SystemTools

By GoldSparrow in Potentially Unwanted Programs

Threat Scorecard

Threat Level: 80 % (High)
Infected Computers: 886
First Seen: July 21, 2017
Last Seen: May 9, 2023
OS(es) Affected: Windows

The SystemTools software from SystemTools, Inc. might arrive on computers bundled with free software from third parties. The SystemTools software from SystemTools, Inc. may be promoted to users as a system optimizer of sorts and suggest you can boost your performance with a single click every time you turn on your PC. The promises given by SystemTools may be appealing to users with low-end machines who struggle with loading Full-HD videos and maintaining more than half a dozen tabs in the Internet browser. However, the SystemTools software by SystemTools, Inc. has a different purpose.

You should not Install Fake System Optimizers as You might Receive a Nasty Surprise

The SystemTools program is designed to function as a Trojan clicker that connects multiple computers in a botnet and performs click-fraud. In other terms, the SystemTools Trojan clicker combines the system resources of multiple machines to click on ads and generate ad revenue for its developers. The SystemTools Trojan-Clicker was reported on July 21st, 2017. An investigation into the SystemTools botnet revealed that compromised computers are likely to connect to Russian domains via hidden browser instances. PC security experts that analyzed the SystemTools Trojan clicker noted that it creates multiple 'SystemTools.exe' processes, which are visible via the Task Manager. Consequently, your system performance may be impaired substantially and your Internet bandwidth may be dominated by network traffic initiated by the SystemTools Trojan clicker. The threat is known to make TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) connections to the following IP addresses:

  • 109.108.43.126
  • 136.243.111.22
  • 136.243.131.17
  • 136.243.131.49
  • 137.74.127.227

How Much Ad Revenue is SystemTools Earning a Day?

Statistics show that the average cost of the Cost-Per- Click (CPC) for Russia is 0.40 USD or 23 RUB. Let's suppose that there are 1000 computers infected with the SystemTools Trojan clicker and they are clicking on ads every 20 seconds for 6 hours a day. That makes 5400 clicks a day performed by the SystemTools botnet. To put the situation into perspective multiply the 5400 clicks by 23 RUB CPC (Cost-Per-Click) and that makes a profit of 124,00 RUB or 120 USD per day for whoever is controlling the SystemTools Trojan clicker. The profit generated by SystemTools is comparable to the estimated profits claimed by the Magala Trojan clicker, which we covered earlier in July 2017. Both threats exploit the system resources of unsuspecting users to generate ad revenue for their developers. The SystemTools Trojan clicker is ranked among threats like FaceLiker and Buoveco, which you should not underestimate. Computer security experts advise users that find 'SystemTools.exe' running on their systems to use a trusted anti-malware utility and eliminate the SystemTools Trojan clicker.

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