SpyFighter Removal Guide

What this programs does:

SpyFighter is a rogue anti-spyware program that displays fake infections in order to trick you into purchasing the software. This program is advertised through the use of Trojans that display fake security alerts on your computer. These alerts will state that your computer is infected or under attack and that you should click on the alert to get protection. Once you click on the alert, the Trojan will automatically download and install SpyFighter without your permission. Once the program is installed it will be configured to start automatically when you login to Windows. Once started it will scan your computer and list a variety of infections that cannot be removed unless you purchase the program. These infections, though, are all fake and are only being shown to scare you into purchasing the program.

SpyFighter screen shot
For more screen shots of this infection click on the image above.
There are a total of 2 images you can view.

While SpyFighter is running you will continue to see nag screens and security alerts stating that your computer is under attack. These nag screens can get quite annoying as they will pop-up over your running applications and cannot be closed without going through a series of "are you sure?" type screens. Another byproduct of this program being installed is that your computer will begin to operate slower. This is because the program is always running in the background while using resources that legitimate programs could better use.

If you are infected with SpyFighter, then please use the guide below in order to remove this malware and the Trojans that installed it.

Threat Classification:

• Information on Rogue Programs

Advanced information:

View SpyFighter files.
View SpyFighter Registry Information.

Entries for this program found in the Add or Remove Programs control panel:

SpyFighter

Tools Needed for this fix:

• Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Symptoms that may be in a HijackThis Log:

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SpyFighter] C:\Program Files\SpyFighter\SpyFighter.exe

Guide Updates:

03-21-09 - Initial guide creation.

Automated Removal Instructions for SpyFighter using Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware:

1. Print out these instructions as we will need to close every window that is open later in the fix.
   
   
2. Download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, or MBAM, from the following location and save it to your desktop:
   
   Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Download Link
   
   


3. Once downloaded, close all programs and Windows on your computer, including this one.
   
   
4. Double-click on the icon on your desktop named Download_mbam-setup.exe. This will start the installation of MBAM onto your computer.
   
   
5. When the installation begins, keep following the prompts in order to continue with the installation process. Do not make any changes to default settings and when the program has finished installing, make sure you leave both the Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware checked. Then click on the Finish button.
   
   
6. MBAM will now automatically start and you will see a message stating that you should update the program before performing a scan. As MBAM will automatically update itself after the install, you can press the OK button to close that box and you will now be at the main program as shown below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. On the Scanner tab, make sure the the Perform quick scan option is selected and then click on the Scan button to start scanning your computer for SpyFighter related files.
   
   
8. MBAM will now start scanning your computer for malware. This process can take quite a while, so we suggest you go and do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan. When MBAM is scanning it will look like the image below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. When the scan is finished a message box will appear as shown in the image below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   You should click on the OK button to close the message box and continue with the Spy Fighter removal process.
   
   
10. You will now be back at the main Scanner screen. At this point you should click on the Show Results button.
    
    
11. A screen displaying all the malware that the program found will be shown as seen in the image below. Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    You should now click on the Remove Selected button to remove all the listed malware. MBAM will now delete all of the files and registry keys and add them to the programs quarantine. When removing the files, MBAM may require a reboot in order to remove some of them. If it displays a message stating that it needs to reboot, please allow it to do so. Once your computer has rebooted, and you are logged in, please continue with the rest of the steps.
    
    
12. When MBAM has finished removing the malware, it will open the scan log and display it in Notepad. Review the log as desired, and then close the Notepad window.
    
    
13. You can now exit the MBAM program.
    

Your computer should now be free of the Spy Fighter program. If your current anti-virus solution let this infection through, you may want to consider purchasing the PRO version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future.

If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow the steps outlined in the topic linked below:

Preparation Guide For Use Before Posting A Hijackthis Log

Associated SpyFighter Files:

%UserProfile%\Desktop\SpyFighter.lnk
%UserProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\SpyFighter
%UserProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\SpyFighter\SpyFighter.lnk
%UserProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\SpyFighter\SpyFighterScan.lnk
%UserProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\SpyFighter\Uninstall.lnk
c:\Program Files\SpyFighter
c:\Program Files\SpyFighter\SpyFighter.exe
c:\Program Files\SpyFighter\uninstall.exe
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\SpyFighter

Associated SpyFighter Windows Registry Information:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\SpyFighter
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SpyFighter
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "SpyFighter"

BleepingComputer.com can not be held responsible for problems that may occur by using this information. If you would like help with any of these fixes, you can post a HijackThis log in our HijackThis Logs and Analysis forum.

If you have any questions about this self-help guide then please post those questions in our AntiVirus, Firewall and Privacy Products and Protection Methods forum and someone will help you.