Concerned with dialer found

Discussion in 'Malware Help (A Specialist Will Reply)' started by Bigaldizzzle, Nov 30, 2007.

  1. Bigaldizzzle

    Bigaldizzzle Private E-2

    Hi Majorgeeks!
    I am a bit concerned with a dialer found on my computer. The dialer is called a coulomb dialer and was picked up with lavasoft adaware 2 days ago 11/28/08. Either this was recently installed on my computer or my primary scanner has always missed this. My primary spyware scanners are Spysweeper WebRoot with all shields on, and AVG free spyware scanner (formerly enwido?) to pick up whatever WebRoot left behind which usually isn't much. For those wonder, long story short my cousin wanted his stick of ram back my comp was laggin so I removed spysweeper temporarily and downloaded ad aware free scanner for the mean time...My concern is that I maybe effected by it and may get a huge phone bill :cry.

    I would like to know if I am safe from the dialer?
    I am connected to the internet via a d-link wireless-g usb card. My ISP is att formerly yahoo sbc dsl. On my computer I have a 56k modem installed but no phone line plugged into it as I am on wireless connection.

    On bro's computer with the dsl modem connected to it. No 56k modem installed inside the pc. The dsl modem is connected to the computer via ethernet from dsl modem and dsl modem to phoneline to phone jack.
    Can the dialer travel from my network connection to my brother's comp?

    Did I properly remove the dialer?
    I am scanned and removed the coulomb dialer in normal mode and in windows safe mode using adaware's removal system. I have ran a full scan again with adaware in normal mode and 0 critical file show.

    Thanks! :)
     
    Bigaldizzzle, Nov 30, 2007
    #1
  2. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Welcome to Majorgeeks!

    Well to be fairly sure you have no dialer on your PC now its best to run the below and follow the final scans for attachment that are applicable to your Windows version, while you may have gotten rid of the dialer, malware these days comes in small packs so if you have one infection its likely you have more.

    Please follow the instructions in the below link and attach the requested logs when you finish these instructions.

    READ & RUN ME FIRST. Malware Removal Guide
     
    DavidGP, Nov 30, 2007
    #2
  3. Bigaldizzzle

    Bigaldizzzle Private E-2

    I will do as you say soon...I am busy at the moment, but I was like to know just to be safe...can spyware and malware spread from my computer to other computer set up on my network?

    I scanned my other computer and its clean...I told my brother to scan his computer and he said its clean as well. The computer is connected to a 2wire modem/router with firewall on. Thanks!
     
    Bigaldizzzle, Nov 30, 2007
    #3
  4. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Depending on what it is the answer is yes. Thus you should drop whatever you are doing and get busy on what Halo gave to you just in case you have any serious malware. Also a dialer can wind up costing you hundreds if not thousands of dollars on a phone bill per day. If we wind up finding out that you are clean, that's great. But better to be safe than sorry.
     
    chaslang, Dec 1, 2007
    #4
  5. Bigaldizzzle

    Bigaldizzzle Private E-2

    Alright, I will get too it I got finals coming up and college apps I was busy with at the moment.

    One thing...when I log in to my account on the bottom left hand side it says under N/A it says cash? is that money I have to pay for help, help at on this forum is free right? whats the cash for? :cool

    Edit: Little more info about whats up
    Well the dialer, called coulomb dialer was found in folder Online Services -> peoplepc
    Online Services come preloaded on my HP computer I think I maybe preloaded on all HP computer. I dont know if this maybe a false positive but I never heard of a dialer but it sounds scary. SpySweeper and AVG spyware (formerly enwido) didn't pick up the dialer. The file itself that was infected was inside peoplepc called altbrowser.exe Any idea if this is bad? I dont have dial up, I use dsl to connect to the internet am I safe from it?
     
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2007
    Bigaldizzzle, Dec 1, 2007
    #5
  6. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Forum is free and the members reply to posts freely in their spare time, that cash is to do with the forums Casino play area, which is free and no live money is used or won.


    See if PeoplePC is listed in Add/Remove and uninstall it, yes your correct some ISPs pay OEMs like HP to pre-load items like this.

    But as Chaslang mentions to be fully sure your PC is free from malware, you'd need to run the guide and he or one of the other malware experts can advise you.... likely that the scanner has picted up this dialer app from PeoplePC as a false positive, but in this day and age of malware can you take the risk that its not malware disguised?
     
    DavidGP, Dec 1, 2007
    #6
  7. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    If you don't use PeoplePC as your ISP then you can just delete the whole PeoplePC folder. This is not really a dialer. It is considered adware by some. However it is really not a major issuue.
     
    chaslang, Dec 1, 2007
    #7
  8. Bigaldizzzle

    Bigaldizzzle Private E-2

    Hey chaslang or whoever can answer this...

    I googled peoplepc altbrowswer.exe and coulomb dialer and read other peoples post regarding this...I was wondering why adaware never fixed this if it was a false positive. I also read Norton detects this file also but calls it ezula or something like that....

    I was at my aunts house...realizing she had the same exact HP model computer I have I dl adaware 2007 Free updated it and ran a full scan...same thing pops up in the same folder online services -> peoplepc -> utilities -> altbrowser.exe

    Edit: On my computer full scan in safe mode...it also reported a file in c: system volume information _restore as related to coulomb dialer....which I removed with adaware...

    I dunno but I am still kinda worried...I wont be able to see my phone bill until a few more weeks...:cry I hope nothing bad happens.
     
    Bigaldizzzle, Dec 2, 2007
    #8
  9. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    There are hundreds of things that can be considered "potentially dangerous" or "potentially unwanted" however some people still may need to use the software. P2P downloaders are great examples. Scanners detected these too but most people still leave them installed an use them. ;)

    So if you don't use this software, you can easily just delete it yourself.

    No you didn't. No scanners can remove anything in System Restore. You need to disable system restore to remove restore points and then re-enable system restore.
     
    chaslang, Dec 3, 2007
    #9

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