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Removing OneLaunch Malware: A Comprehensive Guide

Malware remains one of the most pressing challenges in cybersecurity today. One such malware that has been causing significant issues is the OneLaunch malware. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the history, impact, and detailed steps on how to remove the OneLaunch malware using a PowerShell script.

Table of Contents

  1. History of OneLaunch Malware
  2. Impact of OneLaunch Malware
  3. Identifying OneLaunch Malware Infection
  4. Detailed Steps to Remove OneLaunch Malware
    • Prerequisites
    • Execution of the PowerShell Script
  5. Preventing Future Infections

1. History of OneLaunch Malware

OneLaunch malware first appeared on the cybersecurity radar in early 2020. It is a form of adware and potentially unwanted program (PUP) that hijacks browsers and redirects users to unwanted websites. Often bundled with free software, OneLaunch quietly installs itself on the user’s system, leading to a degraded user experience, privacy issues, and potential security risks.

2. Impact of OneLaunch Malware

OneLaunch malware primarily affects Windows operating systems. Once installed, it modifies browser settings, alters the homepage, and redirects search queries. This not only disrupts the user experience but also exposes users to further malware infections through malicious advertisements and sites. The malware’s persistence mechanisms make it difficult to remove using standard uninstallation methods, requiring specialized tools and scripts for complete eradication.

3. Identifying OneLaunch Malware Infection

Symptoms of a OneLaunch malware infection include:

  • Unexpected changes in browser settings (e.g., homepage, default search engine).
  • Frequent pop-up ads and redirects to suspicious websites.
  • Decreased system performance.
  • New and unfamiliar programs or toolbars appearing in the browser.

4. Detailed Steps to Remove OneLaunch Malware

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the removal process, ensure you have:

  • Administrative privileges on the affected system.
  • A backup of important files and data.
  • The PowerShell script provided for OneLaunch malware removal.

Execution of the PowerShell Script

Step 1: Open PowerShell as Administrator

  1. Press Windows + X and select Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the menu.

Step 2: Verify the Script Execution Policy

  1. Execute the command Get-ExecutionPolicy to check the current policy.
  2. If the policy is set to Restricted, change it to RemoteSigned by running Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned.

Step 3: Download and Prepare the Script

  1. Save the PowerShell script provided to a known location, such as C:\Scripts\OneLaunch-Remediation-Script.ps1.

Step 4: Execute the Script

  1. Navigate to the directory where the script is saved using cd C:\Scripts.
  2. Run the script by typing .\OneLaunch-Remediation-Script.ps1.

Here’s the detailed PowerShell script provided for removing OneLaunch malware:

powershellCopy code
Get-Process onelaunch -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force
Get-Process onelaunchtray -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force
Get-Process chromium -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force
Get-Process ChromiumStartupProxy -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force
Get-Process "OneLaunch - Package Track*" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force
sleep 2

$user_list = Get-Item C:\users\* | Select-Object Name -ExpandProperty Name
foreach ($user in $user_list) {
    $installers = @(gci C:\users\$user -r -fi "OneLaunch*.exe" | % { $_.FullName })
    foreach ($install in $installers) {
        if (test-path -Path $install) {
            rm $install -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
            if (test-path -Path $install) {
                "Failed to remove: $install"
            }
        }
    }
    if (test-path -Path "C:\Users\$user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\OneLaunch.lnk") {
        rm "C:\Users\$user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\OneLaunch.lnk" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        if (test-path -Path "C:\Users\$user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\OneLaunch.lnk") {
            "Failed to remove OneLaunch -> C:\Users\$user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\OneLaunch.lnk"
        }
    }
    if (test-path -Path "C:\Users\$user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\OneLaunchChromium.lnk") {
        rm "C:\Users\$user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\OneLaunchChromium.lnk" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        if (test-path -Path "C:\Users\$user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\OneLaunchChromium.lnk") {
            "Failed to remove OneLaunch -> C:\Users\$user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\OneLaunchChromium.lnk"
        }
    }
    if (test-path -Path "C:\Users\$user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\OneLaunchUpdater.lnk") {
        rm "C:\Users\$user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\OneLaunchUpdater.lnk" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        if (test-path -Path "C:\Users\$user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\OneLaunchUpdater.lnk") {
            "Failed to remove OneLaunch -> C:\Users\$user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\OneLaunchUpdater.lnk"
        }
    }
    if (test-path -Path "C:\Users\$user\desktop\OneLaunch.lnk") {
        rm "C:\Users\$user\desktop\OneLaunch.lnk" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        if (test-path -Path "C:\Users\$user\desktop\OneLaunch.lnk") {
            "Failed to remove OneLaunch -> C:\Users\$user\desktop\OneLaunch.lnk"
        }
    }
    if (test-path -Path "C:\Users\$user\OneDrive\Desktop\OneLaunch.lnk") {
        rm "C:\Users\$user\OneDrive\desktop\OneLaunch.lnk" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        if (test-path -Path "C:\Users\$user\OneDrive\desktop\OneLaunch.lnk") {
            "Failed to remove OneLaunch -> C:\Users\$user\OneDrive\desktop\OneLaunch.lnk"
        }
    }
    if (test-path -Path "C:\Users\$user\appdata\local\OneLaunch") {
        rm "C:\Users\$user\appdata\local\OneLaunch" -Force -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        if (test-path -Path "C:\Users\$user\appdata\local\OneLaunch") {
            "Failed to remove OneLaunch -> C:\Users\$user\appdata\local\OneLaunch"
        }
    }
}

$sid_list = Get-Item -Path "Registry::HKU\*" | Select-String -Pattern "S-\d-(?:\d+-){5,14}\d+"
foreach ($sid in $sid_list) {
    if ($sid -notlike "*_Classes*") {
        if (test-path "Registry::$sid\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{4947c51a-26a9-4ed0-9a7b-c21e5ae0e71a}_is1") {
            Remove-Item "Registry::$sid\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{4947c51a-26a9-4ed0-9a7b-c21e5ae0e71a}_is1" -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
            if (test-path "Registry::$sid\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{4947c51a-26a9-4ed0-9a7b-c21e5ae0e71a}_is1") {
                "Failed to remove OneLaunch -> Registry::$sid\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{4947c51a-26a9-4ed0-9a7b-c21e5ae0e71a}_is1"
            }
        }
        $keypath = "Registry::$sid\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run"
        $keyexists = (Get-Item $keypath).Property -contains "OneLaunch"
        if ($keyexists -eq $True) {
            Remove-ItemProperty -Path "Registry::$sid\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" -Name "OneLaunch" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
            $keyexists = (Get-Item $keypath).Property -contains "OneLaunch"
            if ($keyexists -eq $True) {
                "Failed to remove OneLaunch => Registry::$sid\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.OneLaunch"
            }
        }
        $keypath = "Registry::$sid\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run"
        $keyexists = (Get-Item $keypath).Property -contains "OneLaunchChromium"
        if ($keyexists -eq $True) {
            Remove-ItemProperty -Path "Registry::$sid\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" -Name "OneLaunchChromium" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
            $keyexists = (Get-Item $keypath).Property -contains "OneLaunchChromium"
            if ($keyexists -eq $True) {
                "Failed to remove OneLaunch => Registry::$sid\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.OneLaunchChromium"
            }
        }
        $startupkeys = (gi "Registry::$sid\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run").Property
        foreach ($key in $startupkeys) {
            if ($key -like "GoogleChromeAutoLaunch*") {
                Remove-ItemProperty -Path "Registry::$sid\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" -Name "$key" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
            }
        }
        if (test-path -path "Registry::$sid\Software\OneLaunch") {
            Remove-Item -Path "Registry::$sid\Software\OneLaunch" -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
            if (test-path -path "Registry::$sid\Software\OneLaunch") {
                "Failed to remove OneLaunch -> Registry::$sid\Software\OneLaunch"
            }
        }
        if (test-path "Registry::$sid\SOFTWARE\Classes\OneLaunchHTML") {
            Remove-Item -Path "Registry::$sid\SOFTWARE\Classes\OneLaunchHTML" -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
            if (test-path "Registry::$sid\SOFTWARE\Classes\OneLaunchHTML") {
                "Failed to remove OneLaunch => Registry::$sid\SOFTWARE\Classes\OneLaunchHTML"
            }
        }
        $keypath = "Registry::$sid\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications"
        $keyexists = (Get-Item $keypath).Property -contains "OneLaunch"
        if ($keyexists -eq $True) {
            Remove-ItemProperty -Path "Registry::$sid\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications" -Name "OneLaunch" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
            $keyexists = (Get-Item $keypath).Property -contains "OneLaunch"
            if ($keyexists -eq $True) {
                "Failed to remove OneLaunch => Registry::$sid\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications"
            }
        }
    }
}

if (test-path "C:\windows\system32\tasks\OneLaunchLaunchTask") {
    rm "C:\windows\system32\tasks\OneLaunchLaunchTask" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if (test-path "C:\windows\system32\tasks\OneLaunchLaunchTask") {
        "Failed to remove OneLaunch -> C:\windows\system32\tasks\OneLaunchLaunchTask"
    }
}

if (test-path "C:\windows\system32\tasks\ChromiumLaunchTask") {
    rm "C:\windows\system32\tasks\ChromiumLaunchTask" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if (test-path "C:\windows\system32\tasks\ChromiumLaunchTask") {
        "Failed to remove OneLaunch -> C:\windows\system32\tasks\ChromiumLaunchTask"
    }
}

if (test-path "C:\windows\system32\tasks\OneLaunchUpdateTask") {
    rm "C:\windows\system32\tasks\OneLaunchUpdateTask" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if (test-path "C:\windows\system32\tasks\OneLaunchUpdateTask") {
        "Failed to remove OneLaunch -> C:\windows\system32\tasks\OneLaunchUpdateTask"
    }
}

if (test-path -Path 'Registry::HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\TREE\OneLaunchLaunchTask') {
    Remove-Item -Path 'Registry::HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\TREE\OneLaunchLaunchTask' -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}

if (test-path -Path 'Registry::HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\TREE\ChromiumLaunchTask') {
    Remove-Item -Path 'Registry::HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\TREE\ChromiumLaunchTask' -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}

if (test-path -Path 'Registry::HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\TREE\OneLaunchUpdateTask') {
    Remove-Item -Path 'Registry::HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\TREE\OneLaunchUpdateTask' -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}

    5. Preventing Future Infections

    To prevent future infections of OneLaunch and other malware:

    • Install reputable antivirus software: Ensure it’s up-to-date and perform regular scans.
    • Be cautious of free software: Always choose the custom installation option to avoid bundled PUPs.
    • Keep your system and software updated: Regular updates close security vulnerabilities.
    • Educate users: Awareness is key. Teach users to recognize phishing attempts and suspicious downloads.

    By following these detailed steps, you can successfully remove OneLaunch malware from your system and take proactive measures to safeguard against future threats.

    For more detailed guides and cybersecurity tips, visit our blog.

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