Manual Removal Guide for GAIN.Gator

The following instructions have been created to help you to get rid of "GAIN.Gator" 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:

• spyware

Description:

usually gets installed with other bundled software and gathers users surfing habits and contacts various remote hosts

Supposed Functionality:

part of ad-supported software bundles

Removal Instructions:

Start Menu:

Please remove the following items from your start menu.
To check where they are pointing to, right-click them and choose "Properties" from the context menu appearing.

• Groups named "Gator".
• Groups named "Offer Companion".
• Groups named "OfferCompanion".
• Groups named "GAIN".
• Groups named "PrecisionTime".
• Groups named "Date Manager".
• Groups named "Gator eWallet".

Autorun:

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

• Entries named "cme" and pointing to "<$SYSDIR>\cme.exe".
• Entries named "cmeupd" and pointing to "<$SYSDIR>\cmeupd.exe".
• Entries named "gmt" and pointing to "<$SYSDIR>\gmt.exe".
• Entries named or pointing to "Date Manager.lnk".
• Entries named or pointing to "DateManager.exe".
• Entries named or pointing to "PrecisionTime.lnk".
• Entries named or pointing to "PrecisionTime.exe".
• Entries named or pointing to "GMT.exe".
• Entries named or pointing to "GStartup.lnk".
• Entries named or pointing to "GMT\GMT.exe".
• Entries named or pointing to "Gator.exe".
• Entries named "trickler".
• Entries named "Gator".
• Entries named "CMESys".
• Entries pointing to "CMEII\CMESYS.EXE".
• Entries pointing to "fsg.exe".
• Entries pointing to "fsg-ag.exe".

Installed Software List:

You can try to uninstall products with the names listed below; for items identified by other properties or to avoid malware getting active again on uninstallation, use Spybot-S&D or RunAlyzer to locate and get rid of these entries.

• Products that have a key or property named "PrecisionTime_GAIN".
• Products that are named "Gator".
• Products that are named "Offers".
• Products that are named "OfferCompanion".
• Products that are named "Date Manager".
• Products that are named "PrecisionTime".
• Products that are named "Gator eWallet".

Files:

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

• The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMFILES>\CMEII\CMESys.exe".
• The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMFILES>\GMT\GatorStubSetup.exe".
• The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMFILES>\GMT\GMT.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\DashBar\DbAu.exe".
• The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\GAIN Publishing\About GAIN Publishing.lnk".
• The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\GAIN Publishing\GAIN Publishing Web Site.URL".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\Downloaded Program Files\HDPlugin1101.dll".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\Downloaded Program Files\HDPlugin1101.inf".
• A file with an unknown location named "DbAu.exe".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>FT1_01_0_279_GEPFAH.EXE".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\GatorHDPlugin.log".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Gator.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Offers.exe".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\GatorPlugin.log".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\GatorSetup.log".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\GatorMiniSetup.log".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\GatorPdpSetup.log".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\Downloaded Program Files\IEGator.dll".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\Downloaded Program Files\IEGator.dll".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\Downloaded Program Files\IEGator.inf".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\Downloaded Program Files\IEGator.inf".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\Downloaded Program Files\iegator_3490_hd3ptdm.cab".
• The file at "<$SYSDIR>\fsg_3202.exe".
• The file at "<$SYSDIR>\fsg_3210.exe".
• The file at "<$SYSDIR>\fsg_4104.exe".
• The file at "<$SYSDIR>\trickler_3210.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\DivX\DivX Pro Codec\gain_trickler_3102.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\DivX\DivX Pro Codec\gain_trickler_3202.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\DivX\DivX Pro Codec\gain_trickler_3210.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Grokster\Trickler3202_Bic_Grokster_3202.exe".
• The file at "<$WINDIR>\Downloaded Program Files\IEGator4128.dll".
• A file with an unknown location named "xetup.exe".

Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If GAIN.Gator 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 "<$COMMONPROGRAMFILES>\CMEII".
• The directory at "<$COMMONPROGRAMFILES>\GMT".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Gator.com".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Date Manager".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\PrecisionTime".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Common Files\CMEII".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Common Files\GMT".
• The directory at "<$FAVORITES>\Gator".
• The directory at "C:\Temp\WebPT".

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

• References to the file "<$WINDIR>\Downloaded Program Files\HDPlugin*.dll" at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SharedDlls\.
• Delete the registry key "{DBAE7000-01EC-4162-8FEB-8A27AC937CA0}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "HDPlugin.HDPluginCtrl", plus associated values.
• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "HDPlugin.HDPluginCtrl.1", plus associated values.
• Delete the registry key "{22D34833-06F9-4CE6-9FF7-CE4DA0BA351D}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\".
• Delete the registry key "{2EC7A834-9C5E-4154-BADC-0D86A2EDC82D}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
• References to the file "D:/WINNT/Downloaded Program Files/HDPlugin1101.dll" at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ModuleUsage\.
• References to the file "<$WINDIR>\Downloaded Program Files\HDPlugin1101.dll" at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SharedDlls\.
• References to the file "Downloaded Program Files/HDPlugin1019.dll" at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ModuleUsage\.
• References to the file "C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\HDPlugin1019.dll" at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SharedDlls\.
• Delete the registry key "Gator" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\".
• Delete the registry key "GatorTest" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\".
• Delete the registry key "Gator.com" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\".
• Delete the registry key "Gator.com" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\".
• Delete the registry key "{21FFB6C0-0DA1-11D5-A9D5-00500413153C}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
• References to the file "IEGator.dll" at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SharedDlls\.
• References to the file "IEGator.dll" at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ModuleUsage\.
• References to the file "IEGator4128.dll" at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SharedDlls\.
• References to the file "IEGator4128.dll" at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ModuleUsage\.

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

Browser:

The following browser plugins or items can either be removed directly in your browser, or through the help of e.g. Spybot-S&D or RunAlyzer.

• Look for ActiveX software installed from "webpdp.gator.com".

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.