WSearch / Information.com Malware
Our office must have picked up something the other day. All three computers on the network (Two running XP, one running 2000) began redirecting the occasional link, and all searches (Ie., typing "clown noses" into the URL bar) typed into the URL bar to wsearch.net
This has been discussed on other forums and whatnot as a problem that people have had on macs and with wireless modems. We don't use a wireless modem, and obviously these aren't macs. I've run about a half dozen different programs (Ad Aware, Spybot, Malwarebyte, etc.) trying to pin this thing down, and everything says I'm clean. But still, wsearch.net comes up.
I've seen computers infected with redirects and other nasties that redirect to multiple sites, try to get you to do further downloads, etc. etc. This just takes me to wsearch.net and sits there. So, thus far it doesn't seem like the most harmful thing in the world (that I know of), but I need it off these computers to feel comfortable going about business as usual.
The Hijack this log shows as using IE (note, I renamed it HijackThese), but we almost never use IE. We all use Firefox and have IE on the computers just as a backup (certain sites work better with it). The redirect works exactly the same in IE as it does in Firefox.
Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 6:54:00 PM, on 9/29/2008
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)
Boot mode: Normal
Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\RUNDLL32.EXE
C:\Program Files\Dell\Media Experience\DMXLauncher.exe
C:\WINDOWS\stsystra.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\DLA\DLACTRLW.EXE
C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\UpdateService\issch.exe
C:\Program Files\HP\HP Software Update\HPWuSchd2.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgtray.exe
C:\Program Files\HP\Digital Imaging\bin\hpqtra08.exe
C:\Program Files\HP\Digital Imaging\bin\hpqnrs08.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgrsx.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgemc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThese.exe
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.dell.com
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,Default_Page_URL = http://www.google.com/ig/dell?hl=en&...us&ibd=5070712
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: WormRadar.com IESiteBlocker.NavFilter - {3CA2F312-6F6E-4B53-A66E-4E65E497C8C0} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgssie.dll
O2 - BHO: DriveLetterAccess - {5CA3D70E-1895-11CF-8E15-001234567890} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\DLA\DLASHX_W.DLL
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\ssv.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DMXLauncher] C:\Program Files\Dell\Media Experience\DMXLauncher.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SigmatelSysTrayApp] stsystra.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DLA] C:\WINDOWS\System32\DLA\DLACTRLW.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ISUSPM Startup] C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\INSTAL~1\UPDATE~1\ISUSPM.exe -startup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ISUSScheduler] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\UpdateService\issch.exe" -start
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NeroCheck] C:\WINDOWS\system32\NeroCheck.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HP Software Update] C:\Program Files\HP\HP Software Update\HPWuSchd2.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG8_TRAY] C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgtray.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe
O4 - Global Startup: HP Digital Imaging Monitor.lnk = C:\Program Files\HP\Digital Imaging\bin\hpqtra08.exe
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MI1933~1\OFFICE11\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O18 - Protocol: linkscanner - {F274614C-63F8-47D5-A4D1-FBDDE494F8D1} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgpp.dll
O20 - AppInit_DLLs: avgrsstx.dll
O23 - Service: AVG Free8 E-mail Scanner (avg8emc) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgemc.exe
O23 - Service: AVG Free8 WatchDog (avg8wd) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
O23 - Service: DSBrokerService - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\DellSupport\brkrsvc.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
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End of file - 4619 bytes
