Can't access sites

[Mark]

For some reason I cannot access sites like yahoo or google
anymore. Others work fine but some don't work. Are my
settings causing this problem??? Thanks for your time

 

[Dave Ferguson]

Mark, what is your computer doing when you try to access them?

 

[barry]

-----Original Message-----
Mark, what is your computer doing when you try to access them?




.

Mark--

I think I am having the same problem.

I can access nearly any URL-- but not google.com; I can
get into MSN and Yahoo, but I cannot use their search
engines- I keep getting "page cannot be displayed after a
long delay. I can get into news.google.com, but when I try
to search the web from there, I have the same problem.

This began last Thursday, October 2. I'm glad I'm not the
only one. I use IE 6.0. I just downloaded the latest
update, but it didn't help.

Barry

 

[tnazz]

QHOST virus. Overwrites the HOSTS file to point to a non-
existant web site (at least it no longer exists as of last
week). Check Symantec or McAfee for info on how to clean
up the infection. If you can't reach the site, find the
HOSTS file, delete everything after 127.0.0.1 LOCALHOST
then try getting to the site.

Tom

 

[Mike Burgess]

Mark,
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)

Microsoft has released a cumulative patch for this vulnerability:
Simply go to Windows Update [hotfix 828750]
[more info]
http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-040.asp

[manual removal method]
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/trojan.qhosts.html

You can detect "Qhosts" via a new beta version of HijackThis
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/beta/hijackthis.zip
[more info]
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showtopic=12127

For instruction on using HijackThis!
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
_______________________________________
Mike Burgess http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/
Blocking Spyware, Adware, Parasites, Hijackers, Trojans, with a HOSTS file
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm [updated 9-30-03]
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