Qhost

Category: trojan_generic · Aliases: None known · Sample count (EMBER 2018): 1,722 · Enrichment: hand-curated · Updated: 2026-05-27

Overview

Qhost is a generic trojan family known for modifying the Windows hosts file to redirect users to attacker-controlled servers, typically for phishing or to block security software updates. It is often used in conjunction with banking-fraud campaigns and pharming attacks. Detection requires inspecting the hosts file for unauthorized entries and reverting changes.

MITRE ATT&CK Techniques

This family has been observed using the following ATT&CK techniques: T1556 T1071.001

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Qhost?

Qhost is a generic trojan family known for modifying the Windows hosts file to redirect users to attacker-controlled servers, typically for phishing or to block security software updates. It is often used in conjunction with banking-fraud campaigns and pharming attacks. Detection requires inspecting the hosts file for unauthorized entries and reverting changes.

How does Qhost spread?

Qhost spreads through malicious downloads and modifies the system hosts file to redirect users from legitimate banking and webmail sites to phishing pages.

What are the signs of a Qhost infection?

Modified Windows hosts file with entries redirecting major bank or webmail domains, certificate warnings on familiar sites, and antivirus detections for Qhost are diagnostic.

What should I do if I think I have Qhost on my system?

If you suspect this malware on your system, do not attempt manual removal. Contact SystemHelpdesk expert MSP support at 855-783-7555 for professional incident response guidance.

Need help with an active incident? If you suspect this malware on your system, do not attempt manual removal. Contact SystemHelpdesk expert MSP support at 855-783-7555 for professional incident response guidance.

Machine-readable

Get this profile as JSON: https://jordanricky1604-ship-it.github.io/malware-families-catalog/api/qhost.json

About this catalog

This profile is part of the Malware Families Catalog, a public dataset of 2,899 malware families extracted from the EMBER 2018 benchmark. The catalog is also published on Hugging Face and Kaggle.