What Is the Trojan.Downloader.WMA.Wimad?
WMA.Wimad, which can take the form of many different files, is a type of Trojan program -- a delivery system for viruses or spyware.
Other People Are Reading
-
Trojans
-
Trojans (named after the Trojan horse from Homer's "Iliad") are programs that claim to be something benign or useful to deceive computer users into opening or installing them. Once loaded into memory, they spread themselves out as spyware or viruses. Trojans are unlike other kinds of malware in that they require user approval to become active, and rely on directly fooling the user rather than installing themselves quietly and automatically without his knowledge.
WMA.Wimad
-
WMA.Wimad, classified as a Trojan.Downloader, usually comes disguised as a Windows Media Audio (WMA) file.The name of the file could be any one of many different things designed to appeal to a user, including names of celebrities or popular songs. When loaded into Windows Media Player, the file will open a browser window to a disguised malware site and prompt the user to download and run an executable file. (This file will sometimes be disguised as a codec, a legitimate piece of software required by Windows Media Player to play certain kinds of audio or video files.) Once run, this executable will install malware on the user's machine.
-
Avoiding WMA.Wimad
-
The WMA.Wimad Trojan remains harmless until it is activated by the user, so simply deleting the Trojan when it is identified will nullify it. Be aware of what you have downloaded, only download from trusted sites, and delete any suspicious files. If you do open a WMA that immediately attempts to download from a site such as www.missing-codecs.com or www.fastmp3player.com, refuse the download, close Windows Media Player and run an Internet search for the WMA file in question and the site it attempted to access to see whether it has been classified as dangerous on any of the several online malware databases.
Removing Malware
-
If a WMA.Wimad Trojan is successful, deleting the carrier file will have no effect on your infected system, and you must remove the installed software as you would any malware. Malware removal tools such as Spybot, Ad-Aware and MalwareBytes Anti-Malware all have free downloadable versions that can remove many different kinds of unwanted programs. (See the Resources section for links.) Read the documentation for these programs, and run Internet searches for the precise name of the software installed on your computer to get advice on removing it from various forums and databases. Removing malware is sometimes difficult, but almost always possible.
Other Trojans
-
Because of the power afforded them by the technical consent of the user, some Trojans can be extremely dangerous. Trojans can be designed to allow a computer to be accessed and controlled remotely; they can send logs of user key strokes to attackers, who can search them for passwords or account numbers; they can target anti-malware software such as that linked below, preventing the user from running it or even for searching for help online. If such a Trojan takes sufficient control of your computer to prevent you from fighting it, enter Windows Safe Mode by rebooting your computer and holding down the F8 key as it boots. Select "Safe Mode With Networking" and search for help from within this stripped-down version of Windows.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Troy image by Sammy from Fotolia.com
