Manual Removal Guide for SearchClickAds

The following instructions have been created to help you to get rid of "SearchClickAds" 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:

• trojan

Description:

Adds itself as browser helper objekt (BHO) to the Internet Explorer to start automatically if the IE is started. It connects to the internet in background, installs itself without user consent and causes popups and error messages.
May be installed by other trojan horses.

Supposed Functionality:

Pretends to be a system configuration tool

Removal Instructions:

Autorun:

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

• Entries named "Configuration Manager" and pointing to "<$WINDIR>\cfg32.exe".
• Entries named "Configuration Manager" and pointing to "<$WINDIR>\cfg32.exe".
• Entries named "Configuration Manager" and pointing to "<$WINDIR>\cfg32.exe".

Files:

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

• The file at "<$WINDIR>\cfg32p.dll".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\tcb.pmw".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\cfg32.exe".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\cfg32a.exe".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\cfg32o.dll".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\cfg32p.dll".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\cfg32r.dll".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\cfg32s.dll".
• The file at "<$SYSDIR>\winpfg32.sys".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\epi_sca6.exe".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\Uninstall.exe".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\zAbstract\ASI_SPEC.bsx".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\zAbstract\ASI5AFF.bsx".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\zAbstract\EECH.bsx".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\zAbstract\MYGEEK3.bsx".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\zAbstract\SPZ5.bsx".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Internet Explorer\mewomyb".

Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If SearchClickAds 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>\zAbstract".

Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If SearchClickAds 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.

• Delete the registry key "{27A1CA0D-78CE-4e23-8A89-2C95C15954B3}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\".
• Delete the registry key "{994D478A-45D0-4DB4-AE27-738B1E346F99}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
• Delete the registry key "{C68AE9C0-0909-4DDC-B661-C1AFB9F59898}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
• Delete the registry key "{90A52F08-64AC-4DC6-9D7D-451667029898}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
• Delete the registry key "{27A1CA0D-78CE-4E23-8A89-2C95C15954B3}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
• Delete the registry key "{41E74C20-8BBD-4B15-8C24-95BAC7B3BAC1}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• Delete the registry key "{C68AE9C0-0909-4DDC-B661-C1AFB9F59898}" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\".
• Delete the registry key "{C68AE9C0-0909-4DDC-B661-C1AFB9F59898}" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\".
• Delete the registry key "{7564B020-44E8-4C9B-A887-C6EC41AC67DA}" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\".
• Delete the registry key "CFG32S.DLL" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\".
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "CFG32S.Search", plus associated values.
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "CFG32S.Search.1", plus associated values.
• Delete the registry key "{7564B020-44E8-4c9b-A887-C6EC41AC67DA}" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\".
• Remove "PortHope.Decoder" from registry value "" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PROTOCOLS\Filter\text/html\".
• Remove "{994D478A-45D0-4DB4-AE27-738B1E346F99}" from registry value "CLSID" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PROTOCOLS\Filter\text/html\".
• Delete the registry key "zAbstract" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\".
• Delete the registry key "{90A52F08-64AC-4DC6-9D7D-451667029898}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\".
• Delete the registry key "Scaggy.DLL" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AppID\".
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "Scaggy.Insert", plus associated values.
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "Scaggy.Insert.1", plus associated values.
• Delete the registry key "{F5DB0B35-6BE5-4CF8-862E-AF1211F304CC}" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\".
• Delete the registry key "{F5DB0B35-6BE5-4CF8-862E-AF1211F304CC}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
• Delete the registry key "{F5DB0B35-6BE5-4CF8-862E-AF1211F304CC}" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\".

If SearchClickAds 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.