Coulomb Dialer, Ad-Aware, and TheGrooveAlliance

Discussion in 'Malware Help - MG (A Specialist Will Reply)' started by thai_american_42, Dec 3, 2007.

  1. thai_american_42

    thai_american_42 Corporal

    When I run Ad-Aware, every now and then it detects <snip>- a pornography related dialer that connects to the Internet or another computer network without user permission. I do not connect to the Internet via a phone line, so I am unsure whether I need to worry about the Coulomb Dialer.

    In any event, I've used Ad-Aware to delete the Coulomb Dialer. However, now I am getting annoyed Ad-Aware every now and then detects the Coulomb Dialer. I had assumed it was because of some website area I visited I have no clue as to what website that might be 'cause I don't visit porno websites.

    I looked further into the Ad-Aware report. It provides a link to Groove.x32 as being the source for the Coulomb Dialer. A search of the Internet for Groove.x32 and Coulomb Dialer brings up personal computer sites such as

    C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MACROMED\Shockwave 8\xtras\download\TheGrooveAlliance\3DGrooveXtrav18\Groove.x32

    C:\Documents and Settings\Application Data\Macromedia\Shockwave Player\xtras\download\TheGrooveAlliance\3DGrooveXtrav181\Groove.x32

    I found my "TheGrooveAlliance" folder on my hard drive and deleted it. I left it in my Recycle Bin until I was sure that Shockwave Player was functioning correctly (so that I could restore TheGrooveAlliance if I need to).

    I'm posting this in case someone else is following in my footsteps. Also, if you have come up with a better way to rid my harddrive of this occasional problem, please post it in this thread. Thanks.
     
  2. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

  3. thai_american_42

    thai_american_42 Corporal

    Thanks. I followed READ & RUN ME FIRST. Malware Removal Guide and found no problems. The Coulomb Dialer has not come back.
     
  4. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    If you would attach the MGLogs.zip ....I will be able to see if there are any hidden nasties still on your system.
     
  5. thai_american_42

    thai_american_42 Corporal

    Since it has been a few weeks, I reran READ & RUN ME FIRST. Malware Removal Guide. Attached is my MGLogs.zip file.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Looks good....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, C:\WINDOWS\nircmd.exe, C:\combofix.txt and C:\ComboFix-quarantined-files.txt logs 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 SmitFraudFix, you can delete all files and folders related to it now including the c:\rapport.txt log.
    5. 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.
    6. If we had your run FixWareOut, you can delete the Fixwareout.exe file and the C:\fixwareout folder.
    7. If we had you run Avenger, you can delete all files related to Avenger now.
    8. If we had you download any registry patches like fixme.reg or fixWLK.reg (or any others), you can delete these files now.
    9. You can delete the C:\MGtools folder and the C:\MGtools.exe file. You can also delete the C:\MGlogs.zip
    10. If you are running Windows XP or Windows ME, do the below:
    * Refer to the cleaning steps in the READ ME for your Window version and see the steps to Disable System Restore which will flush your Restore Points.
    * Then reboot and Enable System Restore to create a new clean Restore Point.
    11. After doing the above, you should work thru the below link:
    * How to Protect yourself from malware!
     

MajorGeeks.Com Menu

Downloads All In One Tweaks \ Android \ Anti-Malware \ Anti-Virus \ Appearance \ Backup \ Browsers \ CD\DVD\Blu-Ray \ Covert Ops \ Drive Utilities \ Drivers \ Graphics \ Internet Tools \ Multimedia \ Networking \ Office Tools \ PC Games \ System Tools \ Mac/Apple/Ipad Downloads

Other News: Top Downloads \ News (Tech) \ Off Base (Other Websites News) \ Way Off Base (Offbeat Stories and Pics)

Social: Facebook \ YouTube \ Twitter \ Tumblr \ Pintrest \ RSS Feeds