"The proxy server is refusing connections" and google search redirect

jgood · Jul 12, 2011

I picked up some sort of malware the other day that causes Firfox to give a "The proxy server is refusing connections" error every time I try to go to a website. Changing the proxy setting back to "no proxy" only works until the next time I close/reopen Firefox. When I do change it back and try to use Google search, however, it does a redirect with all links.

Internet Explorer has been unaffected through this, and works fine, along with all other aspects of the computer.

All programs in the malware removal guide worked fine with the exception of MGTools, which when I clicked the .exe in the C:/ drive, didn't do anything. It created a folder with files in the C:/ drive, but no batch files ran and no logs were cereated.

TimW · Jul 12, 2011

Please put ComboFix directly on your desktop as instructed, not here:
Running from: c:\documents and settings\DELL E510\My Documents\ComboFix.exe

Use windows explorer to find and delete:
c:\documents and settings\All Users\Application Data\nG01602IlLmN01602
c:\windows\Kfoluyiruburuyax.bin

Please click Start, Run, and enter cmd and click OK. This will open a command prompt window. Enter the below commands at the command prompt each followed by the enter key. The bold black are commands. The purple is merely informational.
cd \MGtools <-- this changes to the MGtools folder and the prompt should change to C:\MGtools>
GetRunKey <-- this will try to run all one scan from MGtools. Tell me what error messages, if any, you see.
ShowNew <-- this will try to run all another scan from MGtools. Tell me what error messages, if any, you see.

jgood · Jul 12, 2011

Sorry about that. New combofix log is attached, launched from desktop.

I've deleted both of those files.

Here is exactly what happened when I tried to use those commands in the command prompt:

------------------------
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\DELL E510>cd \MGTools

C:\MGtools>GetRunKey
'find' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\MGtools>ShowNew
'find' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\MGtools>
---------------------------

I tried backing out to the C:\ directory and using a few other common commands (ping, ipconfig, etc...) and got the same error message...

TimW · Jul 12, 2011

Please do this:
Change Proxy Settings.

Now go to C:\MGTools\analyse.exe and run it. Attach the log if it runs.

jgood · Jul 12, 2011

I am able to change the proxy setting to "No Proxy", but if I close and reopen Firefox, it reverts back to a manual setting.

I was able to run analyse.exe, the log is attached.

jgood · Jul 13, 2011

I was able to get the command prompts working that you asked me to run yesterday, in the MGtools folder. I messed up the Environmental Variables settings for the Path variable a while ago while trying to get some software working, and just corrected it, so now it works.

GetRunKey: Ran, gave me a log file, but also gave me this error message: "The application failed to start because frame.dyn.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix the problem.

ShowNew: Ran, no error messages.

Both logs are attached.

jgood · Jul 13, 2011

Since that worked, I tried MGtools.exe again, which worked. Attached is the log. Hopefully this was OK to do, I'm just trying to save us some time.

TimW · Jul 13, 2011

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

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyServer = http=127.0.0.1:51677
O20 - Winlogon Notify: !SASWinLogon - Invalid registry found
O20 - Winlogon Notify: avgrsstarter - Invalid registry found
Click to expand...

After clicking Fix, exit HJT.

Now use windows explorer to find and delete:
C:\Documents and Settings\DELL E510\Application Data\F32A.0B2

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:\MGlogs.zip
Make sure you tell me how things are working now!

jgood · Jul 13, 2011

I followed those steps, but the problem still remains, Firefox launches into "manual proxy configuration" every time. I change it to 'no proxy', close the browser, and when I reopen it, it's back to manual mode again.

The Google redirects issue disappeared at some point of the cleaning process yesterday, so it's just the proxy issue that remains.

I also noticed that even after deleting these two:

O20 - Winlogon Notify: !SASWinLogon - Invalid registry found
O20 - Winlogon Notify: avgrsstarter - Invalid registry found

They remain present in the HJT log. I did select them and 'fix' them, though.

TimW · Jul 13, 2011

We are going to be uninstalling your old version of FireFox and installing the new version. So do the below to save bookmarks:

Run FireFox and click Bookmarks.

Then select Organize Bootmarks.

Then on the next window click File and then select Export. Save the bookmarks.html file to your Desktop for later use in importing.

Now download and save the installer for the current version of FireFox but DO NOT install it yet. Get it here: Mozilla FireFox

You will need to exit FireFox now and use Internet Explorer to continue with the below until we reinstall FireFox.

Start by uninstalling FireFox and then reboot. Do not skip the reboot.
After reboot, delete the below folders:

C:\Documents and Settings\UserAccount\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox

where UserAccount is the actual user account name being used.

Now reinstall FireFox from the file previously downloaded.
Import your bookmarks file. (similar process to exporting).

Is FireFox working okay now?

jgood · Jul 13, 2011

It worked!!! Thank you so much!

The first time I tried it, when uninstalling, I did not check the box to remove personal data, etc...

Upon the reboot, the folders you asked me to delete were there, so I deleted them.

Reinstalled Firefox, and the problem remained. All of my saved data was there, like bookmarks, passwords, etc..., so I knew something was wrong.

So I started the process over, this time checking that box to delete the associated data. Upon reboot, the folders you asked me to delete were NOT there. I reinstalled Firefox. And now, all of my bookmarks, saved passwords, etc... are not there. And the proxy issue is gone.

Thanks again, I greatly appreciated it!!!

TimW · Jul 13, 2011

Good to know.

If you are not having any other malware problems, it is time to do our final steps:

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 do not use any significant amount of resources ( except a little disk space ) until you run a scan.We recommend them for doing backup scans when you suspect a malware infection.

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.

Go back to step 6 of the READ ME and renable your Disk Emulation software with Defogger if you had disabled it.

Any other miscellaneous tools we may have had you install or download can be uninstalled and deleted.

If we had you download any registry patches like fixme.reg or fixWLK.reg (or any others), you can delete these files now.

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.

Go to add/remove programs and uninstall HijackThis.

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.

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.

After doing the above, you should work thru the below link:

How to Protect yourself from malware!

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"The proxy server is refusing connections" and google search redirect

jgood Private E-2

Attached Files:

SASlog.txt

mbam-log.txt

rrlog.txt

ComboFix.txt

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

jgood Private E-2

Attached Files:

combolog.txt

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

jgood Private E-2

Attached Files:

hijackthis.log

jgood Private E-2

Attached Files:

runkeys.txt

newfiles.txt

jgood Private E-2

Attached Files:

MGlogs.zip

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

jgood Private E-2

Attached Files:

MGlogs.zip

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

jgood Private E-2

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

"The proxy server is refusing connections" and google search redirect

jgood Private E-2

Attached Files:

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

jgood Private E-2

Attached Files:

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

jgood Private E-2

Attached Files:

jgood Private E-2

Attached Files:

jgood Private E-2

Attached Files:

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

jgood Private E-2

Attached Files:

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

jgood Private E-2

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

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