Panda AntiRootkit (Beta)

Rootkit-enabled malware is increasingly the norm these days. Trying to ferret out the rootkit, much less the malware it's hiding, can be a tricky task for conventional antivirus. While a range of anti-rootkit products are hitting the market, some may be too complex for less tech-savvy users. Panda Software offers an anti-rootkit scanner that is both easy to use and portable. Panda AntiRootkit analyzes a wide range of system components seeking out hidden drivers, processes, modules, files, registry entries, as well as SDT and IDT modifications, non-standard INT2E and SYSENTER, IRP and EAT hooks, and more. If a rootkit is detected, Panda AntiRootkit provides the option of removing it - along with any associated malware it is hiding.

Panda AntiRootkit is still in beta. As with any beta software, Panda AntiRootkit is still under development, features may change and there may be glitches. In my testing, I encountered only one minor anomaly: a 'suspicious' label was placed on the zone.identifier stream used by Outlook Express to save files originating from different Internet Explorer security zones. When suspicious detections do occur, Panda takes the safe route - the program offers to submit the entries to PandaLabs for analysis and takes no other action.

With rootkits an ever-growing threat, it pays to have a few rootkit detectors in your toolbox. Panda AntiRootkit certainly seems to be a tool worth keeping handy. Those wishing to take the product for a test run can read more about it and download the beta version here.