Please help: redirect from search engine malware

Discussion in 'Malware Help (A Specialist Will Reply)' started by Ross_Path, Jan 21, 2010.

  1. Ross_Path

    Ross_Path Private E-2

    Five days ago I somehow acquired malware(s) that had two symptoms:
    1) changed screen background, and multiple warnings that I am infected
    2) redirecting me to other sites when I click on URL's obtained via a search engine (e.g. Google, Yahoo). I have followed the steps posted on this forum, following every last detail.

    I followed the step-by-step instructions, and symptom (1) cleared up, but symptom (2) persisted. So I repeated the steps, this time literally with pen/paper to make sure that I followed each and every step precisely. Unfortunately, symptom (2) -- redirection from search engines -- remains a persistent problem.

    The only step I couldn't perform each time was the Combofix -- despite carefully turning off all AV software and windows firewall...it wouldn't run. Each time I tried to run ComboFix, the computer hangs up before getting to the first Combofix screen. Here are the other four logs obtained from the most recent round of cleaning.

    I'm getting desparate. Thank you for your help.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    What is this ( is it ComboFIx renamed? If so, please rename it back to ComboFix.exe):
    C:\Documents and Settings\KKTA\Desktop\7vwc23ww.exe

    Please do the following:
    Download The Avenger by Swandog469, and save it to your Desktop.
    * Extract+ avenger.exe from the Zip file and save it to your desktop

    Please disable all anti-virus and anti-spyware programs while we do the following (re-enable when you are finished):

    * Run avenger.exe by double-clicking on it.
    * -Do not change any check box options!!
    * Copy everything in the Quote box below, and paste it into the Input script here: part of the window:

    * Now click the Execute button.
    * Click Yes to the prompt to confirm you want to execute.
    * Click Yes to the Reboot now? question that will appear when Avenger finishes running.
    * Your PC should reboot, if not, reboot it yourself.
    * A log file from Avenger will be produced at C:\avenger.txt and it will popup for you to view when you login after reboot.

    Now see if you can run ComboFix and attach the log if you can run it.

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

    Then attach the below logs:

    * C:\Avenger.txt
    * C:\MGlogs.zip

    Make sure you tell me how things are working now!
     
  3. Ross_Path

    Ross_Path Private E-2

    Thank you for writing!

    Before you wrote back, in my inpatience I scanned through advise given to others on this forum for this exact problem. I decided to follow one recommendation (even though I knew that my malware infection may be something different). At any rate, that advice was to download and run tdsskiller.zip, extract, and then run TDSSKiller.exe. I did this, and was delighted to see that this manuever cleared up the symptom of redirection from websearch engines.

    I then read your recommendations below. To answer your first question, I do not know what is C:\Documents and Settings\KKTA\Desktop\7vwc23ww.exe
    I don't know if it is ComboFix renamed...(I never changed the name of ComboFix, but I did have to download it via MajorGeeks several times, because my McAfee Enterprise Antivirus would keep identifying it as malware, and then process it as such.)

    I followed your instructions below. ComboFix ran successfully! Hooray! (Although the log files indicate that McAfee Enterprise Antivirus was running during ComboFix, please recognize that I could not figure out how to terminate the program aside from uninstalling it..there is no option to exit/terminate the application. Rather, I can only open up the application's VIRUS SCAN CONSOLE and inactivate the various scanners -- which I did before running ComboFix.)

    The requested logs are posted below. The machine has been running well without re-directs ever since running TDSSKiller.exe.

    Do you have any additional recommendations at this point?

    Thank you.
     

    Attached Files:

  4. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Looks good!

    If you don't know what this is:
    Code:
    "C:\Documents and Settings\KKTA\Desktop\"
    7vwc23ww.exe  Jan 24 2009    35195528  "7vwc23ww.exe"
    you can look at the properties to see if that rings a bell for you, but if you don't know, I would suggest you delete it.

    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 real-time protection. They are useful as backup scanners.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 /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 in step 3 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 ato create a new clean Restore Point.
    9. After doing the above, you should work thru the below link:
     

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