BleepingComputer.com: Virut

Good afternoon, I have found the site via Combofix. I have been having some problems the last couple of days and decided to do a clean up. I am running XP SP3 on a 8 moth old toshiba laptop, with AVG free. Problems were threat and virus messages from the AVG. Trying to install or update various anti spyware programmes have been blocked with various error messages usually blocking access to the respective web site. Trying to start windows in safe mode resulted in the blue screen of death, though will start in normal mode. Attempt to run msconfig to check start up type also failed <cant find msconfig> message shown. Finally i am directed to your site to try to run combofix, and it won t run! I have downloaded from Majorgeeks.com, and when i try to run as per your instructions it fails to start, with error message

< alert not safe to continue the contents of the combofix package has been compromised. Please download a fresh copy from: http://bleepingcomputer.com/combofix/how-to-use-combofix Note: You may have been infected with a file patching virus 'Virut' you may have virut>

I have tried this 3 toimes and always same message. I have also seen Virut on the AVG alert sometimes, as well as <win32.Heur>

Do you guys have any ideas please? So far i am not prevented from doing anything else that i have tried, except the clean up.

Any other info, please ask.

Thanks in advance,

Threadbare

i think you need to be posting into " Am i infected ! What do i do ! " dept of BC, also a bit of advice, " NO DISRESPECT INTENDED " you should never use Combofix as a quick fix, and also don't use it if you don't know what your doing with it, as it can cause even more problems if used without other people instructing you if you don't know how to use it properly that is !
So i guess you should repost where i said or wait until one of the BC staff see your post and help you out !
All The best and good luck !

Hi Threadbare,

Don't know which virut virus you have but have found this link for you to try??

Here For You !!!

Welcome to BC threadbare

Unfortunately virut is difficult to clean and most expert give advice to perform a full format of your hard disk once you have contracted virut. That is the only way of assuring that you got rid of virut.

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Source : http://www.avast.com/eng/win32-virut.html

PS: Combofix should never be used without the guidance and advice of an expert.

Romeo29, on Nov 18 2009, 09:44 AM, said:

Thankyou Romeo29 thats exactly what i said !

Helo,I will move this to the Am I Infected forum from XP.
to expand on what has been said...

Your system is infected with a nasty variant of Virut, a polymorphic file infector with IRCBot functionality which infects .exe, .scr files, downloads more malicious files to your system, and opens a back door that compromises your computer.

With this particular infection, the safest solution and only sure way to remove it effectively is to reformat and reinstall the OS.

According to this Norman White Paper Assessment of W32/Virut, some variants can infect the HOSTS file and block access to security related web sites. Other variants of virut can even penetrate and infect .exe files within compressed files (.zip, .cab, rar). The Virux and Win32/Virut.17408 variants are an even more complex file infectors which can embed an iframe into the body of web-related files and infect script files (.php, .asp, .htm, .html, .xml). When Virut creates infected files, it also creates non-functional files that are corrupted beyond repair and in some instances can disable Windows File Protection. In many cases the infected files cannot be disinfected properly by your anti-virus. When disinfection is attempted, the files become corrupted and the system may become irreparable. The longer virut remains on a computer, the more critical system files will become infected and corrupt so the degree of infection can vary.

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CA Virus detail of W32/Virut

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McAfee Risk Assessment and Overview of W32/Virut

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AVG Overview of W32/Virut

• miekiemoes' Blog on Virut.
  
• Virut and other File infectors - Throwing in the Towel?

This kind of infection is often contracted and spread by visiting remote, crack and keygen sites. These type of sites are infested with a smörgåsbord of malware and a major source of system infection.

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Keygen and Crack Sites Distribute VIRUX and FakeAV

However, the CA Security Advisor Research Blog have found MySpace user pages carrying the malicious Virut URL. Either way you can end up with a computer system so badly damaged that recovery is not possible and it cannot be repaired. When that happens there is nothing you can do besides reformatting and reinstalling the OS.

If your computer was used for online banking, has credit card information or other sensitive data on it, you should disconnect from the Internet until your system is cleaned. All passwords should be changed immediately to include those used for banking, email, eBay, paypal and online forums. You should consider them to be compromised. You should change each password using a clean computer and not the infected one. If not, an attacker may get the new passwords and transaction information. If using a router, you need to reset it with a strong logon/password so the malware cannot gain control before connect again. Banking and credit card institutions should be notified of the possible security breach. Because your computer was compromised please read:

• How Do I Handle Possible Identify Theft, Internet Fraud and CC Fraud?
  
• What Should I Do If I've Become A Victim Of Identity Theft?
  
• Identity Theft Victims Guide - What to do

Since virut is not effectively disinfectable, your best option is to perform a full reformat as there is no guarantee this infection can be completely removed. In most instances it may have caused so much damage to your system files that it cannot be completely cleaned or repaired. In many cases the infected files cannot be deleted and anti-malware scanners cannot disinfect them properly. Many experts in the security community believe that once infected with this type of malware, the best course of action is to reformat and reinstall the OS. Reinstalling Windows without first wiping the entire hard drive with a repartition and/or format will not remove the infection. The reinstall will only overwrite the Windows files. Any malware on the system will still be there afterwards. Please read:

• When should I re-format? How should I reinstall?
  
• Help: I Got Hacked. Now What Do I Do?
  
• Where to draw the line? When to recommend a format and reinstall?

Hi and thanks you all for your comments, though it mainly seems to be doom and gloom! I will follow through on the "am i infected" pages, however i would just like to clarify 1 point regarding the combofix, i do fully appreciate that it should only be used with great care and i had first come to this site for guidance on how to use it.

It is doom and gloom unfortunately. That's why I posted. Didn't like to but wanted you to have the reality.

Hi Boopme well yes appreciate the reality! No point trying everything to fix it if it aint fixable. But maybe you could just help on a couple of points please

Firstly i just wonder how it s got in? I ve read the threads about various ways these gthings do get in, but i am quite scrupulous with my system, i have AVG latest version (actually full version at the moment) which updates every day and runs every day too, i have Superantispyware running all the time, as well as i also use regularly (about every week) CCleaner, Malwarebytes, Adaware and IOBIT 360 together with Advanced system care. And i use the standard windows firewall turned on. I did read somewhere that there is an unpatched hole in XP that lets in a music player with virut, and as i do a lot of music, i wonder if that could be the problem? Of course the biggest issue is how to avoid getting it again after reformatting if that lot didn t stop it!?

The other question is that if i back up my music and other files on to a back up drive, can the virus get back in when i open a file from back up and again, how to prevent that?

Thanks again for your help and if anything else turns up i ll be sure to let you know,

Cheers, Threadbare

Hello and you are welcome.. We hate Virut as much as those who get it.
Music files are usually safe..but it may have goten in thru that. all updates are important tho. Also there are infected web pages out there now too.

In some instances an infection may have caused so much damage to your system that it cannot be completely cleaned or repaired. Wiping your drive, reformatting, and performing a clean install of the OS or doing a factory restore removes everything and is the safest action but I cannot make that decision for you.

Reformatting a hard disk deletes all data. If you decide to reformat, you can back up all your important documents, data files and photos. The safest practice is not to backup any autorun.ini or .exe files because they may be infected. Some types of malware may disguise itself by adding and hiding its extension to the existing extension of files so be sure you take a close look at the full name. After reformatting, as a precaution, make sure you scan these files with your anti-virus prior to copying them back to your hard drive.

The best proceedure is a low level format. This completely wipes the drive. Then reinstall the OS.
Use the free version of Active@ KillDisk.
Or Darik's Boot And Nuke

The best sources of Information on this are
Reformatting Windows XP
Michael Stevens Tech

Of course also feel free to ask anything on this in the XP forum. They'd be glad to help.

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2 guidelines/rules when backing up

1) Backup all your important data files, pictures, music, work etc... and save it onto an external hard-drive. These files usually include .doc, .txt, .mp3, .jpg etc...
2) Do not backup any executables files or any window files. These include .exe/.scr/.htm/.html/.xml/.zip/.rar files as they may contain traces of malware. Also, .html or .htm files that are webpages should also be avoided.

Download Belarc Advisor - builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware, including Microsoft Hotfixes, and displays the results in your Web browser.
Run it and then print out the results, they may be handy.

Reinstall Windows Vista
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VIRUT
Caution: If you are considering reformatting and backing up your data, keep in mind, with a Virut infection, there is always a chance of backed up data reinfecting your system. If the data is that important to you, then you can try to salvage some of it but there is no guarantee so be forewarned that you may have to start over again afterwards if reinfected by attempting to recover your data. Only back up your important documents, personal data files, photos to a CD or DVD drive, not a flash drive or external hard drive as they may become compromised in the process. The safest practice is not to backup any executable files (*.exe), screensavers (*.scr), autorun (.ini) or script files (.php, .asp, and .html) files because they may be infected by malware. Avoid backing up compressed files (.zip, .cab, .rar) that have executable files inside them as some types of malware can penetrate and infect .exe files within compressed files too. Other types of malware may even disguise itself by adding and hiding its extension to the existing extension of file(s) so be sure you look closely at the full file name. After reformatting, scan the backed up data with your anti-virus prior to to copying it back to your hard drive.