Google Firefox & Chrome Redirect Virus

Discussion in 'Malware Help - MG (A Specialist Will Reply)' started by geek_mark, Aug 26, 2010.

  1. geek_mark

    geek_mark Private E-2

    I have read through the other threads that are similar to this one, but no matter what steps I take, I can not get ride of this problem. I've run Malwarebytes, SuperAntiSpyware, AVG, Norton Anti Virus, ... Full Scans, Quick Scans and still the pest won't go away. I also have run CCleanup a few times with no luck. Any help is appreciated.

    OS: Win 7 Pro
    Browsers:
    FireFox: 3.6.8
    Chrome: 5.0

    It doesn't seem to be a prevalent in chrome as it is in firefox, but maybe that is because I don't use it (chrome that is) that much. I can not get this to happen in my IE browser.

    I have noticed that the redirect always happens after I restart the browser and lets say do a google search for "lochkeed jobs" then click on the lockheed job link. It sends me off to somewhere like 7 Search. If I hit the back button and click on the link again, it will take me to the correct location.

    Attached are the log files from Malwarebytes, TDSSKiller and HiJackThis.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Welcome to Major Geeks!

    There are many DNS infections around that are known to infect router hardware. If you have a router hooked up then you need to follow the instructions for your hardware and reset it to factory default settings. Normally there is a recessed push button type switch that needs to be held down for some number of seconds to do this. After resetting to factory defaults on your router, you will need to reconfigure the router for your network if you have made any changes to the default network setup.


    If the above does not help, you will need to do all of the below.


    Please read ALL of this message including the notes before doing anything.

    Please follow the instructions in the below link:


    READ & RUN ME FIRST. Malware Removal Guide


    and attach the requested logs when you finish these instructions.
    • **** If something does not run, write down the info to explain to us later but keep on going. ****
    • Do not assume that because one step does not work that they all will not. MGtools will frequently run even when all other tools will not.

    • After completing the READ & RUN ME and attaching your logs, make sure that you tell us what problems still remain ( if any still do )!
    Helpful Notes:

    1. If you run into problems trying to run the READ & RUN ME or any of the scans in normal boot mode, you can run the steps in safe boot mode but make sure you tell us what you did later when you post logs. See the below if you do not know how to boot in safe mode:
    2. If you have problems downloading on the problem PC, download the tools and the manual updates for SUPERAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes ( links are given in the READ & RUN ME) onto another PC and then burn to a CD. Then copy them to the problem PC. You will have to skip getting updates if (and only if) your internet connection does not work. Yes you could use a flash drive too but flash drives are writeable and infections can spread to them.
    3. If you cannot seem to login to an infected user account, try using a different user account (if you have one) in either normal or safe boot mode and running only SUPERAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes while logged into this other user account. Then reboot and see if you can log into the problem user account. If you can then run SUPERAntiSpyware, Malwarebytes, ComboFix and MGtools on the infected account as requested in the instructions.
    4. To avoid additional delay in getting a response, it is strongly advised that after completing the READ & RUN ME you also read this sticky:
    Any additional post is a bump which will add more delay. Once you attach the logs, your thread will be in the work queue and as stated our system works the oldest threads FIRST.
     
  3. geek_mark

    geek_mark Private E-2

    Thanks for the reply ..

    OK, I can do this, but before I screw up the settings in my router, I have a quick question.

    If it were the router, wouldn't other computers that are connected to the router be suffering from the same problem?

    I read the best way to determine if the router is the culprit is to hook the infective computer straight into the modem. I think I might do that, but the problem is the computer that is suffering the attack is a desktop, so I'll need to cart it and the monitor downstairs and create some space around the modem.
     
  4. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Normally that would be the case.

    Yes this would be a good test. Assuming the malware creators have not figured out how to infect cable and DSL modems yet.;)

    Why? Can't you just swap some cables around to get a connection from the modem to the PC without moving? Even if you have to use an ethernet coupler ( if you have one ).
     
  5. geek_mark

    geek_mark Private E-2

    OK, to make sure the router was not the problem, I swapped my current router out for another that I had just recently purchased for my daughter. This way I didn't have to screw around with my current router setups. Well, with the new router, I was still having the redirect problem. So now I can eliminate the router being the problem. I swapped the old router back in, and placed the new router back in the box to send off to my daughter down at school.

    I went through the procedures in step 3 and created the requested logs. I will attach them in two separate posts as requested. I am currently having the same google redirect problems as before, so the scans that I did in step 3 did not fix the problem. This bug is very clever, in that it doesn't redirect every time you click on a specific link. Sometimes it will send you to the correct link, and sometimes it will send you off to some advertisement link.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. geek_mark

    geek_mark Private E-2

    Here are the other two log files ....
     

    Attached Files:

  7. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Now we need to use ComboFix to remove some malware
    • Make sure that combofix.exe that you downloaded while doing the READ & RUN ME is on your Desktop but Do not run it!
      • If it is not on your Desktop, the below will not work.
    • Also make sure you have shut down all protection software (antivirus, antispyware...etc) or they may get in the way of allowing ComboFix to run properly.
    • If ComboFix tells you it has expired or need to be updated to a new version, make sure you allow it to update.
    • Open Notepad and copy/paste the text in the below quote box into it:
    • Save the above as CFscript.txt and make sure you save it to the same location (should be on your Desktop) as ComboFix.exe
    • At this point, you MUST EXIT ALL BROWSERS NOW before continuing!
    • You should have both the ComboFix.exe and CFScript.txt icons on your Desktop.
    • Now use your mouse to drag CFscript.txt on top of ComboFix.exe
    • Follow the prompts.
    • When it finishes, a log will be produced named c:\combofix.txt
    • I will ask for this log below
    Note:

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

    Now run Ccleaner. Only use the Run Cleaner button. Do not run anything else on any other forms.

    Now run the C:\MGtools\GetLogs.bat file by double clicking on it (Note: if using Vista or Win7, don't double click, use right click and select Run As Administrator).

    Then attach the below logs:
    • C:\ComboFix.txt
    • C:\MGlogs.zip
    Make sure you tell me how things are working now!
     
  8. geek_mark

    geek_mark Private E-2

    I ran the requested programs and I have attached the logs. The system is still behaving in the same manner. i.e.

    Went to Google typed in "home loans"

    clicked on the second link which read:
    Mortgage - Home Loans - Refinance - Mortgage Refinancing ...
    and should of taken me to:
    http://www.lendingtree.com

    but instead I went to:
    http://shopcompareus.com/ac/search....uid=af8a21f315ce6f0f5970f7e9b98a6458&src=miva

    If I hit the back button and clink on the link again, I will be sent to the lending tree site.
     

    Attached Files:

  9. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Uninstall the below old versions of software:
    Java(TM) 6 Update 20
    Java(TM) SE Development Kit 6 Update 17

    Now we need to use ComboFix again.
    • Make sure that combofix.exe that you downloaded while doing the READ & RUN ME is on your Desktop but Do not run it!
      • If it is not on your Desktop, the below will not work.
    • Also make sure you have shut down all protection software (antivirus, antispyware...etc) or they may get in the way of allowing ComboFix to run properly.
    • If ComboFix tells you it has expired or need to be updated to a new version, make sure you allow it to update.
    • Open Notepad and copy/paste the text in the below quote box into it:
    • Save the above as CFscript.txt and make sure you save it to the same location (should be on your Desktop) as ComboFix.exe
    • At this point, you MUST EXIT ALL BROWSERS NOW before continuing!
    • You should have both the ComboFix.exe and CFScript.txt icons on your Desktop.
    • Now use your mouse to drag CFscript.txt on top of ComboFix.exe
    • Follow the prompts.
    • When it finishes, a log will be produced named c:\combofix.txt
    • I will ask for this log below
    Note:

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


    After reboot, now install the current version of Sun Java from: Sun Java Runtime Environment

    Now run Ccleaner. Only use the Run Cleaner button. Do not run anything else on any other forms.

    Now run the C:\MGtools\GetLogs.bat file by double clicking on it (Note: if using Vista or Win7, don't double click, use right click and select Run As Administrator).

    Then attach the below logs:
    • C:\ComboFix.txt
    • C:\MGlogs.zip
    Make sure you tell me how things are working now!
     
  10. geek_mark

    geek_mark Private E-2

    Well the last steps seem to have solved the problem. I've been using my system for over a day since completing the steps, and I have not had any google redirects.

    I have attached the requested logs.

    Thanks for all the help, you are AWESOME!!

    -mark
     

    Attached Files:

  11. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    You're welcome. Your logs are clean.


    If you are not having any other malware problems, it is time to do our final steps:
    1. We recommend you keep SUPERAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for scanning/removal of malware. Unless you purchase them, they provide no protection. They do not use any significant amount of resources ( except a little disk space ) until you run a scan.
    2. If we had you use ComboFix, uninstall ComboFix (This uninstall will only work as written if you installed ComboFix on your Desktop like we requested.)
      • Click START then RUN and enter the below into the run box and then click OK. Note the quotes are required
      • "%userprofile%\Desktop\combofix" /uninstall
        • Notes: The space between the combofix" and the /uninstall, it must be there.
        • This will uninstall ComboFix and also reset hidden files and folders settings back to Windows defaults.
    3. Go back to step 6 oof the READ ME and renable your Disk Emulation software with Defogger if you had disabled it.
    4. Any other miscellaneous tools we may have had you install or download can be uninstalled and deleted.
    5. If we had you download any registry patches like fixme.reg or fixWLK.reg (or any others), you can delete these files now.
    6. If running Vista, it is time to make sure you have reenabled UAC by double clicking on the C:\MGtools\enableUAC.reg file and allowing it to be added to the registry.
    7. Go to add/remove programs and uninstall HijackThis.
    8. Goto the C:\MGtools folder and find the MGclean.bat file. Double click on this file to run this cleanup program that will remove files and folders
      related to MGtools and some other items from our cleaning procedures.
    9. If you are running Win 7, Vista, Windows XP or Windows ME, do the below:
      • Refer to the cleaning procedures pointed to by step 7 of the READ ME
        for your Window version and see the instructions 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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