Embedded-null Characters

These are registry keys and values with names that contain null characters. These keys cannot be removed by standard registry-editing tools. If such a key has subkeys or values, they cannot be viewed by standard tools.

These non-removable registry keys are used by most rootkits and other malware to hide its data and complicate the removal process. In addition, some software vendors use the embedded-null registry key technique as a way to enforce the software license agreement and to reduce the ability of users to tamper with the license information stored in these registry keys.

Side effects vary with the software that has created these keys. Some software vendors use null-embedded keys to store proprietary data. This is why determining to what software the key belongs is important.