Yahoo 404 Redirect Virus

GLF4 · Jul 11, 2011

This problem started last night.. anything I enter in my web address bar, google search, or even just clicking on various links, I get redirected to a Yahoo 404 error search page, or on occasion, a yahoo error that the URL is too long.

I just finished the Read Me & initial redirect steps and thought I had the problem fixed, but now after 20 minutes, the problem is occurring again, though MUCH less frequently. Totally puzzled.

On advice of IT friend, I first ran Hitman Pro (which found & deleted 1 malware file), then ComboFix (log attached). Still had the problem & that was as far as he could get me. Came here and went through your steps. Ran ATF Cleaner successfully, but could not locate Java as per the instructions (I'm running Vista). Flushed the Firefox cache (I think) using "clear your recent history", as there was no "Private Data" selection. Upon trying to clear DNS cache, received the following in cmd: "The requested operation requires elevation."

I'm not using a router to connect to internet. I have a Virgin Mobile broadband stick.. & unfortunately no idea how to clear or reset anything on it.

Ran Goored (log attached), then ran the TDSSkiller & received a clean scan.

Tested things out and everything seemed great until after about 20 minutes. I clicked a link & was redirected again to the Yahoo 404, but the following was written in the yahoo search bar: "static ak fbcdn proxy connect". Is this anything significant?

Lastly, I went to check the Firefox proxy settings, and my window appears different from what is posted in the instructions. The setting, "Use system proxy settings" was selected for me, but to my knowledge I'm not using any proxy, so I changed it to "No proxy".

Any help with this will be greatly appreciated! As I mentioned, the frequency of the redirects is significantly less after going through your steps, but it's still annoying when it does happen, and I'd like to be sure that my computer doesn't remain compromised! Thank you!

TimW · Jul 11, 2011

We still need the logs from running:
SAS
MBAM
C:\MGTools.exe --- C:\MGLogs.zip

Also, you need to put ComboFix directly on your desktop, not here:
Running from: c:\users\Kristian\Downloads\ComboFix.exe

GLF4 · Jul 11, 2011

Sorry about that, Tim! I must have gotten side-tracked on the specific redirect page.

Anywho, upon trying to re-connect to the internet, I found that apparently ComboFix had wiped out various things in relation to my broadband stick, among other things on my desktop as well. Took me all this time to finally get things working again. I had to restore several times.. all times saying that it was unsuccessful, but showing in the computer history that it had in fact restored successfully. Internet is back, & so far no more redirecting. Ran those other programs to get the additional logs & have attached them for you.

Thanks for your patience!

TimW · Jul 12, 2011

Your logs look good. Let's just clean up a few things:

Please use add/remove programs to uninstall:
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment 6

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:

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {1E8A6170-7264-4D0F-BEAE-D42A53123C75} - (no file)
Click to expand...

After clicking Fix, exit HJT.

Now copy just the bold text below to notepad (Do not include any space above the word REGEDIT). Save it as fixME.reg to your desktop. Be sure the "Save as" type is set to "all files" Once you have saved it double click it and allow it to merge with the registry.

REGEDIT4

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{1E8A6170-7264-4D0F-BEAE-D42A53123C75}]

Click to expand...

Make sure that you tell me if you receive a success message about adding the above
to the registry. If you do not get a success message, it definitely did not work.

Now use windows explorer to find and delete:
C:\Users\Kristian\AppData\Local\Conduit

Now download and install:
Java Runtime 6

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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GLF4 · Jul 14, 2011

Thanks again for your assistance and patience, Tim!

I guess by a fluke of running the various programs + the two system restores, the problem has been resolved! I'm glad the logs look good!

I followed your last steps.. Uninstalled Java. Ran the MGtools\analyse.exe, and saved the fixME.reg file successfully to the registry.

Deleted the Conduit file, and installed the new Java environment successfully.

I could not locate HijackThis with either the add/remove programs or Revo.

Cleaned up MGtools folders successfully. Re-enabled the user protection, rebooted, and flushed restore points successfully.

Everything seems to be back in order, so I send you my sincere thanks and appreciation!

GLF4 · Jul 14, 2011

Alright.. I'm really beginning to think that they're playing with me or something! I no sooner submitted my last reply to you, rebooted, and went to check my e-mail, and I got the Yahoo 404 "page not found" redirect again.

This time it reads the following in the search bar: "usm g4 mail yahoo!"

I've just tried googling a bunch of random things to see if there are any other triggers, but so far it seems to only be when I try to access my yahoo mail through the yahoo toolbar, or manually typing in anything yahoo related in the firefox web bar (ie. yahoo.com).

Just tried it again -- same 404 page, and now the search bar reads: "us data toolbar".

Ideas?? Getting ready to pull my hair out!

ETA: looks like the mods haven't approved my prior post yet. Tim, I followed your instructions per your last reply, and everything was successful, save for being able to uninstall HijackThis. Couldn't find it through add/remove programs or Revo. But everything else worked and I thought I was back up and running, until now.

ETA2: And now I'm getting the Yahoo 414 URL too large page.

GLF4 · Jul 14, 2011

Can't edit, so I'm posting new. The virus has taken hold again quickly. Is now redirecting nearly every page I try to go to.

Reads the following in the yahoo search bar: "prod 2 rest core msg yahoo! frame proxy"

I'm also having trouble getting to this page. I click it, and it seems to go through before promptly redirecting to the 404 page.

TimW · Jul 14, 2011

Please run this:
TDSSkiller - How to run

Then please also 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 information that will contain either the below line if no problem is found:

Done! Press ENTER to exit...

Or you will see more information like below if a problem is found:

Found non-standard or infected MBR.

Enter 'Y' and hit ENTER for more options, or 'N' to exit:

Either way, just choose to exit the program at this point since we want to see only the scan results to begin with.

MBRCheck will create a log named similar to MBRCheck_07.16.10_00.32.33.txt which is random based on date and time.

Attach this log to your next message.

GLF4 · Jul 14, 2011

Hi Tim. TDSS is again clean.

MBRCheck found an issue. Log is attached.

On a whim I removed the yahoo toolbar from Firefox, and knock on wood, the problem seems to have vanished again. But it also seems each time I say that, it reoccurs.. so we'll see.

TimW · Jul 14, 2011

What kind of computer is this? A Dell? HP?

GLF4 · Jul 14, 2011

It's an HP Pavilion dv9000 series laptop.

TimW · Jul 14, 2011

That could account for the MBRCheck log. I frankly don't keep any browser addons in FF. If removing the Yahoo toolbar has stopped the situation, then I would advise keeping it off. Are you still having issues?

GLF4 · Jul 14, 2011

Not at the moment. However I'm puzzled because I recovered my laptop about 3 months ago.. reinstalled everything fresh, including Firefox with the yahoo toolbar, and it ran normally until the night before I first posted here.

Is it common for something to sit dormant for months before creating problems at random intervals?

TimW · Jul 14, 2011

It may be something you recently picked up that compromised your Yahoo toolbar. As I stated, we normally suggest removing toolbars.

Just keep me informed if you have this issue recur again.

GLF4 · Jul 14, 2011

Alrighty! Thanks again very much, Tim! Still no problems, so I'll go without the toolbar

TimW · Jul 15, 2011

You are most welcome. Safe surfing.

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Yahoo 404 Redirect Virus

GLF4 Private E-2

Attached Files:

ComboFix.txt

GooredFix.txt

TDSSKiller.2.5.9.0_11.07.2011_12.05.09_log.txt

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

GLF4 Private E-2

Attached Files:

MGlogs.zip

SASlog.txt

mbam.txt

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

GLF4 Private E-2

GLF4 Private E-2

GLF4 Private E-2

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

GLF4 Private E-2

Attached Files:

MBRCheck_07.14.11_16.47.32.txt

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

GLF4 Private E-2

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

GLF4 Private E-2

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

GLF4 Private E-2

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

Yahoo 404 Redirect Virus

GLF4 Private E-2

Attached Files:

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

GLF4 Private E-2

Attached Files:

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

GLF4 Private E-2

GLF4 Private E-2

GLF4 Private E-2

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

GLF4 Private E-2

Attached Files:

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

GLF4 Private E-2

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

GLF4 Private E-2

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

GLF4 Private E-2

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

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