Bit Defender launches free ZBot Removal Tool

Bit Defender has put a free removal tool online that it said will remove the now infamous Zeus Trojan.

The malware, sometimes called the ZBot, steals banking information through keystroke logging and monitors system information and steals additional authentication credentials.

The latest variants of ZBot are able to gather the history of visited websites and other data users provide online. They can also capture screenshots of users' desktops.

It is mainly spread through drive-by-downloads, spam campaigns and phishing attacks. Infected PCs are then used as part of a botnet to carry out attacks

Earlier this summer one Zeus botnet uncovered by US security company M86 on 1 July specifically targeted a UK bank. The company said it can't name the financial institution but already more than £675,000 has been siphoned off from more than 3,000 personal accounts.

Another attack reported by Trusteer at the beginning of August compromised more than 100,000 computers; of which 98 per cent are in the UK.

Catalin Cosoi, head of the Bit Defender Online Threats Lab said: “As part of our ongoing efforts to inform, educate and help users worldwide in their fight against e-threats, Bit Defender has created a ZBot Removal Tool.

"The removal tool checks users’ computers, detects and eliminates most of the ZBot variants spotted in the wild and it is available for download free."

The ZBot removal tool can be downloaded from the Removal Tools section of Malwarecity; a Bit Defender initiative for the software security community and a free resource for those interested in their online security.

“As ZBot is one of the most prolific breeds of malware and new variants appear every day, we strongly suggest that computer users regularly return for additional updates of the tool.

"Users of the Bit Defender anti-malware suites are already protected,” added Cosoi.