HelpAssistant - 1

Discussion in 'Malware Help - MG (A Specialist Will Reply)' started by hmh11, Oct 30, 2009.

  1. hmh11

    hmh11 Private E-2

    Hello,

    Log files attached.

    I have a PC running XP Home SP3. Problem started on Tuesday, when my computer slowed significantly. Information follows.

    1. Computer nearly paralyzed during the first ten minutes after startup, during which time the system light is flashing continuously. Computer then returns to normal but reverts to paralysis intermittently, maybe once every hour or so, as the system light again starts to flash.

    2. In "C:\Documents and Settings", there is a folder, named "HelpAssistant", that was not there before, or at least I have never noticed it. It is similar in contents to the "Default" and the "Default User" folders in the same directory. If I delete "HelpAssistant", it reappears after restart.

    3. Computer will not go into stand by mode. It freezes at the "Preparing for standby" screen. Hard reboot necessary to restart.

    3. Blue screen of death has appeared without warning 5 or 6 times since problem first noticed on Tuesday.

    4. On Wednesday, I received an e-mail from my ISP (Rogers) that my computer appears to be infected with an "IRC Bot/Virus". The ISP will disable my internet connection if the infection is not removed by tomorrow.

    Scans identified malware, but problem, for the most part, persists. System is is perhaps more stable after initial 10 minutes of suggishness after start up than before. Files in the HelpAssistant folder are overwritten during startup, blue screen of death last appeared this afternoon, about 5 minutes after running ComboFix, system will not go into stand by.

    Any help is appreciated.

    Thanks,

    David
     

    Attached Files:

  2. hmh11

    hmh11 Private E-2

    HelpAssistant - 2

    Hello,

    Final log file attached.

    Thanks,

    David
     

    Attached Files:

  3. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Welcome to Major Geeks!

    While the HelpAssistant user account can be valid, this is not the case for you. You have a Master Boot Record (MBR) infection known as mebroot which is the cause of this.

    You need to boot to the Recovery Console which you installed while following the ComboFix instructions. Once in the Recovery Console, you need to run the fixmbr command and then reboot normally. For additional info about the Recovery Console you can refer to the below link:

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058

    After running the fixmbr command and boot back to normal mode, continue with the below.


    Uninstall the below old version of Spybot:
    Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.5.2.20

    Now you must disable Spybot's Teatimer as requested in the READ & RUN ME. See this: How to disable Spybot's TeaTimer


    Run C:\MGtools\analyse.exe by double clicking on it (Note: if using Vista, don't double click, use right click and select Run As Administrator). This is really HijackThis (select Do a system scan only) 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:

    O2 - BHO: (no name) - {5C255C8A-E604-49b4-9D64-90988571CECB} - (no file)
    O3 - Toolbar: Adobe PDF - {47833539-D0C5-4125-9FA8-0819E2EAAC93} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat 6.0\Acrobat\AcroIEFavClient.dll (file missing)
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WebSavingsfromEbates] javaw -cp "C:\Program Files\WebSavingsfromEbates\System\Code" Main lp: "C:\Program Files\WebSavingsfromEbates"
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PayTime] C:\WINDOWS\system32\paytime.exe
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [P2P Networking] C:\WINDOWS\System32\P2P Networking\P2P Networking.exe /AUTOSTART
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [KernelFaultCheck] %systemroot%\system32\dumprep 0 -k
    O16 - DPF: {193C772A-87BE-4B19-A7BB-445B226FE9A1} (ewidoOnlineScan Control) - http://download.ewido.net/ewidoOnlineScan.cab
    O16 - DPF: {2119776A-F1AD-4FCD-9548-F1E1C615350C} - http://www.stop-sign.com/pub/download/scandl_cnry.cab

    After clicking Fix, exit HJT.


    Now we need to use ComboFix
    • 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 download the current version of MGtools and save it to your root folder. Overwrite your previous MGtools.exe file with this one.

    Run MGtools.exe ( Note: If using Vista make sure UAC is still disabled. Also don't double click on it, use right click and select Run As Administrator )


    Now attach the below log:
    • C:\ComboFix.txt
    • C:\MGlogs.zip
    Make sure you tell me how things are working now!
     
  4. hmh11

    hmh11 Private E-2

    Hi Chaslang,

    I did as instructed and my system has regained much of its youthful vigour.

    I made one error, my apologies. I doubled-clicked on ComboFix.exe as I thought it necessary for the program to check for updates. I realized my mistake after about a minute (during which time ComboFix updated), cancelled, and then proceeded as per instructions.

    I see you killed the C:\Documents and Settings\HelpAssistant folder, but it is still there.

    Files attached.

    Thanks,

    David
     

    Attached Files:

  5. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Based on your log, it appears that ComboFix did not attempt to delete it. See if you can manually delete it. Boot in safe mode if necessary to delete it. Also check Control Panel -> User Accounts to make sure this account is deleted.

    Let me know the result. The MBR infection appears to be fixed now and your logs are clean.
     
  6. hmh11

    hmh11 Private E-2

    Hi Chaslang,

    I was able to delete the HelpAssistant folder. I also deleted all but the most recent Windows updater uninstall files, which released nearly a gigabyte of hard disk space. System is in fine form now, thanks to you. Many other, monstly minor, issues have also been resolved as a result of the clean up.

    Oddly, yesterday I received the same e-mail (about my system being infected with an IRC Bot/Virus) from my ISP that I mentioned in my first post. Technical support was unhelpful. I will just wait and see. My logs are clean and my system for the first time in a long time is running as if it is unshackled.

    Should I now proceed with the eight "final steps"?

    Regards,

    David
     
  7. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    You're welcome.

    Yes you need to do the below including toggling of System Restore to remove any remnants hiding there.



    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" /u
        • Notes: The space between the combofix" and the /u, it must be there.
        • This will uninstall ComboFix and also reset hidden files and folders settings back to Windows defaults.
    3. Any other miscellaneous tools we may have had you install or download can be uninstalled and deleted.
    4. If we had you download any registry patches like fixme.reg or fixWLK.reg (or any others), you can delete these files now.
    5. 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.
    6. Go to add/remove programs and uninstall HijackThis.
    7. 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.
    8. If you are running Vista, Windows XP or Windows ME, do the below:
      • Refer to the cleaning procedures pointed to by step 6 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.
    9. After doing the above, you should work thru the below link:
     
  8. hmh11

    hmh11 Private E-2

    Hi Chaslang,

    Many thanks for you help.

    Regards,

    David
     
  9. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    You're welcome. Surf safely!
     

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