Cannot Search in IE 6.0

[Dano]

Since yesterday (10/06/03) afternoon I can't do any type
of search in IE 6.0. I can click on links and they work
fine. I can manually type web addresses in the address
bar and they work fine. However, when I try to search
for anything using a search engine such as MSN.com or
Yahoo.com, I get error message "The Page Cannot Be Found
HTTP 404 - File Not Found Internet Explorer." Also, I
can't manually access www.google.com for some reason.
I've already scanned my computer for any viruses and
can't find anything. I don't have the blaster virus
either, as I've done that scan with Symantec downloads.
My second computer in the household does not show any of
these symptoms - and can search from any search engine
without problem.

I've been getting the following error messages:
1. When trying to do a search from MSN.com or Yahoo.com -

"The Page Cannot Be Found - HTTP 404 - File Not Found
Internet Explorer"

2. When trying to manually access www.google.com, a
cPanel web window comes up that says - "There is no
website configured at this address"

Please help!

 

[Ramesh [MS-MVP]]

Borrowed from Jim (MVP)

You've apparently gotten infected with the QHosts trojan. Read here for
information:

http://www.sarc.com/avcenter/venc/data/trojan.qhosts.html
http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=description&virus_k=100719
http://www3.ca.com/virusinfo/virus.aspx?ID=37191


Try the following:

1. Be sure that you install hotfix 828750 which fixes the exploit that this
virus uses:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/critical/828750/default.asp

2. Update and run a complete Anti-Virus software check of your system. Most
of the major AV companies have updated their latest signatures to detect
this virus (for Network Associates, be sure to get the EXTRADAT.exe update
from the above page as well as your regular update).

3. If running your AV doesn't clean it up, go to this page, read the
directions CAREFULLY (particularly about the Restore option) and download
and run the removal tool:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/trojan.qhosts.remova
l.tool.html

If that still doesn't clean it up (and a number of people are reporting that
it did not), then follow the Manual Removal instructions there. The
following is courtesy of Mike Burgess:

"Does a HOSTS file still exist in Windows\Help?
Trojan Qhosts hijacks the HOSTS file, however unlike normal redirectors,
this one hides the HOSTS file in the "Windows\Help" folder. It then
creates entries that redirects all major search engines to a website.
Note: this website has now been removed, thus the DNS errors.
[more info]
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm (bottom of page)
Run the beta version of HijackThis (link on Hosts page)

--
Regards,
Ramesh [MS-MVP]
AIM: SRamesh2k


~ Please reply to newsgroup ~


Since yesterday (10/06/03) afternoon I can't do any type
of search in IE 6.0. I can click on links and they work
fine. I can manually type web addresses in the address
bar and they work fine. However, when I try to search
for anything using a search engine such as MSN.com or
Yahoo.com, I get error message "The Page Cannot Be Found
HTTP 404 - File Not Found Internet Explorer." Also, I
can't manually access www.google.com for some reason.
I've already scanned my computer for any viruses and
can't find anything. I don't have the blaster virus
either, as I've done that scan with Symantec downloads.
My second computer in the household does not show any of
these symptoms - and can search from any search engine
without problem.

I've been getting the following error messages:
1. When trying to do a search from MSN.com or Yahoo.com -

"The Page Cannot Be Found - HTTP 404 - File Not Found
Internet Explorer"

2. When trying to manually access www.google.com, a
cPanel web window comes up that says - "There is no
website configured at this address"

Please help!