Manual Removal Guide for CoolWWWSearch.am

The following instructions have been created to help you to get rid of "CoolWWWSearch.am" manually.
Use this guide at your own risk; software should usually be better suited to remove malware, since it is able to look deeper.

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Threat Details:

Categories:

• malware

Description:

CoolWWWSearch.am connects to the internet in background and installs executable and library files into the Windows directory. Additionally it starts in autorun as "xem" without user consent. A variant of CoolWWWSearch.am downloads an executable file and installs it in system directory, starts itself via RunOnce (as "Windows Config") in the registry.

Removal Instructions:

Autorun:

Please use Spybot-S&D, RunAlyzer or msconfig.exe to remove the following autorun entries.

• Entries named "Windows Config" and pointing to "WINVER.EXE*".
• Entries named "xem" and pointing to "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\services.exe".

Files:

Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these files.

• The file at "<$DESKTOP>\plugin.exe".
• The file at "<$SYSDIR>\winver.exe.tmp".
• The file at "c:\i".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\cron.ini".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\free.exe".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\mm.pid".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\repl".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\services.exe".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\www.google.com\favicon.ico".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\www.google.com\index.html".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\www.google.com\thank.html".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\www.google.com\Google_files\hp0.gif".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\www.google.com\Google_files\hp1.gif".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\www.google.com\Google_files\hp2.gif".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\www.google.com\Google_files\hp3.gif".
• The file at "<$SYSDIR>\arcac.exe".
• The file at "<$SYSDIR>\drivers\etc\hosts.tim".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\winvip.exe".

Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If CoolWWWSearch.am uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins.
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify files!

Important: There are more files that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D to remove them.

Folders:

Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these folders.

• The directory at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\www.google.com".
• The directory at "<$WINDIR>\ServicePackFiles\www.google.com\Google_files".

Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If CoolWWWSearch.am uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins.
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify folders!

Registry:

You can use regedit.exe (included in Windows) to locate and delete these registry entries.

• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "C3.bho3", plus associated values.
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "C3.bho3.1", plus associated values.
• Delete the registry key "{58FB2CBB-C874-45FC-A1C9-B62CC9E3BED9}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
• Delete the registry key "{35B576B9-5A0F-43D7-8174-2AC714DC3AD2}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• Delete the registry key "{BBD0D9E0-EE99-4C66-AC1E-2E77D40FE7C9}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
• Delete the registry key "{58FB2CBB-C874-45FC-A1C9-B62CC9E3BED9}" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\".
• Delete the registry key "{58FB2CBB-C874-45FC-A1C9-B62CC9E3BED9}" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\".
• Delete the registry key "MDM Data" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\".

If CoolWWWSearch.am uses rootkit technologies, use our RegAlyzer, RootAlyzer or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins.

Final Words:

If neither Spybot-S&D nor self help did resolve the issue or you would prefer one on one help,

1. Please read these instructions before requesting assistance,
2. Then start your own thread in the Malware Removal Forum where a volunteer analyst will advise you as soon as available.