Clampzok.A

Posted: June 10, 2013

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	8/10
Infected PCs:	96

First Seen:	June 11, 2013
Last Seen:	February 18, 2022
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Clampzok.A is a 'proof of concept' (an experiment to prove the functional principles involved) virus that, while originally designed for other operating systems, recently has been updated to affect Mac OS X. As a true virus, Clampzok.A infects other files on your computer when already-infected files are loaded, and when doing so, may cause infected program files to become inoperable. Clampzok.A also has been confirmed as including functions for targeting BSD utilities, which enable your access to the Shell/Command Prompt. Although SpywareRemove.com malware experts must emphasize that Clampzok.A hasn't been incorporated into any live attacks, Clampzok.A is evidence of the evolving nature of the malware industry, wherein even non-Windows OSes are far from safe. Disinfecting Clampzok.A-infected files always should use appropriate anti-virus or anti-malware programs that are designed for the purpose.

How Clampzok.A Puts the Clamp of Malware Onto Your Executable Files

The original version of Clampzok.A was intended to attack Windows and Linux, and was first identified eight years ago. Ordinarily, such a virus would be considered ancient history in terms of malware research, but a recently-emerged new version of Clampzok.A was seen in 2013. This new version of Clampzok.A attacks OS X and infects binary files much in the same way that Windows viruses infect EXE files.

Clampzok.A modifies several sections of a preexisting binary file to infect that file, and also will allow its distribution to neighboring binary files as soon as the infected file is launched. Files in the /usr/bin and /bin directories are especially at risk, as well as files related to the Berkeley Standard Distribution (a Unix derivative that, among other things, allows you to use the shell prompt).

Perhaps the most concerning thing about Clampzok.A's implementation is that Clampzok.A has the possibility of disabling programs that Clampzok.A infects. Programs with valid digital signatures, such as those from the official application store, will fail to function if Clampzok.A infects them.

Loosening Clampzok.A's Hold on Your Applications

Although Clampzok.A hasn't been used in any actual malware campaigns, its inclusion into new campaigns is a distinct possibility. There are, fortunately, some advantages for the victims in Clampzok.A's chosen attack strategy – as noted by SpywareRemove.com malware analysts and other industry experts. Clampzok.A and other viruses are a relatively unpopular form of malware due to how easy they are to detect – any competent anti-malware product should be able to find all Clampzok.A-infected files with minimal issues. Along with that, Clampzok.A also is unable to affect 64-bit files, which are the newest standard for OS X that may very well make Clampzok.A obsolete (at least, until/unless Clampzok.A receives another update).

Viruses of all stripes are very difficult to detect by eye, and equally problematic to remove without appropriate anti-malware tools. However, if you have access to any good anti-virus software, finding and deleting Clampzok.A should be a trivial pursuit, and will not endanger the files that are infected by copies of Clampzok.A.

Clampzok.A

Threat Metric

How Clampzok.A Puts the Clamp of Malware Onto Your Executable Files

Loosening Clampzok.A's Hold on Your Applications

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