Forum Moderators: buckworks
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The web site looks legit but as soon as I went into it, it downloaded a whole bunch of trojans onto my computer concerned with adult web sites and other advertisements.
Now the default homepage of my Internet Explorer is set at: a directory
There are popups all the time which cannot be blocked by Google toolbar, MSN messenger messages appear suddenly, and a adult dial-up icon on my desktop.
This is the sickest Internet experience I have ever had, I don't know how to get rid of these trojans.
The fact that this listing is in the pole position for a very common search term is a trap for other webmasters. If this sort of thing continues unabated on the Internet, it is going to put people surfing altogether.
If anyone can offer any advice on how to get rid of this s---t! It would be highly appreciated.
If I have to restore my computer from scratch, it would take a working day.
[edited by: DaveAtIFG at 4:36 pm (utc) on June 7, 2004]
[edit reason] Removed specifics [/edit]
EVO
Total dogs, have you reported this to Google_Guy?
Google needs to know about stuff like this, and the more channels they hear it from the better.
Took a couple of cleanup programs and a lot of fishing around by hand... and about 15 reboots to get going again.
Joy Joy.
To enable the home address in explorer again, change this field
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
to dword:00000000
Also do it for HKEY_CURRENT_USER
It could actually get worse than this. If a phone line is connected to your modem, some malicious websites will attempt to make a phonecall to a number overseas. Make sure you unplug the modem if you think you are swamped by spywares.
Thanks for all your advice and encouragement. This was one of the trojans downloaded and the one which was the most virulent. Even the 404 error page had been changed so that it contains a directory.
[webmasterworld.com...]
I have tried several spyware removal programs without success. I think I have got it in control with a free download called cwshredder. However, it seems that another trojan is active which causes a pop-up window from time to time. This pop-up window either advertises pop-up removal or spyware removal software. This really makes me think whether they are the same people behind this scum site.
That malicious is still showing up in the top five positions for the seatch terms "affiliate network" "affiliate networks" and "affiliate program network" Thousands of surfers must have been trapped everyday now. Of course, there is a possibility that the site was legit in the first place but had been hacked and hijacked.
This really should be taken up with law enforcement agencies. At least they should investigate the makers of anti-popup and anti-spyware software have anything to so with this scam.
I think I will have to reformat my hard disk in due course. In the meantime I want to learn as much as I can about the problems.
Anyway thanks for all you help! At least I feel a bit better now.
Derek
Nothing is even installed yet; I'll have to download all the trash-removers out there first thing.
The email lists I'm on are full of posts about it - it's like an epidemic.
I had the google toolbar blocking popups when it happened too.
My kids use MSIE on my other computer and have had numerous infections. I turned up the security, install new patches when they come out, warned my kids never to "accept" anything, even downloaded an additional utility that was supposed to prevent auto-install, but it still happens.
(By the same token, I don't use MS Outlook for email and I have never had a virus infection either.)
By the same token, I don't use MS Outlook for email and I have never had a virus infection either.
I do use it - and have never had a virus infection either (at least my computers haven't).
My wife complains about me sharpening knives before using them. I give her the line about them being safer BECAUSE they're sharper. But in my heart, I know that I don't cut myself because I am more careful with a sharper knife.
And I never let my kids play with sharp knives OR my computer.
Has anyone any suggestions how best to prevent them in the first place?
I agree, it is all very sickening!
Has anyone any suggestions how best to prevent them in the first place?
SpywareBlaster
Has anyone any suggestions how best to prevent them in the first place?
I know it sounds like a broken record but a better browser(Opera, Mozilla, Netscape, Firefox) take your pick, and a firewall(zonealarm) will prevent the vast majority.
My wife complains about me sharpening knives before using them. I give her the line about them being safer BECAUSE they're sharper. But in my heart, I know that I don't cut myself because I am more careful with a sharper knife.
Sharp knives are less dangerous because they require less force to use. Every time I've cut myself with a knife I was using too much force on a too dull blade. I'll withhold an analogy beyond mentioning what has already been posted about browser choice.
[rant] I tell you, the way I felt last night, if I knew the address of the idiot who wrote this crap; lets just say that the human gene pool would be a little more purified [/rant]
And if all else fails as far as getting rid of that junk, just re-format your hardrive! I think that is easier than trying 5 different programs that won't work.
Sharp knives are less dangerous because they require less force to use.
Agreed - That's what I meant by "the line about sharp knives being safer."
I guess one of my points was that people routinely use seemingly dangerous devices everyday without maiming themselves. That is because they are careful about what they do. Conversely, you can hurt yourself with just about anything if you're stupid enough. (I would guess that the makers of Nerf footballs have had injury lawsuits.) I think IE and Outlook just make it really easy to be stupid. As in using them in their default configurations.
Also, a previous post had implied that not using Outlook Express was the cause of the person never having been infected. So I guess the other point was that it is probably more a case of being sensible and careful than of not using Outlook Express.
I know it sounds like a broken record but a better browser(Opera, Mozilla, Netscape, Firefox) take your pick, and a firewall(zonealarm) will prevent the vast majority.
When I first read this, I thought it wasn't very helpful! Well, after installing every spyware removal tool under the planet, I was still having problems.
I've now installed Opera, and all my problems are gone. I tell you, I'm not going back!
I've found the best way, for me, is just uninstall
Windows and reload.
It is impossible for honest software companies
to keep up with every piece of malware and
registry trick floating around the Wild Wild Web.
I also use the Opera 6.04 browser.
Personally, I think whoever loaded these programs
onto you computer should be put in jail.
RadarCat
As far as I can see, that web site is longer in Google or Yahoo. Somebody else must have complained about it.
Now we have another problem to sort out. Some of our customers have complained of receiving virus containing e-mails from us, yet Norton could not detect any viruses from our systems. I may have to reformat all our computers in the end.
I am trying to work out a system so that each computer is dedicated for particular tasks only and may consider switching to Netscape or Opera for browsing.
Derek
At work we use computers dedicated
to specific business tasks only.
For example, our database entry computer
is dedicated to downloading info from
certain sites only. No fun surfing,
no software testing, just strictly business.
It runs Windows 98, Access 2000, Opera 6.03
(the paid version), and Eudora and hasn't
crashed hard or been reloaded in almost two years.
Internet Explorer and Outlook Express are
not even loaded on this database machine.
Regards,
RadarCat
I also recommend Webroots spysweeper, as it picked up and quarantined a trojan that was undetected by adaware, spybot search and destroy and my mcaffee virus scan.
Google has some kind of new thing where they want to know if websites are "doing evil".
Thats the only kind of thing that will keep these sites in check. They can't do evil if no one can find them.
