Floxif

Posted: September 22, 2017

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.

Ranking:	9,215
Threat Level:	8/10
Infected PCs:	124,820

First Seen:	January 4, 2013
Last Seen:	March 5, 2025
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Floxif is a Trojan downloader that can infect your PC with additional threats such as backdoor Trojans that could give remote attackers direct UI control. The Trojan is a product of Axiom, a Chinese hacking group, and installs itself via compromised versions of the CCleaner software. Users of the program should double-check it to determine whether or not they're using a vulnerable build and, if necessary, have anti-malware products removing Floxif and all related threats from their computers.

System Cleaners Full of Filth

Although it's not uncommon for malware experts to examine 'system-cleaning' programs that claim to fix errors related to cookies or Registry entries, most of these products are scamware. One of the few exceptions, Piriform's CCleaner, is contending with a recent history of being compromised by third-party threat actors. After compromising specific builds of CCleaner through methods still under investigation by the authorities, hackers operating through the Chinese Axiom gang bundled the product with a second application of their choosing: the Floxif Trojan.

Floxif is a Trojan downloader that seems to have been purpose-made for handling the initial security breaches by exfiltrating generalized system statistics, such as the names of any ongoing memory processes, data about installed programs or MAC address usage. Floxif also can download and install a variety of other threats onto your computer that its threat actors may use for collecting more significant information than system stats, such as passwords, or gaining a more comprehensive degree of control over the machine.

As a persistent threat with a stealth-based design, Floxif shows no obvious symptoms that malware analysts can determine. Victims with a basic background in computer security may detect it by isolating its Registry entries indirectly, which it disguises as configuration values for CCleaner, or its local files, which it hides as fake system components.

Cleaning Up after a Poor Janitorial Job

Axiom seems to be targeting Floxif against high-value victims, such as employee networks for Cisco, Gmail, Linksys and other business organizations. The latest estimates place the total of infected PCs at between two and three million. Pirisoft recommends updating CCleaner to the non-compromised 5.35 release; meanwhile, Floxif is in two infected builds: CCleaner 5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud 1.07.3191. Ironically, since it includes Registry-analyzing features, an updated version of CCleaner also may help any victims detect Floxif or related threats. However, CCleaner isn't a dedicated anti-malware program and shouldn't be presumed to uninstall any threatening software in full.

Trojan downloaders can install a range of different threats at their administrator's preference. Appropriate responses to such a compromise should include disinfecting your PC with anti-malware products also capable of detecting rootkits, in addition to uninstalling Floxif. Malware analysts also recommend judging any sensitive information on the infected PC, such as logins, as the con artists possession potentially until proven otherwise. If possible, users should change their passwords and related security credentials as soon as possible after the disinfection.

It is always a significant event when threat actors manage to compromise a normally-legitimate piece of software. Floxif also shows ominous signs of what the future may hold: on artists who hide their attacks between the implied relationship of trust built between the PC security industry and its customers.

Technical Details

File System Modifications

Tutorials: If you wish to learn how to remove malware components manually, you can read the tutorials on how to find malware, kill unwanted processes, remove malicious DLLs and delete other harmful files. Always be sure to back up your PC before making any changes.

The following files were created in the system:

%COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\System\symsrv.dll

File name: symsrv.dll
Size: 73.43 KB (73436 bytes)
MD5: 1458e1451cf701b363c99cfb81317789
Detection count: 5,132
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: %COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\System\symsrv.dll
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 19, 2024

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