Suspected Malware Revised

[OCD]

Hi NoobNeedsHelp,

I have often wondered how Chrome is taking screenshots of my frequently visited pages, complete with personal information, and displaying them as tiles when I open a new tab in the browser. I would like this to cease. I can obviously stop using Google Chrome, but if you know of a way to disable or remove their "Remote Desktop Viewer" plugin I would be grateful to know it.

Visit this page it will better explain the function of this plugin and how to disable it if you so choose. Click on the image within the article to view a screenshot on how to disable this plugin.

http://techdows.com/2012/08/is-it-po...om-chrome.html

I didn't have LOP Check or Purity boxes checked when I did the "Run Fix" --- was I supposed to have them checked?

No it is not necessary during the "Run Fix" step

Also, you said "re-run OTL" so I assumed that this time you meant in Scan mode, not Fix mode, so that's what I did. Let me know if that wasn't right.

Yes you did it correctly. Scan Mode gives me a fresh scan to review, while Fix mode is used if I include a script for you to run.

Your logs look good! How is the computer running?

[NoobNeedsHelp]

Thanks for the info. I disabled the plugin of Chrome's and now when I open a new tab, I no longer see miniaturized screenshots of my activity on the websites I visit most. :D

Good to hear the log's looking good!

I don't know what's been wrong, maybe it somehow got fixed in all this stuff we've been doing recently. Nothing's gone wrong lately, though it's running slow on startup but still quicker than any PC I've had in the past, so really I'm only talking about half a minute slower or something like that.

I have a suspicion that the website where I was seeing some of those error messages, with the ad issues, was actually at fault. I was filling out a form on that site and almost identical dialog boxes came up, so I know that side of it was generated by their site, and lately they've taken to showing all manner of malicious ads on their site to pay their way.

Asides from a little slowness on startup, which I think is due to recent program additions, nothing worrying has happened lately.

Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it. Cheers.

[OCD]

Hi NoobNeedsHelp,

Your log appears to be clean. If you have no additional questions please continue with the housekeeping steps followed by some recommendations for keeping your computer running smoothly as you go forward. Only apply the recommended changes you choose.

We have a few items to take care of before we get to the All Clean Speech.

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Clean up with OTL:

• Right-click OTL.exe select "Run as Administrator" to start the program.
• Close all other programs apart from OTL as this step will require a reboot
• On the OTL main screen, press the CLEANUP button
• Say Yes to the prompt and then allow the program to reboot your computer.

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Removing/Uninstalling AdwCleaner:

• • Windows XP : Double click on the icon to run it.
  • Windows Vista, Windows 7 & 8 : Right click and select "Run as Administrator"
• Click on the Uninstall button.
• Click Yes when asked are you sure you want to uninstall.
• Both AdwCleaner.exe, its folder and all logs will be removed.

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You can now delete any tools and/or logs remaining on your desktop.

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Update Internet Explorer:

• Go to http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/i...er/download-ie to get the latest version (IE11).
• Remove the check mark from the box that states "I also like Bing and MSN defaults"

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Uninstall via Programs and Features

Click Start > Control Panel > Programs and Features. Locate and select the following that are present on the list and click the Remove button:

• Java 7 Update 45

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Update Java

• Get the current version of Java (Version 7 Update 51) by going to http://java.com/en/download/installed.jsp
• Select the Verify Java Version button and follow the onscreen instructions to update if necessary.

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Disable Java in Web Browsers

There is a vulnerability with regards to Java and web browsers. Therefore, we recommend to disable java in web browsers.
More information can be found here: http://www.techsupportforum.com/foru...rs-683721.html

• Click on the Start button and then click on the Control Panel option.
• In the Control Panel Search enter Java Control Panel.
• Click on the Java icon to open the Java Control Panel.

Disable Java through the Java Control Panel

• In the Java Control Panel, click on the Security tab.
• Deselect the check box for Enable Java content in the browser. This will disable the Java plug-in in the browser.
• Click Apply. When the Windows User Account Control (UAC) dialog appears, allow permissions to make the changes.
• Click OK in the Java Plug-in confirmation window.
• Restart the browser for changes to take effect.

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Delete All But the Most Recent Restore Point

1. Open Disk Cleanup by clicking the Start button . In the search box, type Disk Cleanup, and then, in the list of results, click Disk Cleanup.
2. If prompted, select the drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.
3. In the Disk Cleanup for (drive letter) dialog box, click Clean up system files. Administrator permission required If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
4. If prompted, select the drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK.
5. Click the More Options tab, under System Restore and Shadow Copies, click Clean up.
6. In the Disk Cleanup dialog box, click Delete.
7. Click Delete Files, and then click OK.

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With the above items taken care of let's move on to the All Clean part of the process.

IMPORTANT:The following procedures are recommendations for helping to keep your system running smoothly. If you are currently satisfied with how your system is running some or all of these may not pertain to you. Implement what you need.

This infection appears to have been cleaned, but I can not give you any absolute guarantees. As a precaution, I would go ahead and change all of your passwords as this is especially important after an infection.

Any of the logs that you created for use in the forums or remaining tools that have not yet been removed can be deleted so they aren't cluttering up your desktop.

Here are some tips to reduce the potential for spyware infection in the future:

Make your Internet Explorer more secure - This can be done by following these simple instructions:

• From within Internet Explorer click on the Tools menu and then click on Options.
• Click once on the Security tab
• Click once on the Internet icon so it becomes highlighted.
• Click once on the Custom Level button.
• Change the Download signed ActiveX controls to Prompt
• Change the Download unsigned ActiveX controls to Disable
• Change the Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe to Disable
• Change the Installation of desktop items to Prompt
• Change the Launching programs and files in an IFRAME to Prompt
• Change the Navigate sub-frames across different domains to Prompt
• When all these settings have been made, click on the OK button.
• If it prompts you as to whether or not you want to save the settings, press the Yes button.
• Next press the Apply button and then the OK to exit the Internet Properties page.

Make your Mozilla Firefox more secure - This can be done by adding these add-ons:

• NoScript
• AdBlockPlus

Use and update an anti-virus software - I can not overemphasize the need for you to use and update your anti-virus application on a regular basis. With the ever increasing number of new variants of malware arriving on the scene daily, you become very susceptible to an attack without updated protection.

Free Anti-Virus

• Avast Free Antivirus
• Avira Free Antivirus 2013
• PC Tools AntiVirus Free
• Ad-Aware Free Antivirus +

Free Firewall
Using a third-party firewall will allow you to give/deny access for applications that want to go online. Without a firewall your computer is susceptible to being hacked and taken over. Simply using a firewall in its default configuration can lower your risk greatly. A tutorial on firewalls can be found here.

• Online Armor Free
• Agnitum Outpost Firewall Free
• Comodo Firewall

Make sure you keep your Windows OS current. Windows XP users can visit Windows update regularly to download and install any critical updates and service packs. Windows Vista/7 users can open the Start menu > All Programs > Windows Update > Check for Updates (in left hand task pane) to update these systems. Without these you are leaving the back door open.

Consider a custom hosts file such as MVPS HOSTS. This custom hosts file effectively blocks a wide range of unwanted ads, banners, 3rd party Cookies, 3rd party page counters, web bugs, and many hijackers. For information on how to download and install, please read this tutorial by WinHelp2002
Note: Be sure to follow the instructions to disable the DNS Client service before installing a custom hosts file.

WOT (Web of Trust) As "Googling" is such an integral part of internet life, this free browser add on warns you about risky websites that try to scam visitors, deliver malware or send spam. It is especially helpful when browsing or searching in unfamiliar territory. WOT's color-coded icons show you ratings for 21 million websites, helping you avoid the dangerous sites. WOT has an add-on available for Firefox, Internet Explorer as well as Google Chrome.

Finally, I strongly recommend that you read TonyKlein's good advice So how did I get infected in the first place?

Please reply to this thread once more if you are satisfied so that we can mark the problem as resolved.

[OCD]

Since this issue appears to be resolved ... this Topic has been closed. Glad I could help.

If you still require help, please start a new topic and include fresh DDS and aswMBR logs, along with a link to your previous thread.

Please do not add any logs that might have been requested previously, you would be starting fresh.

Applies only to the original poster, anyone else with similar problems please start your own topic.