Hi Gary - Seven approaches to removing Winfixer (Vundo). Not all will work
on all variants. It's suggested that you try them in this order.
1 - Feedback from users reports that the Removal Tool here is the most
effective against what is currently the most common variety of this
'malware':
http://forums.mcafeehelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=57049
2 - Symantec has a new Vundo remover:
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/FixVundo.exe
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/trojan.vundo.removal.tool.html
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/adware.virtumonde.html#removalinstructions
3 - Courtesy of Dave Lipman:
"Download WinFixerFix.exe from the URL --
http://www.ik-cs.com/programs/virtools/WinFixerFix.exe
On the infected PC...
Execute; WinFixerFix.exe { Note: You must accept the default of
C:\McAfee }
Choose; Unzip
Choose; Close
NOTE: You may have to disable your software FireWall or allow WGET.EXE to go
through your FireWall to enable WGET.EXE to download the needed McAfee
related files.
Execute; c:\mcafee\clean.bat { or Double-click on 'Clean Link' in
c:\mcafee }
A final report in HTML format called C:\mcafee\ScanReport.HTML will be
generated. At the end of the scan, it will be displayed in your browser
(Opera, FireFox or Internet Explorer). It is suggested that you move the
report out of c:\mcafee before performing another scan. It would be a good
idea to scan in Safe Mode and in Normal Mode and save a copy of the HTML
report for each session."
4 - McAfee has a combined automated/manual removal procedure here:
http://vil.nai.com/vil/content/v_127690.htm
5 - Then, courtesy of MVP Suzi Turner and Mosaic1:
"Atribune, a guy in the forums, has a Vundo fix tool as well:
Instructions for use by user as posted in the SpywareWarrior forum:
'Please download VundoFix.exe to your desktop. Here's a link:
http://www.atribune.org/downloads/VundoFix.exe
Double-click VundoFix.exe to extract the files
This will create a VundoFix folder on your desktop.
After the files are extracted, please restart your computer into Safe Mode.
Once in safe mode open the VundoFix folder and double-click on KillVundo.bat
A command window will open and it should look like this:
VundoFix V2.1 by Atri
By pressing enter you agree that you are using this at your own risk
At this point press enter one time.
Next you will see:
Type in the filepath as instructed by the forum staff
Then Press Enter, to continue with the fix.
At this point please type the following file path (make sure to enter it
exactly as below!):
C:\WINDOWS\system32\geeby.dll
Press Enter.
Next you will see:
Please type in the second filepath as instructed by the forum staff
At this point please type the following file path (make sure to enter it
exactly as below!):
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ybeeg.*
Press Enter to continue.
The fix will run then HijackThis will open.
In HijackThis, please place a check next to the following items and click
FIX CHECKED:
O2 - BHO: MSEvents Object - {52B1DFC7-AAFC-4362-B103-868B0683C697} -
C:\WINDOWS\system32\geeby.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: geeby - C:\WINDOWS\system32\geeby.dll
After you have fixed these items, close Hijackthis.
The fix will tell you to shutdown using the Power button. Hold in your power
button until the computer shuts down. Wait about 15 seconds and then restart
the computer into regular windows.
Chkdsk will run. This is normal. It will take a few minutes and is checking
your file system because of the Bad Shutdown we caused.
Go for free online Virus scans here:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/
Allow them to clean
Panda will have the option to create a log after the scan has finished.
Click
the See Report button. Then click the save Report button. It will be saved
under the name activescan.txt Do that and post that log into your next reply
here.
Run hijackthis and post the new log and the vundofix.txt file from the
vundofix folder into as well.'
The forum helpers have reported this fix from Atribune works. I don't know
about the Symantec tool.
If you'd like to join Spyware Warrior, you could see the thread where the
helpers are discussing this.
Suzi"
Note: Here's some added info relative to the above courtesy of MVP Steve
Wechsler (akaMowGreen):
"the .dll's file name :
C:\WINDOWS\system32\geeby.dll
will be different on different systems. What you can do to identify it
is to scan the system with HijackThis and look at the O2 BHO and/or O20
Winlogon entries to find out it's name. Close all other programs and
browsers prior to scanning with HJT. REMEMBER that there is a hidden file
that will have the name of the .dll spelled backwards. Enter that name when
the VundoFix requests the path to the second file.
6 - Grinler, (Lawrence Abrams, a Security MVP), has another removal method
that can be used if the recommended method fails :
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic18610.html"
7 - Courtesy of S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]
Download VirtumundoBegone and save it to your desktop.
VirtumundoBegone
http://secured2k.home.comcast.net/tools/VirtumundoBeGone.exe
Run that application after booting into safe mode.
Here's the HijackThis info you may need:
Download HijackThis, free, here:
http://www.merijn.org/files/hijackthis.zip (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
There's a good "How-to-Use" tutorial here:
http://computercops.biz/HijackThis.html
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://forums.spywareinfo.com/
or Jim Eshelman's site here:
http://forum.aumha.org/
or Bleepingcomputer here:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/
or Computer Cops here:
http://www.computercops.biz/forums.html
or Tom Coyote here:
http://forums.tomcoyote.org/index.php?act=idx
or Net-Integration here:
http://net-integration.us/forums/index.php
Register if necessary, then sign in and READ THE DIRECTIONS at the beginning
of the particular site's HiJackThis forum, 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). Be sure you include at
the beginning of your post a description of "What specific
problem(s)/symptoms you're trying to solve" and "What steps you've already
taken."
*******
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.
*******
You probably should consider switching to Sun Java J2SE 5.0 JRE or later
here:
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/download.jsp (What I use, BTW),
especially since MS will apparently no longer be distributing Java or
providing any support for Java including security fixes after Dec 31, 2007.
BE SURE that you uninstall any prior versions of Sun Java as some,
specifically JRE v. 1.4.2_03, contain a security bug which certain malware,
notably Winfixer/Vundo, are suspected of exploiting. If you did have this
version of Sun Java, JRE v. 1.4.2-03, installed, please post back and tell
us.
When you get things cleaned up, take a look at my Blog, Defending Your
Machine, addy in my Signature below, for some additional curative and
preventive measures you might want to implement to help prevent this type of
thing in the future.
--
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP/DTS/AH-VSOP
My Blog, Defending Your Machine, here:
http://DefendingYourMachine.blogspot.com/
GaryGen said:
Hi Engel,
Thanks for the response. At some point last year, I had picked up Winfixer
2005 and spent time and money on random programs and instructions to remove
it. That whole prospect is risky because you're installing more random
software on your computer, none of which is trusted. That's how I ended up
with the Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta on my computer. Unfortunately, nothing I
was willing to try worked. However, at some point after I stopped trying the
popups stopped, so I assumed the spyware had been removed.
Now Microsoft AntiSpyware is detecting it virtumondo.C (which I hadn't
before). Like I said, I don't know if this is a new infection or improved
detection. I updated my definition files as suggested, but it still is not
removed.
I'm not about to start spending more weekends following convoluted
instructions from untrusted sources. I'm just pointing out that if Microsoft
wants us to believe that this beta is worthwhile so that we consider using
the software when the beta expires, they might want to incorporate some of
these supposedly proven remedies into the software so people like us don't
need to waste our time doing what their software claims to do.
Sincerely,
-James (Gary) Geniesse
:
Hello Gary,
Four threads down, AndyManchesta have a solution for this problem on
"Winfixer 2006".
Also I notice your definitions are behind, up to now we are running
definition 5801.
Good luck
I hope this post is helpful, let us know how it works ºut.
Engel
--
