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	"id": "fd9938e6-9c5a-4f02-8b2b-3780567f3022",
	"created_at": "2026-04-06T00:21:26.121078Z",
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	"title": "What is Zeus Trojan Malware? | CrowdStrike",
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	"authors": "",
	"file_creation_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
	"file_modification_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
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	"plain_text": "What is Zeus Trojan Malware? | CrowdStrike\r\nArchived: 2026-04-05 14:55:10 UTC\r\nSince it was introduced to the internet in 2007, the Zeus malware attack (also called Zbot) has become a hugely\r\nsuccessful trojan horse virus. Even today, the Zeus trojan and its variants are a major cybersecurity threat, and\r\nmany computers that run Microsoft Windows are still at risk. As some variants of the Zeus virus are fileless\r\nmalware, it can also be difficult for antivirus software to detect.\r\nZeus malware can give attackers full access to infected machines. While the original Zeus variant primarily\r\nutilized man-in-the-browser keyloggers to gain access to an infected computer’s banking credentials and other\r\nfinancial information, many forms of the Zeus virus can also be used to add CryptoLocker ransomware to an\r\noperating system or add infected computers to a botnet to perform distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.\r\nThe Zeus trojan virus was first created in 2007, when hackers in Eastern Europe used it to target the United\r\nStates Department of Transportation. While it’s hard to say for certain who created it, the attack really took off\r\nwhen its malicious code became public in 2011. Since then, it has spawned dozens of variants that have kept\r\ninternet security experts and law enforcement busy.\r\nThere are two common attack vectors that open Windows computers to Zeus trojan malware attacks. Drive-by\r\ndownloads require a user to visit a website that has the backdoor trojan code on it. They then download files into\r\nthe user’s computer without the user’s knowledge. Modern browsers such as Google Chrome usually block these\r\ndownloads and the sites they are found on, but hackers are constantly implementing new workarounds for this.\r\nMeanwhile, older web browsers like Internet Explorer may not block drive-by downloads at all. Zeus’s other main\r\nmode of infection is through phishing attacks where users think they are downloading benign software from links\r\nin a phishing email or a post on social media.\r\nThe two primary goals of the Zeus trojan horse virus are stealing people’s financial information and adding\r\nmachines to a botnet. Unlike many types of malware, most Zeus variants try to avoid doing long-term damage to\r\nthe devices they infect. Their aim is to avoid detection from antivirus software. The longer they last, the more\r\nlikely the hacker is to pick up valuable information from your financial institution.\r\nAny number of computers can become part of a Zeus botnet: the FBI and the United States Department of Justice\r\nestimated in 2014 that up to one million computers around the world were infected with the Gameover variant of\r\nZeus.\r\nTypes and Use Cases of Zeus Malware\r\nThe Zeus virus is both versatile and insidious, and its public source code makes it easy for bad actors to customize\r\nit for their needs. Some of the most common Zeus variants are:\r\nGameover Zeus: The most dangerous Zeus variant, Gameover Zeus malware allows the people who\r\ndeploy it to launch a potentially devastating ransomware attack on a computer running Microsoft Windows.\r\nhttps://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/malware/trojan-zeus-malware\r\nPage 1 of 4\n\nSpyEye: This banking malware works similarly to Zeus malware, and in fact the programs are closely\r\nrelated to each other.\r\nIce IX: After the Zeus virus was leaked, the Ice IX system was the first botnet based on its source code. It\r\nuses rogue forms to steal financial information such as your banking credentials.\r\nCarberp: This banking trojan impacts older versions of Windows, such as Windows XP and Windows 7.\r\nSomeone combined this financial trojan with Zeus’s code base to create a malware called “Zberp.”\r\nShylock: This malware infection uses man-in-the-browser attacks to steal bank account information as\r\nwell.\r\nImplementing strong endpoint security and keeping your antivirus software up to date are two of the best ways to\r\nprotect against Zeus and its many variants.\r\nA few signs that a computer is infected with a Zeus trojan include:\r\nA sudden slowdown in your device’s operating speed\r\nUnusual transactions on your online banking portal\r\nUnknown programs running on your operating system\r\nYour computer begins to overheat suddenly\r\nRisks of Zeus Virus\r\nJust because a risk is well established doesn’t mean that it’s no longer a threat. Buffer overflow exploits, for\r\ninstance, have been around for nearly 40 years, and they can still devastate servers and systems that refuse to\r\nmake their cybersecurity a priority.\r\nAs technology evolves, so do the techniques that bad actors use to gain access to that technology. Moreover, the\r\ninfrastructure of our society is growing increasingly digital. This only raises the stakes even further.\r\nWhen the FBI cracked down on Gameover Zeus in 2014, they estimated that the malware had already infected up\r\nto a million computers, 25% of which were in the United States. In turn, this resulted in more than $100 million in\r\nfinancial damages. The most immediate risk of a Zeus infection is the financial loss that results from having your\r\nbanking credentials compromised. If the attacker can find a corporate target who has deep pockets, so much the\r\nbetter for them.\r\nThe other primary risk of the Zeus trojan is more subtle. The virus and its variants can sit undetected on a\r\ncomputer for months or even longer, only activating when the botnet requires the machine. Unlike many other\r\ntypes of botnet, there is no centralized command computer that law enforcement can shut down; any computer can\r\nsend commands at any time.\r\nMuch like the Sidoh exfiltration tool, the longer Zeus is allowed to run undetected on a system, the more damage\r\nit can do. An infected computer may simply log a user’s keystrokes and send them to the attacker, or it may\r\nactively generate fake login pages to common social media networks to harvest and sell login credentials. It may\r\norganize a DDoS attack against a person, company or government; it may simply lie in wait until the botnet is\r\nneeded.\r\nhttps://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/malware/trojan-zeus-malware\r\nPage 2 of 4\n\nIn all cases, it’s better for companies large and small to be proactive about their cybersecurity. Sites that allow\r\nusers to log in, for instance, can implement security measures such as two-factor authentication and endpoint\r\nsecurity measures.\r\nPreventing Zeus Malware Attacks\r\nAs is the case with many threats on the internet, the best way to prevent a Zeus malware attack is to take a\r\nmultipronged approach. Don’t simply assume that an antimalware tool will be enough. Keep that software updated\r\non every machine your company monitors and make sure that it is running properly.\r\nAnother critical element of protecting against any form of malware, ransomware or other exploit is the human\r\nfactor. Train all your employees to spot phishing attacks and spam and have a reporting system in place if they\r\nsuspect any form of malicious action. Likewise, you should set up a robust acceptable use policy and unified\r\nendpoint management for your company’s devices.\r\nThe good news is that the source code for the Zeus trojan has been public since 2011. This means that good actors\r\nin addition to malicious ones have a lot of lessons they can learn from it. Especially after the FBI’s 2014\r\ncrackdown on Gameover Zeus, security professionals have been hard at work applying these lessons.\r\nWhile Zeus primarily targets financial information and login credentials, botnets like the one run by Gameover\r\nZeus generally aren’t picky about their targets. Anyone can fall lax and become the victim of a drive-by download.\r\nA few best practices that you can implement to prevent Zeus from causing problems in the future include:\r\nGood cyber hygiene practices are key to preventing any breach. Keep your security software, browser and\r\nfirewalls updated.\r\nAvoid clicking links in suspected phishing emails.\r\nUse an antivirus program from a trusted source and update its virus definitions at least once per month.\r\nKeep abreast of new developments in security news and be proactively aware of the new threats that are\r\nbased on old code.\r\nTrain your entire team — and not only your IT staff — in these best practices.\r\nAs with most forms of malware, the key to preventing a Zeus attack (or any other banker trojan) is a combination\r\nof advanced technology and human effort. Everyone has a role to play in cybersecurity, so bringing on an expert\r\npartner is one of the best things you can do.\r\nHow to Prevent Zeus Malware with CrowdStrike\r\nThere is an eternal push and pull between the people who create malicious software and the people who protect\r\ncomputers, servers and networks against it. At its heart, information security is never only a job for one person.\r\nTrue security practices require research and knowledge from the whole world. That’s where CrowdStrike’s team\r\nof experts comes in.\r\nThe CrowdStrike Falcon® platform delivers cloud-native, next-generation endpoint protection via a single\r\nlightweight agent and offers an array of complementary prevention and detection methods. To learn more, contact\r\nour organization to schedule a demo or enroll in a trial.\r\nhttps://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/malware/trojan-zeus-malware\r\nPage 3 of 4\n\nSource: https://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/malware/trojan-zeus-malware\r\nhttps://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/malware/trojan-zeus-malware\r\nPage 4 of 4",
	"extraction_quality": 1,
	"language": "EN",
	"sources": [
		"Malpedia"
	],
	"origins": [
		"web"
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	"references": [
		"https://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/malware/trojan-zeus-malware"
	],
	"report_names": [
		"trojan-zeus-malware"
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	"threat_actors": [],
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