W32/Stanit

Posted: May 7, 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.

Ranking:	6,788
Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	2,977

First Seen:	May 7, 2012
Last Seen:	October 14, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

W32/Stanit is a virus that runs a fake scan of your hard drive for infectable .exe files to append its code to as an easy method of launching itself undetectably. At the time of this writing, W32/Stanit's distribution levels are very low, and W32/Stanit hasn't been observed in the wild by most PC security companies. However, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers still recommend that you keep anti-malware software to protect your PC from potential W32/Stanit attacks, since W32/Stanit is a significant security danger that can install other PC threats and doesn't display visible symptoms of its functions. W32/Stanit is designed for Windows XP computers and can be considered effectively impotent against other operating systems, including other brands of Windows.

W32/Stanit – an Aging Virus That Still Has Sharp Teeth

W32/Stanit was first found in 2005 but, despite its age, remains a danger to computers of the relevant OS type. Like other viruses, W32/Stanit doesn't include a self-contained file of its own, but spreads by infecting unrelated .exe files on your PC. W32/Stanit has also been known to download and install other types of malicious software automatically, although complete identification of W32/Stanit's related payload isn't available yet. SpywareRemove.com malware analysts warn that there are no direct symptoms to give away a W32/Stanit infection, although you may be able to notice W32/Stanit's behavior by looking for minor changes in file sizes or unusual network activity.

Depending on the type of anti-malware scanner that's used to detect W32/Stanit, W32/Stanit may also be found under a different alias, such as W32.Licum, Win32.Gael.3666, PE_TENGA.A-O, Virus.Win32.Tenga.a or W32/Gael.worm.a. W32/Stanit may also attempt to use a network exploit, MS03-026, to run arbitrary and malicious code, although there is an appropriate Windows patch for this vulnerability.

The Aftereffects of a Nip from W32/Stanit

While W32/Stanit may not be a recently-developed PC threat, W32/Stanit's payload should be considered as toxic as any rabid mongrel's or modern keylogger's attack and includes functions such as the following:

Creating a backdoor on your computer. Backdoors are always serious security and privacy risks, since they allow criminals to use Command & Control servers to gain access to your PC, potentially forcing it to perform self-destructive actions in the process. SpywareRemove.com malware experts warn that backdoors like those made by W32/Stanit may be used to download malicious files for future installation, steal your personal information or damage the contents of your computer.
Connecting to a preset IP address to receive further instructions for other attacks – potentially altering your network or firewall settings in the process.
Installing other malicious programs (as noted above) without your consent. Typical payloads can include spyware that steal passwords, rogue security programs that create fake security alerts and various types of Trojans.

Technical Details

Additional Information

The following URL's were detected:

englishmastersite.com