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No. The Malwarebytes Forums thread does not prove that firmware deployed a trojan, that WinRM or Remote Desktop was used to take over the computer, or that a new malware family was identified. It records a user’s serious suspicions and a moderator’s limited review of several uploaded files.
What the Malwarebytes thread is—and is not
The discussion, posted by larrytash on May 2, 2023 in Malwarebytes’ “Resolved Malware Removal Logs” area, is a support case rather than a vendor threat-intelligence report. The thread title and phrases such as “Firmware deploys this trojan” and “genuine windows remoting” came from the poster. They are not validated names for a malware family or an attack technique.
The public record contains no analyzed firmware image, verified compromised firmware-update path, or repeatable test showing that malicious code survived Windows reinstallation through firmware. It therefore cannot establish firmware persistence.
What the poster alleged
The author described suspected DNS changes, repeated copies of mstsc.exe (the Windows Remote Desktop client), PowerShell activity and use of legitimate Windows components for remote control. The author also referred to a setup log that was reportedly lost when files were compressed.
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Those details are observations and interpretations attributed to the poster. A filename, a familiar Windows executable or a general behavior description does not identify the process that ran, the account involved, the remote endpoint or the persistence mechanism.
What Malwarebytes staff could establish
Malwarebytes administrator AdvancedSetup requested per-file VirusTotal reports and reported that the submitted samples were not detected by the engines checked:
| Submitted file | Reported result | What that result means |
|---|---|---|
KnownGameList.bin |
0/58 detections | No detection among the 58 engines checked for that sample in the 2023 thread. |
mbamchameleon.sys |
0/70 detections | No detection among the 70 engines checked for that sample. |
RunExeActionAllowedList.dat |
0/58 detections | No detection among the 58 engines checked for that sample. |
These are file-specific, time-specific results. They do not show that the entire computer was clean, nor do they rule out an undetected executable, account compromise or another persistence method.
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The administrator said the .dat file was JSON-like configuration data and that investigators needed to determine which application or process called it and what arguments were passed. AdvancedSetup summarized the distinction directly: “No one said your computer was not infected. We said the files you uploaded are not responsible.”
Regarding the uploaded text files, the administrator wrote: “The files you provided do absolutely nothing on their own. They are ASCII TEXT files. They can be used as script files but not on their own.” In context, that statement concerns the files submitted in this case; it does not mean every text file is harmless when interpreted by a program or script host.
“Windows remoting” can mean several different things
The wording in the title is technically ambiguous. Windows has multiple remote-management paths, and legitimate availability of one does not demonstrate abuse.
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| Mechanism | What it is | Evidence needed to connect it to this case |
|---|---|---|
| WinRM | Microsoft’s implementation of the WS-Management protocol for managing Windows systems. | WinRM service and event records tied to a time, account, source endpoint and command or process. |
| PowerShell remoting | A way to run commands on another computer; the target must be configured for remote management. | PowerShell operational logs, command history, authentication events and network records identifying the remote session. |
| Remote Desktop (RDP) | Interactive graphical logon using the Windows Remote Desktop service and client. | RDP connection and authentication events, source address, user account and resulting process activity. |
| Third-party remote-support software | Separate products with their own services, logs and network destinations. | The installed product, service configuration, vendor logs and endpoint telemetry. |
Microsoft documents WinRM as WS-Management and describes PowerShell remoting as requiring a remotely managed target. Those facts explain what the technologies do; they do not show that any one of them was used on the poster’s computer. The public thread does not identify the remote mechanism, if any.
Why the files alone were insufficient
Static scanning asks whether a particular file matches known signatures or reputation data. Incident diagnosis asks a broader question: what executed, under which account, with which privileges, using what parent process, and communicating with which endpoint?
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- A legitimate Microsoft binary can be copied, renamed or launched by a malicious process without being malware itself.
- A zero-detection result can reflect a clean file, an uncommon file or an undetected threat.
- A suspicious filename does not prove execution, persistence or remote control.
That is why the administrator asked for logs or an actual executable and for evidence showing what process invoked the files. A support-tool log attachment appears in the thread, but the public discussion still does not contain independent firmware analysis.
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What evidence would support the major claims?
Claim: firmware was infected
An investigator would need a trusted capture and analysis of the relevant firmware, a demonstrable malicious modification or a verified update-chain compromise, plus evidence that the behavior persists independently of Windows. None of that is presented in the thread.
Claim: remote access occurred
Useful evidence would tie WinRM, PowerShell remoting, RDP or another tool to a specific time, account, process and remote endpoint. Event logs, PowerShell and WinRM operational logs, RDP authentication records, firewall or network telemetry and process lineage can provide that linkage. The thread does not provide enough of it to identify an attack path.
Claim: the uploaded files caused the behavior
That requires execution or process evidence showing the file being loaded or run and the actions that followed. The reported VirusTotal results and the administrator’s description of the text/configuration files do not establish that chain.
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How to treat this case if you are investigating your own computer
- Preserve evidence first. Keep original logs, timestamps, alerts and relevant files in read-only copies when possible. Record the system time zone and the account that observed the behavior.
- Do not delete files by name alone. A name such as
mstsc.exeis not proof of a malicious copy; verify its path, digital signature, hash and process parent. - Separate file results from system conclusions. A single scanner result, including a zero-detection result, cannot diagnose the whole machine.
- Collect context. Review Windows event logs, PowerShell and WinRM operational logs, RDP authentication events, scheduled tasks, services, startup entries, accounts and network connections around the reported times.
- Get qualified help when compromise remains plausible. The forum moderator recommended local repair assistance. An experienced incident-response or computer-repair professional can preserve volatile evidence and determine whether remediation or reinstallation is appropriate.
Do not run a fix script copied from another person’s support case, remove Windows components solely because their names appear in a report, or treat the forum as proof that the original computer was cleaned. The thread does not document a confirmed diagnosis or a completed remediation.
Bottom line on the forum title
The Malwarebytes discussion is evidence of a user’s suspicion, not evidence of a confirmed “firmware replying trojan.” Staff reported that the three submitted samples were not detected by the checked engines and explained that the files themselves did not demonstrate malicious activity. Without process, host, network and firmware evidence, the thread cannot support a conclusion that firmware persistence, WinRM, PowerShell remoting or RDP was responsible.
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