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View Full Version : Manual Removal Guide for CoolWWWSearch.am



Friday
2008-11-28, 18:30
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.

If this guide was helpful to you, please consider donating towards this site (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=donate).

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 (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd), RunAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=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 (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
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 (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) 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 (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
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 (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=regalyzer), RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).

Final Words:

If neither Spybot-S&D nor self help did resolve the issue or you would prefer one on one help,
Please read these instructions (http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=288) before requesting assistance,
Then start your own thread in the Malware Removal Forum (http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22) where a volunteer analyst will advise you as soon as available.