Re: Trojan startpage.16.m

From: Malke (malke_at_nospoonnotreally.com)
Date: 03/01/05

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    Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 16:24:42 -0800

    Trent SC wrote:

    > A colleague's computer is sitting morosely on my living room floor,
    > infected (so it seems, according to AVG) with the Trojan
    > startpage.16.m and no matter how many times AVG finds and heals the
    > offending file - se.dll - the
    > infection reappears on every reboot. And since this seems to be a
    > variant of other startpage Trojans, dedicated removal methods don't
    > appear to work across the board.
    >
    > There are a number of web forums which are discussing this problem but
    > none seem to have dealt with it completely on a Windows ME machine,
    > and I'm rather at a loss as to what I might do short of a reformat,
    > which is an unpopular option due to important files.
    >
    > Has anyone seen/come across an effective way of dealing with this
    > little bugger?
    >
    > TIA

    Sure, just do the following malware removal steps. Make sure all tools
    are updated and you do all scans in Safe Mode. With ME, when you first
    go into Safe Mode you have to close that stupid Help app that starts.
    Also, delete all the Temporary and Temporary Internet Files before you
    start scanning.

    1) Scan in Safe Mode with current version (not earlier than 2004)
    antivirus using updated definitions.

    Before you remove malware, get LSPFix (or WinSockFix for XP which you
    can get from MajorGeeks) - see links below.

    2) Remove spyware with Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-aware. These
    programs are free, so use them both since they complement each other.
    There is a new version of CWShredder from Intermute. I would not
    install the other Intermute programs, however. Alternately, there are
    CoolWebSearch malware removal steps at SilentRunners.

    Be sure to update these programs before running, and it is a good idea
    to do virus/spyware scans in Safe Mode. Make sure you are able to see
    all hidden files and extensions (View tab in Folder Options).

    If the malware remains even after you used Ad-aware and Spybot, you can
    scan with HijackThis. HijackThis is an excellent tool to discover and
    disable hijackers, but it requires expert skill. See below for
    HijackThis links, including sites where you can post your HJT logs. A
    combination of HijackThis and About:Buster works well in removing the
    About:Blank homepage hijacker. Again, this is an expert tool and
    novices should get help with it.

    3) If you are running Windows ME or XP, you should disable/enable System
    Restore after the system is clean because malware will be in the
    Restore Points. With ME, you must disable System Restore completely.
    With XP, you can delete all but the most recent (presumably clean)
    System Restore point from the More Options section of Disk Cleanup
    (Run>cleanmgr).

    4) Make sure you've visited Windows Update and applied all security
    patches. Do not install driver updates from Windows Update.

    5) Run a firewall.

    Links to help with malware:

    Software/Methods:
    http://www.safer-networking.org - Spybot Search & Destroy
    http://www.lavasoftusa.com - Ad-aware
    http://www.majorgeeks.com - good download site
    http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract/cwshredder_download.html
    http://www.silentrunners.org/sr_cwsremoval.html. - SilentRunners
    http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm - Repair Winsock 2 settings after
    removing spyware
    http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html - WinsockXPFix.exe

    HijackThis:
    http://www.aumha.org/a/hjttutor.htm - HijackThis tutorial by Jim
    Eshelman
    http://aumha.net - forums
    http://spywarewarrior.com/viewforum.php?f=5 - Spyware Warrior HijackThis
    forum
    http://www.wilderssecurity.com/
    http://forums.tomcoyote.org/

    General:
    http://aumha.net - look under "Security" for various forums
    http://rgharper.mvps.org/cleanit.htm
    http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
    http://www.aumha.org/a/parasite.htm - The Parasite Fight
    http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

    Malke 

    -- 
MS MVP - Windows Shell/User
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
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