fbdownloader

[tonybeau]

I have somehow picked up this malicious browser hacker, I have tried everything that I have found on the internet but it still keeps coming back. Spybot never stopped it or has found it in a scan. What can I do?

[tashi]

Hello tonybeau,

FbDownloader may have been bundled into the installer of another software or add-on. Perhaps an end user agreement (EULA) allowing the software to be installed if the pre-checked boxes were left checked.

Have you looked in your browser add-ons/extensions to see if FbDownloader shows there?

Also go to your Start button > Control Panel > Uninstall a program and see if FbDownloader is visible.

Best regards.

[tonybeau]

I have not had any known installs of this malware, there were certainly no check boxes displayed at any time, I think it was installed by clicking a link and it was downloaded secretly. The Fb stands for Face Book and my daughter sent me 3 photos from her Iphone, is it possible the malware could be attached to pictures?

Fbdownloader was on the program list when I first dicovered it and I deleted it but it still comes back when I start the computer. I have searched the register without luck and have changed the homepage etc several times but it is still there, I have even gone back to a previous restore point.

I am surprised that Spybot never detected it at the start and has failed to detect it since.

[tashi]

Hello tonybeau,

I am surprised that Spybot never detected it at the start and has failed to detect it since.

There is a lot of malware out there and no one software program can detect it all. I don't know about this particular application but such programs might not be added to detections if it was usual for user consent to be required to install. I can ask our detectives to take a look at it.

The Fb stands for Face Book and my daughter sent me 3 photos from her Iphone, is it possible the malware could be attached to pictures?

The application is for use on facebook, at this time there is no way of knowing how it got onto your computer however someone could take a look at the system in the malware forum.

First, do you have an anti virus program installed and what is the operating system please.

Best regards.

[tonybeau]

Fingers crossed, I think I have removed it. After deleting all the files that seemed to belong to fbdownloader the malware was still hijacking my browser. I did a scan with Spybot which did not find anything, a full scan with Microsoft Security Essentials, which is on permanently, which took 10 hours and that found nothing. I then did a system restore from a week ago and that seems to have cleared it.

I can assure you that at no time did I intentionally install it, no box has come onto the screen asking permission to install it or to change my home page and seems to be a sneaky program that downloads without you knowing it.

I hope that this will help anyone else with this problem, I was quite disappointed with Spybot Search and Destroy as I paid for the Home edition and keep it running in the background and feel that I may have wasted my money.

I use Vista by the way

[tashi]

Hello tonybeau.

Fingers crossed, I think I have removed it.

I was quite disappointed with Spybot Search and Destroy as I paid for the Home edition and keep it running in the background and feel that I may have wasted my money.

I did a scan with Spybot which did not find anything, a full scan with Microsoft Security Essentials, which is on permanently, which took 10 hours and that found nothing.

There is a lot of malware out there and no one software program can detect it all. I don't know about this particular application but such programs might not be added to detections if it was usual for user consent to be required to install. I can ask our detectives to take a look at it.

Which I will do. Meanwhile, if the problem returns please let us know.

Best regards.

[tonybeau]

Thank you Tashi. A few weeks ago I had the same problem with AVG taking over my homepage. Just Google "AVG hijacked my homepage" and the AVG forums. While some people allowed AVG to reset their homepage, others like myself do not have AVG on their computer and had the homepage hijacked without their knowledge and believe me it is very difficult to get rid of.

[bbnetwork]

Just Google "AVG hijacked my homepage" and the AVG forums

means, after you vistited Google-Serach and/or you vistied AVG forums, without clicking on something, downloading or installing something, the homepage in your Browser changed?

[tonybeau]

No, I don't know how it happened I did not visit AVG before I got it. It must have been when I clicked a link somewhere on the Internet (it was not a dubious site!). Others have said that they are positive that they never agreed to download or to let AVG Search be their homepage but AVG are claiming that they must have agreed to do so. It seems that some companies are doing this to increase their revenue because they are paid by the sites that you are directed to. I am surprised that AVG are doing this they were once a trusted name in anti virus software. Here is one entry from the AVG forum

http://forums.avg.com/gb-en/avg-foru...show&id=188642

There are many more if you google "AVG hijack" There also appear to be companies who deliberately attach the AVG Search program to their own downloads without telling you. I think that is what happened to me.