Malware Terminating explorer.exe

Discussion in 'Malware Help - MG (A Specialist Will Reply)' started by bekabam, May 22, 2007.

  1. bekabam

    bekabam Private E-2

    Hey guys, I got some malware problems that don't seem to be going away. When I first got the files, I used kaspersky and it found some stuff but it didn't help much in getting rid of them, just gave me their names. They are the pmjkj files. Now I was reading a thread another member made and it seems I had the same problem as him but a little more advanced. Because when I logon, (I am in safe mode with networking currently) all I get is my background because it has terminated explorer.exe. So I get on task manager, re-activate explorer but I have to disable system restore to keep explorer active or it will just get terminated.

    So thats the background of what is happening, I took some steps to delete them but they didn't work. Mostly I followed what was said in that thread I posted, such as getting Process Explorer, going into winlogon and killing all the pmjkj files and also putting in all the file names in killbox that you listed and did the reboot, but none of it worked when I got back into safe mode.

    I believe that brings you guys up to speed on whats happened and what I've tried so far.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Welcome to Major Geeks!

    Well at least one of your problems is a nasty Vundo infection!

    Run this Virtumonde aka Trojan Vundo Removal but do not attach the requested log after running it. I want you to run it multiple times until the scan comes up clean and then attach the final log from it.

    After doing the above and also attaching the final log from VundoFix, you need to continue on with the below.

    Please follow our standard cleaning procedures which are necessary for us to provide you support. Also there are steps included for installing, renaming, running, and posting HijackThis logs as attachments.
    • Run ALL the steps in this Sticky thread READ & RUN ME FIRST Before Asking for Support
    • Make sure you check version numbers and get all updates.
    • Very Important: Make sure you tell us the results from running the tutorial...was anything found? Were you unable to complete any of the scans?...Were you unable to download any of the tools?...Did you do the on-line scans as suggested? etc.
    • After doing ALL of the above you still have a problem make sure you have booted to normal mode and run the steps in the below link to properly use HijackThis and attach a log:
    Make sure you also rename HijackThis.exe as suggested in the procedures. Use analyse.exe for the new name. This is very important due to some new infections going around.
    • When you return to make your next post, make sure you attach the following logs and that you have run these scans in the following order too:
      • CounterSpy - only for Windows XP, 2K, & NT users
      • AVG Antispyware log - ONLY IF NEEDED you were not able to run CounterSpy. - only for Windows XP, 2K, & NT users
      • Bitdefender - from step 6
      • Panda Scan - from step 6
      • runkeys.txt - the log from GetRunKey.bat
      • newfiles.txt - the log from ShowNew.bat
      • HijackThis
    NOTE: You can only attach 3 files in a single message so it will require that you use two messages to attach all of these logs!
     
  3. bekabam

    bekabam Private E-2

    In the Read & Run me First tutorial, to run Counter Spy you must be in normal boot mode and not safe mode. Do you want me to reboot into normal mode with system restore on, because won't that just return everything I've done back to its original form.

    And also, should I be in safe mode without networking for best results, because I'm in safe mode with networking now.
     
  4. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    It does not say that in the READ ME. Running CounterSpy is in step 5 and you are in safe mode in step 5.

    System Restore is on in safe mode and in normal mode. We did not tell you to disable it yet. That is in step 8 and that is only done after malware has been removed. Malware does not automatically reappear from System Restore just because System Restore is enabled. You would have to do a restore from an infected restore point.

    The only scans you need to have network connectivity for are the online scans. The read me tells to do the below:
    Code:
    [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][COLOR=black]Physically unplug your cable to the internet (even if you have dial-up, unplug modem)[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] 
    [FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][COLOR=black]Shut down ALL unrequired applications [B]including browsers[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] 
    
    Which means it does not matter whether you are in plain safe mode or in safe mode with networking.
     
  5. bekabam

    bekabam Private E-2

    I had some trouble with CounterSpy and getting to see the logs, but this is what I have so far.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. bekabam

    bekabam Private E-2

    Part 2
     

    Attached Files:

  7. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Okay since you did not save a log from CounterSpy it is of no use to us anymore. Uninstall CounterSpy now!
    1. Download this file - combofix.exe
    2. Double click combofix.exe & follow the prompts.
    3. When finished, it will produce a log for you. Attach this log to your next reply
    Note:

    Do not mouseclick combofix's window while it is running. That may cause it to stall.


    Run HijackThis and select the following lines but DO NOT CLICK FIX until you exit all browser sessions including the one you are reading in right now:

    F2 - REG:system.ini: UserInit=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Userinit.exe,cjangcq.exe
    O2 - BHO: (no name) - {02478D38-C3F9-4efb-9B51-7695ECA05670} - (no file)
    O2 - BHO: (no name) - {7E853D72-626A-48EC-A868-BA8D5E23E045} - (no file)
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_01\bin\jusched.exe"
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SManager] smanager.7.exe
    O20 - Winlogon Notify: nnnnlkl - C:\WINDOWS\

    After clicking Fix, exit HJT.

    Now Copy the bold text below to notepad. Save it as fixME.reg to your desktop. Be sure the "Save as" type is set to "all files" Once you have saved it double click it and allow it to merge with the registry.
    Now reboot in normal mode

    After reboot, delete the below files if found:
    C:\WINDOWS\emdat.tm
    C:\WINDOWS\TWFyaw\nqIVuT.vbs
    C:\WINDOWS\system32\smanager.7.exe

    Now attach the below new logs and tell me how the above steps went.

    1. GetRunKey
    2. ShowNew
    3. HJT
    Make sure you tell me how things are working now!
     
  8. bekabam

    bekabam Private E-2

    I followed your directions and I now have my computer looking back to normal. Here are the keys to see if the computer is actually clean.

    There were only one thing in your directions that I couldn't do, #1 HJT did not show

    F2 - REG:system.ini: UserInit=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Userinit.exe,cjangcq.exe

    and so I couldn't fix it

    Also, C:\WINDOWS\TWFyaw\nqIVuT.vbs was the only one I could find and delete after reboot.

    All in all my computer seems back to normal, only weird thing is there is a new icon for IE on my desktop and my windows firewall turned itself back on, but I doubt any of that is a big deal.
     

    Attached Files:

  9. bekabam

    bekabam Private E-2

    combo fix log
     

    Attached Files:

  10. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Your Windows firewall should be on since you do not have a real firewall installed.

    Goto Add/Remove programs and uninstall Outerinfo

    If you cannot uninstall it or it is not found, run this: Getting Uninstall Programs List From The Registryand attach the log

    Also delete the below file:
    C:\WINDOWS\system32\wapisvtr32.exe


    Then attach a new log from ShowNew
     
  11. bekabam

    bekabam Private E-2

    C:\WINDOWS\system32\wapisvtr32.exe

    was deleted easily

    Outerinfo was uninstalled

    Here is the new Shownew log
     

    Attached Files:

  12. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Your log is clean. If you are not having any other malware problems, it is time to do our final steps:
    1. If we used Pocket Killbox during your cleanup, do the below
      • Run Pocket Killbox and select File, Cleanup, Delete All Backups
    2. If we used ComboFix, you can delete the ComboFix.exe file, C:\ComboFix folder, C:\QooBox folder, and the C:\combofix.txt log that was created.
    3. If we user SDFix you can delete all the SDFix related files and folders from your Desktop or whereever you installed it.
    4. If we used VundoFix, you can delete the VundoFix.exe file and the C:\VundoFix Backups folder and C:\vundofix.txt log that was created.
    5. If we had your run FixWareOut, you can delete the Fixwareout.exe file and the C:\fixwareout folder.
    6. If we had you run Avenger, you can delete all files related to Avenger now.
    7. If we had you download any registry patches like fixme.reg or fixWLK.reg (or any others), you can delete these files now.
    8. You can delete the ShowNew.Zip and GetRunkey.Zip files and the files that you extracted from the ZIP files. You can also delete the C:\newfiles.txt and C:\runkeys.txt logs that were created
    9. If you are running Windows XP or Windows ME, do the below:
      • go back to step 8 of the READ & RUN ME to Disable System Restore which will flush your Restore Points.
      • Then reboot and Enable System Restore to create a new clean Restore Point.
    10. After doing the above, you should work thru the below link:
     

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