How to get rid of this malware: ET MALWARE SocGholish


vett93

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Location
San Jose, California, USA
OS
Windows 11
My wife's laptop has triggered the IDS/IPS of my Ubiquiti router with the following signature: ET MALWARE SocGholish Domain in DNS Lookup (ghost .blueecho88 .com)

I ran both Windows Defender and Malwarebyte, but both of them did not detect anything. What can I do to get rid of this malware?

On my router, it shows the following additional information:


1734735101998.webp
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Corsair Vengeance i7400
    CPU
    Intel i9-13900K
    Motherboard
    MSI Pro Z690-A WiFi DDR5
    Memory
    64GB DDR5-5600
    Graphics Card(s)
    4090
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ PD3200U
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD
    PSU
    Corsair 1000W 80+ Gold
    Cooling
    water cooled CPU and air cooled GPU
    Internet Speed
    1200 Mbps down and 40 Mbps up
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
    CPU
    Intel i9-13900H
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia 4070 mobile
    Hard Drives
    1TB SSD
Have you deleted internet temporary files, if not do so?

Also scan your computer with adwcleaner.


Check to see if the DNS server you use are correct ones.


 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
    Motherboard
    Erica6
    Memory
    Micron Technology DDR4-3200 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC671
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster U28E590
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG MZVLQ1T0HALB-000H1
Thanks. I think my wife clicked the fake browser update malware...

1734745109279.webp
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Corsair Vengeance i7400
    CPU
    Intel i9-13900K
    Motherboard
    MSI Pro Z690-A WiFi DDR5
    Memory
    64GB DDR5-5600
    Graphics Card(s)
    4090
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ PD3200U
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD
    PSU
    Corsair 1000W 80+ Gold
    Cooling
    water cooled CPU and air cooled GPU
    Internet Speed
    1200 Mbps down and 40 Mbps up
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
    CPU
    Intel i9-13900H
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia 4070 mobile
    Hard Drives
    1TB SSD
the only advice i would give in an incident such as this is, and you're not going to like it ..
wipe and format the drives of the system then do a clean install.
this may sound drastic but it would be the only way to ensure the nasty is removed.
this type of nasty is insidious.

best of luck, Steve ..
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP 24" AiO
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 5825u
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    64GB DDR4 3200
    Graphics Card(s)
    Ryzen 7 5825u
    Sound Card
    RealTek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" HP
    Hard Drives
    1TB WD Blue SN580 M2 SSD Partitioned.
    250GB C:/Windows .. 750GB D:/Home.
    2x 1TB USB HDD External Backup/Storage.
    Internet Speed
    900MB full fibre
    Browser
    Vivaldi .. Browser, Calendar, eMail.
    Antivirus
    AVG Internet Security
    Other Info
    Mainly Open Source Software
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP 24" AiO
    CPU
    Ryzen 5 5500u
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 3200
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon GPU
    Sound Card
    RealTek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP
    Hard Drives
    1TB WD blue SN580 M2 SSD Partitioned.
    250GB C:/Windows .. 750GB D:/Home.
    2x 1TB HDD External Backup/Storage.
    Internet Speed
    900MB Full Fibre
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    AVG Internet Security
    Other Info
    Mainly Windows Software
    'The Wife's Computer'
the only advice i would give in an incident such as this is, and you're not going to like it ..
wipe and format the drives of the system then do a clean install.
this may sound drastic but it would be the only way to ensure the nasty is removed.
this type of nasty is insidious.

best of luck, Steve ..

This is certainly what I would do. I wouldn’t even trust a backup in this case, fresh install for sure.
Look on the bright side, a nice fresh install. Always nice to have a fresh system.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build 22631.4249
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz (4th Gen?)
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4 x LG 23MP75 - 2 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / MX Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    100/40Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build: 22631.4249
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
After the new install (or probably before), I’d reset my router to factory settings and set that up again as well.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build 22631.4249
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz (4th Gen?)
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4 x LG 23MP75 - 2 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / MX Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    100/40Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build: 22631.4249
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
That SocGolish seems to be a nasty little sucker. I agree that a clean install of Windows is the safest option even if time consuming.

Also, that ghost[dot]blueecho88[dot]com domain is flagged by multiple security and anti-virus websites as dangerous.

Good luck!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26100.3025
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus ProArt Z790 Creator WiFi - Bios 2703
    Memory
    Corsair Dominator Platinum 64gb 5600MT/s DDR5 Dual Channel
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire NITRO+ AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Vapor-X 24GB
    Sound Card
    External DAC - Headphone Amplifier: Cambridge Audio DACMagic200M
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Panasonic MX950 Mini LED 55" TV 120hz
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160 120hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 2TB (OS)
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB (Files)
    Lexar NZ790 4TB
    LaCie d2 Professional 6TB external - USB 3.1
    Seagate One Touch 18TB external HD - USB 3.0
    PSU
    Corsair RM1200x Shift
    Case
    Corsair RGB Smart Case 5000x (white)
    Cooling
    Corsair iCue H150i Elite Capellix XT
    Keyboard
    Logitech K860
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Ergo Trackball
    Internet Speed
    Fibre 900/500 Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
    Other Info
    AMD Radeon Software & Drivers 24.12.1
    AOMEI Backupper Pro
    Dashlane password manager
    Logitech Brio 4K Webcam
    Orico 10-port powered USB 3.0 hub
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26100.2894
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Vivobook X1605VA
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i9-13900H
    Motherboard
    Asus X1605VA bios 309
    Memory
    32GB DDR4-3200 Dual channel
    Graphics card(s)
    *Intel Iris Xᵉ Graphics G7 (96EU) 32.0.101.6078
    Sound Card
    Realtek | Intel SST Bluetooth & USB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16.0-inch, WUXGA 16:10 aspect ratio, IPS-level Panel
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200 60hz
    Hard Drives
    512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 SSD
    Other Info
    720p Webcam

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home 24H2 26100.3037
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion TP01-2xxx
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 3 5300G
    Memory
    8gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics 4.00GHZ
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic
    Keyboard
    HP
    Mouse
    wireless Microsoft
    Browser
    FireFox
    Antivirus
    Avira

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 (Build 22631.4602)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Legion 5 - 17ach6h
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 5800H
    Memory
    32GB RipJaws DDR4 3200
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 3060
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASRock PG27FF1A - 27 Inch - 165Hz IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1TB OEM Samsung NVMe M.2
    1TB Samsung 970 EVO NVMe M.2
    4TB WD My Book HDD
    4TB WD My Passport HDD
    1TB Toshiba HDD
    PSU
    300W brick
    Cooling
    Paste replaced with PTM7950
    Keyboard
    Redragon K530 Pro Draconic | Ajazz AK33
    Mouse
    EVGA X20
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus ROG Strix - GL502VSK
    CPU
    Core I7 7700HQ
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    GeForce GTX 1070
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" 60Hz IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    256GB OEM Samsung M.2 NVMe
    2TB Team Group EX2 SATA III
    Cooling
    Paste replaced with PTM7950
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
I'm assuming you're joking. Please tell me you're joking.

Just incase it wasn't a joke, I'll leave this.
The Reddit links are rather interesting. They make for great boredom reading too.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 (Build 22631.4602)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Legion 5 - 17ach6h
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 5800H
    Memory
    32GB RipJaws DDR4 3200
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 3060
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASRock PG27FF1A - 27 Inch - 165Hz IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1TB OEM Samsung NVMe M.2
    1TB Samsung 970 EVO NVMe M.2
    4TB WD My Book HDD
    4TB WD My Passport HDD
    1TB Toshiba HDD
    PSU
    300W brick
    Cooling
    Paste replaced with PTM7950
    Keyboard
    Redragon K530 Pro Draconic | Ajazz AK33
    Mouse
    EVGA X20
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus ROG Strix - GL502VSK
    CPU
    Core I7 7700HQ
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    GeForce GTX 1070
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" 60Hz IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    256GB OEM Samsung M.2 NVMe
    2TB Team Group EX2 SATA III
    Cooling
    Paste replaced with PTM7950
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home 24H2 26100.3037
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion TP01-2xxx
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 3 5300G
    Memory
    8gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics 4.00GHZ
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic
    Keyboard
    HP
    Mouse
    wireless Microsoft
    Browser
    FireFox
    Antivirus
    Avira
This is a report on the Network Trojan... Trojan.JS.SOCGHOLISH.A.

 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home 24H2 26100.3037
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion TP01-2xxx
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 3 5300G
    Memory
    8gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics 4.00GHZ
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic
    Keyboard
    HP
    Mouse
    wireless Microsoft
    Browser
    FireFox
    Antivirus
    Avira
Thanks for the info guys. This looks like very nasty malware! I am in software engineering business and I can understand its danger. But for the majority of Internet users, it is hard for them to appreciate the risks. My wife is ready to go back to typewriter and rotary phone!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Corsair Vengeance i7400
    CPU
    Intel i9-13900K
    Motherboard
    MSI Pro Z690-A WiFi DDR5
    Memory
    64GB DDR5-5600
    Graphics Card(s)
    4090
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ PD3200U
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD
    PSU
    Corsair 1000W 80+ Gold
    Cooling
    water cooled CPU and air cooled GPU
    Internet Speed
    1200 Mbps down and 40 Mbps up
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
    CPU
    Intel i9-13900H
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia 4070 mobile
    Hard Drives
    1TB SSD

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build 22631.4249
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz (4th Gen?)
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4 x LG 23MP75 - 2 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / MX Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    100/40Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build: 22631.4249
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
After the new install (or probably before), I’d reset my router to factory settings and set that up again as well.
Please do this to be on the extra safe side. Not just resetting the router, but reflashing your router firmware by downloading the latest from your phone or another source not on your network, and then flashing it over.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 5700 X3D
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG B550 GAMING PLUS
    Memory
    64 GB DDR4 3600mhz Gskill Ripjaws V
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 4070 Super , 12GB VRAM Asus EVO Overclock
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 2.0) 2560 x 1440 @ 170hz HDR
    Hard Drives
    2TB Samsung nvme ssd
    2TB XPG nvme ssd
    PSU
    CORSAIR RMx SHIFT Series™ RM750x 80 PLUS Gold Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
    Case
    CORSAIR 3500X ARGB Mid-Tower ATX PC Case – Black
    Cooling
    ID-COOLING FROSTFLOW X 240 CPU Water Cooler
    Internet Speed
    900mbps DOWN, 100mbps UP
  • Operating System
    Chrome OS
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Chromebook
    CPU
    Intel Pentium Quad Core
    Memory
    4GB LPDDR4
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14 Inch HD SVA anti glare micro edge display
    Hard Drives
    64 GB emmc

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