, ensuring that it detects malware hidden in all possible locations.
Be patient, as the scan duration depends on the number of files and your computer's hardware capabilities. Use this time to relax or attend to other tasks.
5. Upon completion, Anti-Malware will present a detailed report containing all the detected malicious items and threats on your PC.
6. Select all the identified items from the report and confidently click the "Clean Now" button. This action will safely remove the malicious files from your computer, transferring them to the secure quarantine zone of the anti-malware program to prevent any further harmful actions.
8. If prompted, restart your computer to finalize the full system scan procedure. This step is crucial to ensure thorough removal of any remaining threats. After the restart, Gridinsoft Anti-Malware will open and display a message confirming the completion of the scan.
Remember Gridinsoft offers a 6-day free trial. This means you can take advantage of the trial period at no cost to experience the full benefits of the software and prevent any future malware infections on your system. Embrace this opportunity to fortify your computer's security without any financial commitment.
Trojan Killer for “Silver” removal on locked PC
In situations where it becomes impossible to download antivirus applications directly onto the infected computer due to malware blocking access to websites, an alternative solution is to utilize the Trojan Killer application.
There is a really little number of security tools that are able to be set up on the USB drives, and antiviruses that can do so in most cases require to obtain quite an expensive license. For this instance, I can recommend you to use another solution of GridinSoft - Trojan Killer Portable. It has a 14-days cost-free trial mode that offers the entire features of the paid version. This term will definitely be 100% enough to wipe malware out.
Trojan Killer is a valuable tool in your cybersecurity arsenal, helping you to effectively remove malware from infected computers. Now, we will walk you through the process of using Trojan Killer from a USB flash drive to scan and remove malware on an infected PC. Remember, always obtain permission to scan and remove malware from a computer that you do not own.
Step 1: Download & Install Trojan Killer on a Clean Computer:
1. Go to the official GridinSoft website (gridinsoft.com) and download Trojan Killer to a computer that is not infected.
2. Insert a USB flash drive into this computer.
3. Install Trojan Killer to the "removable drive" following the on-screen instructions.
4. Once the installation is complete, launch Trojan Killer.
Step 2: Update Signature Databases:
5. After launching Trojan Killer, ensure that your computer is connected to the Internet.
6. Click "Update" icon to download the latest signature databases, which will ensure the tool can detect the most recent threats.
Step 3: Scan the Infected PC:
7. Safely eject the USB flash drive from the clean computer.
8. Boot the infected computer to the Safe Mode.
9. Insert the USB flash drive.
10. Run tk.exe
11. Once the program is open, click on "Full Scan" to begin the malware scanning process.
Step 4: Remove Found Threats:
12. After the scan is complete, Trojan Killer will display a list of detected threats.
13. Click on "Cure PC!" to remove the identified malware from the infected PC.
14. Follow any additional on-screen prompts to complete the removal process.
Step 5: Restart Your Computer:
15. Once the threats are removed, click on "Restart PC" to reboot your computer.
16. Remove the USB flash drive from the infected computer.
Congratulations on effectively removing Silver and the concealed threats from your computer! You can now have peace of mind, knowing that they won't resurface again. Thanks to Gridinsoft's capabilities and commitment to cybersecurity, your system is now protected.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Reformatting your storage device should only be considered as a last resort for removing Silver malware. Prior to taking such drastic action, it is advisable to perform a comprehensive scan using trustworthy antivirus or anti-malware software.
Malware poses a significant risk to the security and privacy of sensitive information, potentially leading to identity theft, financial loss, and unauthorized access to personal accounts. Furthermore, it can disrupt the normal operation of a system, causing performance issues, system crashes, and data corruption.
The purpose of Silver is to enable remote access and control of compromised devices. It allows threat actors to perform various malicious activities, such as unauthorized access, data theft, system manipulation, and disabling security measures, potentially causing significant harm to individuals and organizations.
Gridinsoft Anti-Malware has the ability to identify and eliminate most malware infections. Nevertheless, it is crucial to recognize that sophisticated malware can remain hidden deep within the system. Consequently, conducting a complete system scan is imperative to detect and eradicate malware.
