Browser Redirect/Hijacking Problem

Welcome to Major Geeks!

There are a number of infections around that will infect hardware external to your PC. Thus reinstalling your PC would not fix the problem. Let's see if that is your problem.

Some of these infections 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. Then after the reconfiguartion, power down your router and also power down your cable or DSL modem too. Wait a minute and turn everything back on. See if there is any change.

 

Download TDSSKiller from Kaspersky to your directly onto your Desktop

• Now double click the TDSSkiller.exe file to run it ( if using Vista or Windows 7 do not double click on it but rather, right click and select Run As Administrartor. )
• Allow the application to run if prompted by Windows or any security programs you have installed
• It will start the scan and run rather quickly and will notify you of whether anything is found or not.
• Follow the instructions to delete/quarantine if asks you what to do when if finds something.
• Whether an infection is found or not, a log file should be created on your C: drive ( or whatever drive you boot from) in the root folder named something like TDSSKiller.2.1.1_27.12.2009_14.17.04_log.txt which is based on the program version # and date and time run. Please attach this log to your next reply. (See: HOW TO: Attach Items To Your Post )

 

None of your logs show any problems. When you said you reset your router, do you mean that you actually reset it back to factory defaults?

Do you have any other PCs connected to this router? If yes, do any of them display the same problem with redirections?


Let's do one more scan.

Please also download MBRCheck to your desktop

• Double click MBRCheck.exe to run (vista and Win 7 right click and select Run as Administrator)
• It will show a Black screen with some information that will contain either the below line if no problem is found:
  • Done! Press ENTER to exit...
• Or you will see more information like below if a problem is found:
  • Found non-standard or infected MBR.
  • Enter 'Y' and hit ENTER for more options, or 'N' to exit:
• Either way, just choose to exit the program at this point since we want to see only the scan results to begin with.
• MBRCheck will create a log named similar to MBRCheck_07.16.10_00.32.33.txt which is random based on date and time.
• Attach this log to your next message. (See: HOW TO: Attach Items To Your Post )

 

We don't need a HijackThis log as we already have the info. That file is part of your Kaspersky antivirus.


What browser are you using when you get redirected?
Have you tried more than one browser?
Have you tested to see if it occurs in safe boot mode?

 

Another question, why are you running original Vista with no service pack updates? You are way out of date.

 

Okay hangon I think I see the problem. I had assumed this was something you installed but now I'm betting it is the problem.


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 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!

 

Shutdown Chrome completely. Then run Internet Explorer and see if you have the same problem (make sure that Chrome is not running).

 

Why is Veetle always showing as running in your logs? You should only be running it when you want to use it which should not be 100% of the time. Did you knowingly install this and did your problem show up around the same time?



I have one more fix I want to apply using 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 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!

 

It could be related to how you got the infection. All of the below and this Spigot stuff showed up at the same time

Code:

Dec 20 2010              "PDFCreator"
Dec 20 2010              "pdfforge Toolbar"
 Dec 20 2010              "Veetle"

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:
    • How to Protect yourself from malware!

 

Please test using Internet Explore with Chrome shut down.

Also see what happens in safe boot mode.

 

Okay then in normal boot mode with Chrome shutdown, right click on your IE icon on your Desktop and select Start Without Add-ons

Does it run okay with no add-ons?

 

Then you need to slowly enable/disable addons from within IE ( i.e., click Tools, Manage Addons ) and figure out which is the problem.

See if you can do similar with Chrome. If not then uninstall it. Delete all folders for it and then reinstall. I don't use or like Chrome at all so I cannot assist you with how to manage addons with it.

 

You're welcome. Let me know the results.