Hi Helliott - Sounds like this might be a variant of some malware called
CoolWebSearch (if CWShredder doesn't fix it, then see AdAware, SpyBot, and
HijackThis, below, in that order). Do the following:
Before you try to remove spyware using any of the programs below, download a
copy of LSPFIX from any of the following sites:
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm
http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html (if your OS is Win2k or
XP)
The process of removing certain malware may kill your internet connection.
If this should occur, this program, LSPFIX, will enable you to regain your
connection.
Download, UPDATE before running, and run:
http://209.133.47.200/~merijn/files/CWShredder.exe to remove the parasite.
Be sure to close all instances of IE and OE. You may also get it here if
that link is blocked:
http://www.zerosrealm.com/downloads/CWShredder.zip
BE SURE that you get v.158 or later!
You will need to show Hidden files first and then at the end clear the
malware garbage from your System Restore backups after you've cleaned up.
It's best to perform CWShredder (and most other malware fixers too) from
Safe mode and then reboot. AFTER cleaning things up, then you can disable
and then re-enable System Restore. See ******** below.
The following links give instructions on how to do these various functions:
HOW TO Restart in Safe Mode
<
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001052409420406>
HOW TO Enable Hidden Files
<
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2002092715262339>
HOW TO Disable/Flush System Restore (do this at the end AFTER cleaning or
use the suggested procedure for XP at the ******'s)
<
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001111912274039>
(WinXP)
<
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001012513122239>
(WinME)
Then download and run:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/iegentabs.reg to restore your
tabs and remove any restrictions that the parasite has put in place.
Now download and run:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/RestoreSearch2.REG to restore
your search functions if they've been affected (as they probably will have
been).
Be sure that you also download and install hotfix Q816093, here:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=816093
which blocks the exploit upon which this parasite family depends.
However, this also indicates that you may have acquired some other malware
along the way. If you go to this page at Jim Eshelman's site, here:
http://aumha.org/a/noads.htm and wait a little bit (be patient), an analysis
of a number of possible parasites on your machine will be made to help you
identify and remove them. NOTE: You will need to disable Ad Blocking in Zone
Alarm 3.x, if present or any other Ad Blocking software which interferes
with Java Scripting for this scan to work. You should get a message between
the two lines of **** giving the results of the scan.
Get Ad-Aware 6.0, Build 181 or later, here:
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/. UPDATE and run this regularly
to get rid of most "spyware/hijackware" on your machine. If it has to fix
things, be sure to re-boot and rerun AdAware again and repeat this cycle
until you get a clean scan. The reason is that it may have to remove
things which are currently "in use" before it can then clean up others.
Another excellent program for this purpose is SpyBot Search and Destroy
available here:
http://security.kolla.de/ SpyBot Support Forum here:
http://www.net-integration.net/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.cgi. I recommend
using both normally. After UPDATING and fixing things with SpyBot S&D, be
sure to re-boot and rerun SpyBot again and repeat this cycle until you get a
clean "no red" scan. The reason is that SpyBot sometimes has to remove
things which are currently "in use" before it can then clean up others.
Note that sometimes you need to make a judgement call about what these
programs report as spyware. See here, for example:
http://www.imilly.com/ale
xa.htm
Both of these programs should normally be UPDATED and run after doing any
other fix such as CWShredder and, as a minimum, normally at least once a
week.
If they don't fix it then start here:
Download HijackThis, free, here:
http://209.133.47.200/~merijn/files/HijackThis.exe (Always download a new
fresh copy of HijackThis [and CWShredder also] - It's UPDATED frequently.)
You may also get it here if that link is blocked:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=3155&file=3&evp=3304750663b552982a8baee6434cfc13
In Windows Explorer, click on Tools|Folder Options|View and check "Show
hidden files and folders" and uncheck "Hide protected operating system
files". (You may want to restore these when you're all finished with
HijackThis.)
Unzip the downloaded HijackThis to any convenient folder, start it then
press Scan. Click on SaveLog when it's finished which will create
hijackthis.log. Now click the Config button, then Misc Tools and click on
Generate StartupList.log which will create Startuplist.txt
Then go to one of the following forums:
Spyware and Hijackware Removal Support, here:
http://216.180.233.162/~swicom/forums/
or Net-Integration here:
http://www.net-integration.net/cgi-...86d536d57b5f65b6e40c55365e;act=ST;f=27;t=6949
or Tom Coyote here:
http://forums.tomcoyote.org/index.php?act=idx
Sign in, then copy and paste both files into a message asking for
assistance, Someone will answer with detailed instructions for the removal
of your parasite(s).
*******
ONLY IF you've successfully eliminated the malware, you can now make a new,
clean Restore Point and delete any previously saved (possibly infected)
ones. The following suggested approach is courtesy of Gary Woodruff: For XP
you can run a Disk Cleanup cycle and then look in the More Options tab. The
System Restore option removes all but the latest Restore Point. If there
hasn't been one made since the system was cleaned you should manually create
one before dumping the old possibly infected ones.
*******
Once you get this cleaned up, you might want to consider installing the
SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard here to help prevent this kind of thing from
happening in the future:
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html (Prevents malware Active
X installs) (BTW, SpyWare Blaster is not memory resident ... no CPU or
memory load - but keep it UPDATED) The latest version as of this writing
will prevent installation or prevent the malware from running if it is
already installed, and it provides information and fixit-links for a variety
of parasites.
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html (Monitors for attempts to
install malware) Keep it UPDATED. Both Very Highly Recommended
Finally, go to Windows Update and ensure that ALL Critical updates are
installed.
--
Please respond in the same thread.
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP
In
