TSPY_PASSTEAL.B

Posted: November 29, 2012

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:	9/10
Infected PCs:	12

First Seen:	November 29, 2012
Last Seen:	December 7, 2022
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

TSPY_PASSTEAL.B is a spyware Trojan that uses a password-retrieving utility to steal passwords that are stored by web browsers like Internet Explorer and Firefox. Like other members of the Passteal family, TSPY_PASSTEAL.B doesn't include features that would allow TSPY_PASSTEAL.B to steal general information (such as keylogging or taking screenshots), but still can do significant damage by targeting login information for vulnerable web accounts. Currently, TSPY_PASSTEAL.B's observed distribution levels are low, and SpywareRemove.com malware researchers hope that you'll keep them that way by avoiding illegal software downloads – which are prominent infection vectors for TSPY_PASSTEAL.B and other Passteal-based Trojans. If you think that your PC is infected by TSPY_PASSTEAL.B, you should use an anti-malware solution to delete TSPY_PASSTEAL.B as quickly as possible.

Why Even that 'Safe' Brand of Browser Isn't Safe from TSPY_PASSTEAL.B

While PC users often have their own preferences in web browsers due to reputations for safety among various brands, TSPY_PASSTEAL.B has been confirmed to use a password-snatching utility that targets all major browsers. This includes Chrome, Internet Explorer from 4.0 to 8.0, Firefox from 1.x to 4.x and even Apple's own Safari. The utility in question (WebBrowserPassView) claims to be a benign tool that retrieves forgotten passwords, but as seen here, also can be exploited to steal passwords from other PC users.

TSPY_PASSTEAL.B (also detected by the name Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT) targets multiple versions of Windows and doesn't display symptoms during its attacks. Besides using WebBrowserPassView to steal passwords from your PC, TSPY_PASSTEAL.B also may delete Windows configuration files for your security settings, which may make your computer susceptible to other attacks.

Because TSPY_PASSTEAL.B's primary threat is to browser-stored passwords, you should be careful to change any potentially compromised passwords after you remove TSPY_PASSTEAL.B from your PC. SpywareRemove.com malware research team also notes that avoiding using automatic password-saving features in your browser can be useful as a secondary defense against attacks by TSPY_PASSTEAL.B and other Passteal-based spyware.

Getting the Upper Hand on a TSPY_PASSTEAL.B Spy

TSPY_PASSTEAL.B launches with Windows and should be considered open until you've taken steps to disable TSPY_PASSTEAL.B's startup routine. Such safety steps can include booting an OS from a removable hard drive (USB thumb drive, etc.) or using Safe Mode. Safe Mode, which disables unnecessary and, oftentimes, potentially malicious programs like TSPY_PASSTEAL.B can be activated by tapping F8 while your PC reboots. Once the advanced startup menu is displayed, you can select either Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking (the latter of which includes limited Internet connectivity).

Because TSPY_PASSTEAL.B hasn't been found to include exceptional defenses against its deletion, competent anti-malware software should be able to remove TSPY_PASSTEAL.B from your computer during a simple system scan. Nonetheless, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers suggest that you try to avoid TSPY_PASSTEAL.B infection in lieu of learning how to get rid of TSPY_PASSTEAL.B. TSPY_PASSTEAL.B and other Passteal Trojans usually are distributed as fake key generators and other illegal and/or pirated programs through P2P networks and similar free-downloading havens.

TSPY_PASSTEAL.B

Threat Metric

Why Even that 'Safe' Brand of Browser Isn't Safe from TSPY_PASSTEAL.B

Getting the Upper Hand on a TSPY_PASSTEAL.B Spy

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