Hi Smithy and Elinor - We've been seeing this a lot lately, and these are
very difficult CWS parasite variants to remove. Read all of this carefully,
then try Basic Cleaning, below FIRST and then if necessary Approach 1 and/or
Approach 2 and/or Approach 3 and/or Approach 4 and/or Approach 5.
********Please post back with your results in detail if possible - what you
tried, what happened, how you ended up - so that we'll know better what to
advise others.********
#########IMPORTANT#########
Before you try to remove spyware using any of the programs below, download
both a copy of LSPFIX here:
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm
AND a copy of Winsockfix
http://www.tacktech.com/pub/winsockfix/WinsockFix.zip
Directions here:
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=257
The process of removing certain malware may kill your internet connection.
If this should occur, these programs, LSPFIX and WINSOCKFIX, will enable you
to regain your connection.
#########IMPORTANT#########
Approach 1 - You can try AT YOUR OWN RISK, HSRemove, free, here:
http://www.hsremove.com/. "A few days ago I got hijacked - Nothing new in
that, except this time it was a real [censored] to get rid of. - There were
simply no tools available to remove this "Home Search" thing. Finally I
ended up creating my own tool for it. USE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. And if you
find it helpful, then please do not hesitate to make a contribution."
Approach 2 - You can try this AT YOUR OWN RISK. I normally wouldn't advise
using a malware provider's uninstall, but this particular approach has been
reported to work if you have the about:blank CWS variant (there appear to be
at least three or four currently) which leads you to a Search page. Paste
the following IP into your browser:
195.190.118.131
On the screen you arrive at, you see a "Search For" window, and below it a
red "Uninstall Software". Download their uninstaller, uninstall.exe. At this
point I would either use TotalUninstall or make a complete backup/Restore
Point of my system for safety's sake (on the basis of "at least keep what
you've got"). Total Uninstall,
http://www.geocities.com/ggmartau/tu.html or
direct dwnld here:
http://files.webattack.com/localdl834/tun234.zip
Run this uninstall program that you downloaded from the malware site, then
UPDATE them and go to Safe mode to run UPDATED versions CWShredder, AdAware
and SpyBot per the directions in Basic, below.
Approach 3 - Courtesy of "Win" (Win J. Moore) in 24hoursupport.helpdesk
"I had a variant of this CWS.SearchX sucker for about 3 weeks, and I FINALLY
seem to be rid of it for good! It is aka Troj_StartPage.sp and
BackDoor.Agent.BA. This is what I did:
1. Run Regedit, and DELETE the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\AppInit_DLLs
The value of this key may look blank for you, but it is not. They hide the
value so you can't see it. This registry key tells Windows to load the
Trojan DLL every time ANY application is run giving it complete control to
do whatever it wants. So you need to remove it so that the Trojan DLL cannot
load and keep re-infecting your PC. The way to remove the registry key is
not obvious. If you just delete it from RegEdit, since the Trojan DLL is
loaded, it will re-add it right back. (Try it. Delete the AppInit_DLLs
registry key and hit F5. Notice that it's added right back by the Trojan).
So what you have to do is the following which worked for me (many thanks to
"acomputerpro" at the SpywareInfo.com forums!)
2. Rename the HLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
folder to Windows2.
3. Now delete the AppInit_DLLs key under the Windows2 folder.
4. Hit F5 and notice that AppInit_DLLs doesn't come back.
5. Rename the Windows2 folder back to Windows. Now that AppInit_DLLs is
gone, run the latest AdAware 6 to remove the Trojan for good.
6. Reboot your machine, and check the registry and make sure AppInit_DLLs is
still gone.
Your computer should be free of this for good now. Hope it works for you...
It seemed to do the trick for me!"
Approach 4 - If you've already tried CWShredder to get rid of this parasite
(See below, v.159.0.1 or better and fully updated before use), then take a
look at this thread about manual removal of this parasite:
http://www.akadia.com/services/about_blank_virus.html
and this one:
http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread5531.html
and this one:
http://computercops.biz/article-5199-nested-0-0.html
and this one:
http://forum.aumha.org/viewtopic.php?t=6437
Approach 5 - I don't usually recommend anything but freeware that I've
confidence in, but AT YOUR OWN RISK, not free ($29.95), Adware Away, here:
http://www.adwareaway.com/ claims to fix it automatically, and a several
users now have reported success using it. I would backup my system before
using it, however - always try to "keep what you've got".
Basic Cleaning - Note that this symptom often indicates the possibility of
other malware. You might want go to this page at Jim Eshelman's site, here:
http://aumha.org/a/noads.htm or here:
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/parasite.htm and wait a little bit (be
patient), while 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.
#########IMPORTANT#########
All of these removal tools should be run from Safe mode when possible
#########IMPORTANT#########
For the general hijack case, the best way to start is to 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 e-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 judgment call about what these
programs report as spyware. See here, for example:
http://www.imilly.com/alexa.htm
A currently common parasite is some malware called CoolWebSearch. Do the
following:
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
There's a good tutorial about CWS and using CWShredder here:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/index.php?showtutorial=47#domain
BE SURE that you get v.159.0.1 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.
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.)
Place HijackThis.exe or unzip HijackThis.zip into its own dedicated folder
at the root level such as C:\HijackThis (NOT in a Temp folder or on your
Desktop), reboot to Safe mode, start HT 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, SpyWareBlaster 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
