Unsalvagable system?

Discussion in 'Malware Help (A Specialist Will Reply)' started by ceaker, Oct 19, 2010.

  1. ceaker

    ceaker Private E-2

    I started having some problems with my system a few weeks ago and things have gotten steadily worse. Initially, I went through the READ & RUN ME FIRST procedure and thought I had everything cleaned up except a Firefox Google redirect that would redirect once and then after clicking the back button follow the Google link properly. IE didn't have a problem, so I was using IE till I had a chance to follow up here.

    Then this past weekend, I started getting Windows messages that "Generic Host Services for Win32 has encountered a problem and must close" (or something close to that). After this message, browers won't open and I can't even shut my system down without 5-sec power button shutdown. Also, starting today, IE started giving Google redirects consistently.

    The PC tech in our group at work worked to clean the system up, but I'm afraid either the infection damaged the system so that it doesn't work properly after cleaning or he was a little over-zealous in his cleanup. Both IE and Firefox still give the same redirect issues and I still occasionally get the Generic Host Services crash. Additionally, both IE and Firefox sometimes don't open a window and have to be killed through Task Manager and restarted to get a window. I've also lost my wireless access point manager.

    I'm posting the logs from a fresh run in hopes that I might get a quick response, but it's looking like a full system wipe and rebuild is in my future. After getting the system back from the PC Tech, all the tools from the READ & RUN ME FIRST procedure seem to be pretty clean (though I'm far from a malware expert). Here's hoping I'm wrong about needing a full system wipe...
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Kestrel13!

    Kestrel13! Super Malware Fighter - Major Dilemma Staff Member

    Run this whilst I review your logs and then tell me whether the redirects cease.

    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 )
     
  3. ceaker

    ceaker Private E-2

    Thanks for the quick response!

    TDSSKiller did find and quarantine a rootkit - Rootkit.Win32.TDSS.tdl4. Log is attached. The firefox redirects appear to be pretty much the same, both before and after a reboot. IE redirects are still there, but don't appear to be as bad as before. All redirects (so far) appear to be to a StopZilla add page.

    I haven't gotten a Host Services for Win32 crash since the rootkit was quarantined, but it hasn't been that long. Also, since my original post, I did experience something really weird: Occassionally, I would get new tabs to obscure websites just spontaneously pop up in my browser. Haven't seen that either since the rootkit quarantine, but like I said before, I haven't been running that long since running TDSSKiller.
     

    Attached Files:

  4. ceaker

    ceaker Private E-2

    I just reran tdsskiller and selected 'cure' rather than 'quarantine'. This time, it required a reboot and after the reboot, the redirects seem to be gone. I've attached the new logs.
     

    Attached Files:

  5. ceaker

    ceaker Private E-2

    After being on this system for a bit longer, it appears that I'm basically back to where I was prior to this weekend. I can't seem to reproduce redirects in IE any more, but Firefox still generates a single redirect that appears to have a relatively long timer before it happens again. I haven't actually tried to measure how long it takes between redirects, but it's definitely > 5 minutes and probably more like an hour or so. After a redirect, I can go back to the same Google search, click the same link, and get to the correct site with no problem. I've tried deleting cookies, opening a new Firefox browser, and closing and reopening my Firefox browser to force the redirect to happen, but nothing but time seems to work.
     
  6. Kestrel13!

    Kestrel13! Super Malware Fighter - Major Dilemma Staff Member

    Important Notice: A new version of SUPERAntiSpyware is available.
    • Please uninstall your current version (this is necessary).
    • Then download this SUPERAntiSpyware
    • Install this new version. It may tell you that you need to reboot to complete the installation. You must reboot at this time.
    • After the reboot, run SUPERAntiSpyware and immediately click the Check for Updates button to get more updates for the database.
    • Now run a new full scan of your system. And attach this log later.

    If you did not set this proxy yourself deliberately then please include it in our HJT fixables below:

    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:

    After clicking Fix exit HJT.

    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 needs to update to a new version, make sure you allow it to update.
    • Open Notepad and copy/paste the text in the below quote box. Ensure you scroll down to select ALL the lines:
    Code:
    KILLALL::
    
    DirLook::
    D:\Documents and Settings\clinte\Local Settings\Application Data\{C13B7B8B-1CBE-47CF-B462-4464BC5FDFF2}
    File::
    c:\windows\system32\7f07.tmp
    C:\WINDOWS\Fqanahukurub.dat
    C:\WINDOWS\Tcodubov.bin
    c:\windows\system32\76e6.sys
    Driver::
    76e6
    Registry::
    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{02478D38-C3F9-4efb-9B51-7695ECA05670}]
    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{02478D38-C3F9-4efb-9B51-7695ECA05670}\NoExplorer]
    
    • 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

      http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/sUBs/CFScriptB-4.gif

    • 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.

    Please 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 data on it
    • Right click on the screen and select > Select All
    • Press Control+C
    • Open a notepad and press Control+V
    • now please ATTACH that report to this thread

    Now run the C:\MGtools\GetLogs.bat file by double clicking on it. Then attach the new C:\MGlogs.zip file that will be created by running this.

    Tell me how the computer is running now! :)
     
  7. ceaker

    ceaker Private E-2

    I'm still unable to get a search engine redirect in IE, but unfortunately, I'm still getting occassional search engine redirects in Firefox.

    One deviation I had to take from your instructions was that I couldn't disable realtime scanning from eTrust ITM. I'm assuming that the admins at the company I work for have modified registry entries to disable the 'Apply' button on the AV screen where you would normally disable realtime scanning. But whatever the reason, that button is disabled, preventing me from turning off AV scanning. If the attached logs indicate that the AV is causing a problem, let me know and I'll see if I can find someone at work that knows and is willing to tell me how to disable AV on this machine.

    Thanks again for the help.
     

    Attached Files:

  8. Kestrel13!

    Kestrel13! Super Malware Fighter - Major Dilemma Staff Member

    You did not update SUPERantispyware as instructed. You currently have v4.41 installed and we need v4.44.

    This should nail it...

    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 needs to update to a new version, make sure you allow it to update.
    • Open Notepad and copy/paste the text in the below quote box. Ensure you scroll down to select ALL the lines:
    Code:
    KILLALL::
    
    File::
    d:\documents and settings\clinte\Local Settings\Application Data\8.tmp
    d:\documents and settings\clinte\Local Settings\Application Data\7.tmp
    d:\documents and settings\clinte\Local Settings\Application Data\6.tmp
    Folder::
    d:\documents and settings\clinte\Local Settings\Application Data\{C13B7B8B-1CBE-47CF-B462-4464BC5FDFF2}
    
    • 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

      http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/sUBs/CFScriptB-4.gif

    • 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. Then attach the new C:\MGlogs.zip file that will be created by running this.

    IMPORTANT - Tell me how things are running now.
     
  9. ceaker

    ceaker Private E-2

    Good news. The firefox search engine redirect appears to be gone. There were a few weirdisms that I'll describe below.

    First, that's strange about the old version of SAS. I did delete the version I had installed and reinstalled using the link you provided and could swear I updated after installation. But I tried updating the installed version again and got a notice that a new version was available and accepted the offer to upgrade. The attached (clean) log is from version v4.44. Sorry about that.

    I also was successful with finding out how to disable AV scanning, so I was able to run your procedure with AV scanning disabled as requested this time.

    Some of the unusual things that happened...

    1. While combofix was rebooting my system, I got a popup for catchme.cfxxe - DLL Initialization Failed
      The application failed to initialize because Windows is shutting down. This actually happened before, but I took better notes this time.
    2. While running MGLogs, I got a popup for ProcessDll.exe - Common Language Runtime Debugging Services
      unhandled exception. This one was happening before too.
    3. The strangest one, which didn't happen previously, was that Windows Explorer initially appeared to be broken. It would start, but didn't show a C: drive and appeared to be hung. When I tried to close it, I got the "not responding" dialog box. When I said to kill it, my entire desktop would go blank except for my background image (icons, system tray, everything). Then after 15-20 seconds, the desktop would come back. Everything else seemed to work fine. After a reboot and about two more times of trying to open Windows Explorer, the problem simply went away and hasn't come back.

    Despite those oddities, the system appears to be running normally now. Hopefully, the attached logs will look clean.
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Kestrel13!

    Kestrel13! Super Malware Fighter - Major Dilemma Staff Member

    Good job. Those logs look clean now.

    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 of 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:
     
  11. ceaker

    ceaker Private E-2

    Done!

    Thanks for all your help. Pretty sure I'll never trust this system enough to do any online banking or shopping, but it's running well again.

    You guys are awesome. Thanks for all the time you put into helping folks like me out.
     
  12. Kestrel13!

    Kestrel13! Super Malware Fighter - Major Dilemma Staff Member

    You're most welcome. :) Safe surfing.
     

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