BleepingComputer.com: Unknown malware infecting my laptop

I've just got an unknown malware on my Windows 7 laptop - have spent the past few hours trying to remove it to no avail. Have used Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and SuperAntiSpyware (used them in safe mode - haven't tried them in normal mode) which removed some trojans and cookies but this malware is still continuing so I'm assuming they didn't detect it.

It runs through little notifications appearing at the bottom right saying that my computer is unprotected and that personal data could be at risk.

It also seems to hijack different programs to deliver me pop-up notices - it's using the icon for my Dell webcam software for its pop-up notices. See image at the bottom of the post for what I mean by this. The text on the pop-ups is as follows:

'Internal conflict alert! Internal software conflict detected! Some application tries to get access to system kernel (such behavior is typical to Spyware/Malware). It may cause crash of your computer.'

Kind of seems similar to one of the ANG Antivirus malwares but not the same and my computer hasn't detected ANG when I've searched for it. Granted I might not have searched hard enough or it might be under a different name.

Both Windows Defender and Avast (free version) have been disabled, I think by the malware, they won't run even when I click the run button (Avast ignores the click, WD says there's an error).

The weird thing is that it isn't trying to get me to buy anything and when I click the notifications it doesn't open a webpage or anything. (Yet.) But it's really driving me crazy with frequent pop-ups and the worry of what it might do next, please someone help!?

I have HijackThis, and it lets me do the scan but for some reason won't save a log file (it says my system denies access to the Hosts file, I don't know how to fix this). If anyone could help me get a HijackThis log file in order to help get rid of the malware this would also be very helpful.

Thanks.

This post has been edited by frustrated11: 25 July 2011 - 11:27 AM

Just got another pop-up saying:

'Your computer is infected with Spyware! Detected malicious programs can damage your computer and compromise your privacy. It is strongly recomended to remove them immediately.'

Also I ran Rkill, here's the log from that:

This log file is located at C:\rkill.log.
Please post this only if requested to by the person helping you.
Otherwise you can close this log when you wish.

Rkill was run on 25/07/2011 at 17:23:12.
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium


Processes terminated by Rkill or while it was running:


C:\Windows\SysWOW64\rundll32.exe
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\runonce.exe


Rkill completed on 25/07/2011 at 17:23:17.


Edit: Rkill hasn't stopped the malware pop-ups either. AARGH!

This post has been edited by frustrated11: 25 July 2011 - 11:29 AM

Hi frustrated11,

to Bleeping Computer.

My name is Jason and I'll be helping you with your computer problems. You can call me by my screename jntkwx or Jason is fine.

Some things to remember while we are working together.

• Do not run any other tool untill instructed to do so!
  
• Please do not attach logs or put logs in code boxes.
  
• Tell me about any problems that have occurred during the fix.
  
• Tell me of any other symptoms you may be having as these can also help.
  
• Do not run anything while running a fix.
  
• If you don't understand a step, please ask for clarification before continuing with any future steps.

Click on the Watch Topic button and select Immediate Notification and click on proceed, this will help you to get notified faster when I have replied and make the cleaning process faster.

Note to others: The instructions here are intended for the person who began this topic. If you need help, please create your own topic in the appropriate forum.

---

Download Security Check by screen317 from here.

• Save it to your Desktop.
  
• Double click SecurityCheck.exe and follow the onscreen instructions inside of the black box.
  
• A Notepad document should open automatically called checkup.txt.
  
• Please post the contents of that document.

Rerun Malwarebytes (in Normal Mode, if you can).
Open Malwarebytes, click on the Update tab, and click the check for Updates button.

• If an update is found, the program will automatically update itself. Press the OK button to close that box and continue.
  
• If you encounter any problems while downloading the definition updates, manually download them from here and just double-click on mbam-rules.exe to install.

On the Scanner tab:

• Make sure the "Perform Quick Scan" option is selected.
  
• Then click on the Scan button.
  
• If asked to select the drives to scan, leave all the drives selected and click on the Start Scan button.
  
• The scan will begin and "Scan in progress" will show at the top. It may take some time to complete so please be patient.
  
• When the scan is finished, a message box will say "The scan completed successfully. Click 'Show Results' to display all objects found".
  
• Click OK to close the message box and continue with the removal process.

Back at the main Scanner screen:

• Click on the Show Results button to see a list of any malware that was found.
  
• Make sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected.
  
• When removal is completed, a log report will open in Notepad.
  
• The log is automatically saved and can be viewed by clicking the Logs tab in MBAM.
  
• Copy and paste the contents of that report in your next reply. Be sure to post the complete log to include the top portion which shows MBAM's database version and your operating system.
  
• Exit MBAM when done.

Note: If MBAM encounters a file that is difficult to remove, you will be asked to reboot your computer so MBAM can proceed with the disinfection process. If asked to restart the computer, please do so immediately. Failure to reboot normally (not into safe mode) will prevent MBAM from removing all the malware.

If you have trouble updating, troubleshoot Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Please download GMER from one of the following locations and save it to your desktop:

• Main Mirror
  This version will download a randomly named file (Recommended)
  
• Zipped Mirror
  This version will download a zip file you will need to extract first. If you use this mirror, please extract the zip file to your desktop.

• Disconnect from the Internet and close all running programs.
  
• Temporarily disable any real-time active protection so your security programs will not conflict with gmer's driver.
  
• Double-click on the randomly named GMER file (i.e. n7gmo46c.exe) and allow the gmer.sys driver to load if asked.
  
• Note: If you downloaded the zipped version, extract the file to its own folder such as C:\gmer and then double-click on gmer.exe.
  
  
  
  
• GMER will open to the Rootkit/Malware tab and perform an automatic quick scan when first run. (do not use the computer while the scan is in progress)
  
• If you receive a WARNING!!! about rootkit activity and are asked to fully scan your system...click NO.
  
• Now click the Scan button. If you see a rootkit warning window, click OK.
  
• When the scan is finished, click the Save... button to save the scan results to your Desktop. Save the file as gmer.log.
  
• Click the Copy button and paste the results into your next reply.
  
• Exit GMER and be sure to re-enable your anti-virus, Firewall and any other security programs you had disabled.

IMPORTANT! If for some reason GMER refuses to run, try again.
If it still fails, try to UN-check "Devices" in right pane.
If still no joy, try to run it from Safe Mode.


In your next post, please include:

• Security Check log
  
• Malwarebytes log
  
• GMER log

@frustrated11,

Just wanted to share your frustration. I had the exact same problem last night. Identical alert as yours. I have Microsoft Security Essentials running all the time, didn't catch anything. Just ran Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal tool, didn't find anything. However, Malwarebytes did detect a few spywares. But it didn't solve the alert issue. The biggest detection came from Spyware Doctor. It found many malwares/spywares, but the free version doesn't clean, only detects. So, I manually removed multiple registry entries that it found. But the alert doesn't go away. It even shows up in Safe Mode!!

I am using Vista Home. Will let you know if I discover anything new.

PS: I must say that Malwarebytes did detect a trojan called FakeAlert (however removing it didn't fix the popup). I am running a full scan with malwarebytes again.

Mehdi

This post has been edited by mmehdi: 26 July 2011 - 08:41 PM

I must say, after doing a full scan and cleaning with MalwareBytes my alert issue is fixed. It also fixed some other problems I was having with my sidebar (clock, weather, etc on the sidebar).

mmehdi,

jntkwx, on 25 July 2011 - 04:07 PM, said:

Thanks for your input. However, I'm waiting for a response back from frustrated11, so please refrain from replying to this post. Thank you.

mmehdi, on 26 July 2011 - 08:25 PM, said:

I know, it's so incredibly annoying! Hope you manage to get rid of it.

jntkwx, on 25 July 2011 - 04:07 PM, said:

Hi Jason, thanks for replying so speedily. I followed your instructions and after updating MBAM (hadn't realised it wasn't updated) and running the quick scan it seems to have got rid of it, but not sure. Logs are below.

Security Check log:

Results of screen317's Security Check version 0.99.18
Windows 7 (UAC is enabled)
Internet Explorer 8
``````````````````````````````
Antivirus/Firewall Check:
Windows Firewall Enabled!
avast! Free Antivirus
WMI entry may not exist for antivirus; attempting automatic update.
```````````````````````````````
Anti-malware/Other Utilities Check:
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
Java™ 6 Update 18
Out of date Java installed!
Flash Player Out of Date!
Adobe Flash Player 10.2.159.1
Mozilla Firefox (3.6.18) Firefox Out of Date!
````````````````````````````````
Process Check:
objlist.exe by Laurent
Mozilla Firefox AvastSvc.exe -?-
AVAST Software Avast AvastUI.exe
``````````End of Log````````````



MalwareBytes log:

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.51.1.1800
www.malwarebytes.org

Database version: 7296

Windows 6.1.7600
Internet Explorer 8.0.7600.16385

27/07/2011 15:50:54
mbam-log-2011-07-27 (15-50-54).txt

Scan type: Quick scan
Objects scanned: 177386
Time elapsed: 2 minute(s), 51 second(s)

Memory Processes Infected: 0
Memory Modules Infected: 0
Registry Keys Infected: 0
Registry Values Infected: 2
Registry Data Items Infected: 0
Folders Infected: 0
Files Infected: 20

Memory Processes Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Memory Modules Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Values Infected:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\cachestreammgr.exe (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> Value: cachestreammgr.exe -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\*cachestreammgr.exe (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> Value: *cachestreammgr.exe -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

Registry Data Items Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Folders Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Files Infected:
c:\programdata\cachestreammgr.exe (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\5514.tmp (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\amowxrscne.exe (Trojan.Downloader) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup1040052412.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup1281702528.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup1321723232.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup1475935976.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup165509120.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup1842927628.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup2097129688.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup2143009344.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup2828042824.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup2908854436.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup3121470268.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup336979164.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup3556402292.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup607713408.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Local\Temp\setup686889320.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\plugs\kb7233142.exe (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\Lucy\local settings\application data\windows server\admin.txt (Malware.Trace) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.


GMER 1.0.15.15641 - http://www.gmer.net
Rootkit scan 2011-07-27 16:31:52
Windows 6.1.7600
Running: ecf8uxcq.exe


---- Registry - GMER 1.0.15 ----

Reg HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\BTHPORT\Parameters\Keys\001f81000250
Reg HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\BTHPORT\Parameters\Keys\001f81000250@a0079837a552 0x20 0x14 0x45 0xB8 ...
Reg HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\services\BTHPORT\Parameters\Keys\001f81000250 (not active ControlSet)
Reg HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\services\BTHPORT\Parameters\Keys\001f81000250@a0079837a552 0x20 0x14 0x45 0xB8 ...

---- EOF - GMER 1.0.15 ----

Hi frustrated11,

Looking good. Yes, Malwarebytes was able to remove a whole bunch of malware. Malwarbytes is updated several times per day, so any time you run a scan with it, it's always a good idea to go to the Update tab and check for updates before running a scan.

Let's double check we've gotten everything.

Superantisypware (SAS):

Download and scan with SUPERAntiSpyware Free for Home Users

• Double-click SUPERAntiSpyware.exe and use the default settings for installation.
  
• An icon will be created on your desktop. Double-click that icon to launch the program.
  
• If asked to update the program definitions, click "Yes". If not, update the definitions before scanning by selecting "Check for Updates". (If you encounter any problems while downloading the updates, manually download them from http://www.superantispyware.com/downloads/SASDEFINITIONS.EXE (copy and paste that website address) and save SASDEFINITIONS.EXE to your desktop. Then double-click on SASDEFINITIONS.EXE to install the definitions.)
  
• In the Main Menu, click the Preferences... button.
  
• Click the Scanning Control tab.
  
• Under Scanner Options make sure the following are checked (leave all others unchecked):
  • Close browsers before scanning.
    
  • Scan for tracking cookies.
    
  • Terminate memory threats before quarantining.
• Click the "Close" button to leave the control center screen.
  
• Back on the main screen, under "Scan for Harmful Software" click Scan your computer.
  
• On the left, make sure you check C:\Fixed Drive.
  
• On the right, under "Complete Scan", choose Perform Complete Scan.
  
• Click "Next" to start the scan. Please be patient while it scans your computer.
  
• After the scan is complete, a Scan Summary box will appear with potentially harmful items that were detected. Click "OK".
  
• Make sure everything has a checkmark next to it and click "Next".
  
• A notification will appear that "Quarantine and Removal is Complete". Click "OK" and then click the "Finish" button to return to the main menu.
  
• If asked if you want to reboot, click "Yes".
  
• To retrieve the removal information after reboot, launch SUPERAntispyware again.
  • Click Preferences, then click the Statistics/Logs tab.
    
  • Under Scanner Logs, double-click SUPERAntiSpyware Scan Log.
    
  • If there are several logs, click the current dated log and press View log. A text file will open in your default text editor.
    
  • Please copy and paste the Scan Log results in your next reply.
• Click Close to exit the program.

If you have a problem downloading, installing or getting SAS to run, try downloading and using the SUPERAntiSpyware Portable Scanner instead. Save the randomly named file (i.e. SAS_1710895.COM) to a USB drive or CD and transfer to the infected computer. Then double-click on it to launch and scan. The file is randomly named to help keep malware from blocking the scanner.

I'd like us to scan your machine with ESET OnlineScan

• Hold down Control and click on this link to open ESET OnlineScan in a new window.
  
• Click the button.
  
• For alternate browsers only: (Microsoft Internet Explorer users can skip these steps)
  • Click on esetsmartinstaller_enu.exe to download the ESET Smart Installer. Save it to your desktop.
    
  • Double click on the
    icon on your desktop.
  
  
• Check "YES, I accept the Terms of Use."
  
• Click the Start button.
  
• Accept any security warnings from your browser.
  
• Under scan settings, check "Scan Archives" and "Remove found threats"
  
• Click Advanced settings and select the following:
  • Scan potentially unwanted applications
    
  • Scan for potentially unsafe applications
    
  • Enable Anti-Stealth technology
  
  
• ESET will then download updates for itself, install itself, and begin scanning your computer. Please be patient as this can take some time.
  
• When the scan completes, click List Threats
  
• Click Export, and save the file to your desktop using a unique name, such as ESETScan. Include the contents of this report in your next reply.
  
• Click the Back button.
  
• Click the Finish button.

In your next reply, please include:

• SuperAntiSpyware log
  
• ESET log
  
• How's the computer running now?

jntkwx, on 27 July 2011 - 10:46 AM, said:

SAS log:

SUPERAntiSpyware Scan Log
http://www.superantispyware.com

Generated 07/27/2011 at 06:37 PM

Application Version : 4.55.1000

Core Rules Database Version : 7469
Trace Rules Database Version: 5281

Scan type : Complete Scan
Total Scan Time : 01:29:04

Memory items scanned : 646
Memory threats detected : 0
Registry items scanned : 13893
Registry threats detected : 0
File items scanned : 169000
File threats detected : 5

Trojan.Agent/Gen-IExplorer[Fake]
C:\USERS\LUCY\APPDATA\LOCAL\TEMP\RARSFX0\NIRD\IEXPLORE.EXE

Trojan.Agent/Gen-PEC
C:\USERS\LUCY\APPDATA\LOCAL\TEMP\RARSFX0\PROCS\EXPLORER.EXE

Adware.Tracking Cookie
content.yieldmanager.edgesuite.net [ C:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Roaming\Macromedia\Flash Player\#SharedObjects\NM2R6CDJ ]
ia.media-imdb.com [ C:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Roaming\Macromedia\Flash Player\#SharedObjects\NM2R6CDJ ]
s0.2mdn.net [ C:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Roaming\Macromedia\Flash Player\#SharedObjects\NM2R6CDJ ]



ESET log:

C:\Users\Lucy\AppData\Roaming\544381630444FDC1A23BBFB2F2178CA7\onslik700patch.exe a variant of Win32/Kryptik.QTJ trojan cleaned by deleting - quarantined
C:\Users\Lucy\Downloads\FreeYouTubeToMp3Converter.exe Win32/OpenCandy application deleted - quarantined
C:\Users\Lucy\Downloads\MsgPlusLive-483.exe a variant of Win32/Adware.CiDHelp application cleaned by deleting - quarantined



Computer seems to be running ok now however haven't restarted it yet since I ran MBAM on previous post.

This post has been edited by frustrated11: 27 July 2011 - 03:06 PM

Hi frustrated11,

We're almost done. Let's double check we've gotten everything.

Rerun Malwarebytes (Full Scan, may take some time to complete.)
Open Malwarebytes, click on the Update tab, and click the check for Updates button.

• If an update is found, the program will automatically update itself. Press the OK button to close that box and continue.
  
• If you encounter any problems while downloading the definition updates, manually download them from here and just double-click on mbam-rules.exe to install.

On the Scanner tab:

• Make sure the "Perform Full Scan" option is selected.
  
• Then click on the Scan button.
  
• If asked to select the drives to scan, leave all the drives selected and click on the Start Scan button.
  
• The scan will begin and "Scan in progress" will show at the top. It may take some time to complete so please be patient.
  
• When the scan is finished, a message box will say "The scan completed successfully. Click 'Show Results' to display all objects found".
  
• Click OK to close the message box and continue with the removal process.

Back at the main Scanner screen:

• Click on the Show Results button to see a list of any malware that was found.
  
• Make sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected.
  
• When removal is completed, a log report will open in Notepad.
  
• The log is automatically saved and can be viewed by clicking the Logs tab in MBAM.
  
• Copy and paste the contents of that report in your next reply. Be sure to post the complete log to include the top portion which shows MBAM's database version and your operating system.
  
• Exit MBAM when done.

Note: If MBAM encounters a file that is difficult to remove, you will be asked to reboot your computer so MBAM can proceed with the disinfection process. If asked to restart the computer, please do so immediately. Failure to reboot normally (not into safe mode) will prevent MBAM from removing all the malware.

If you have trouble updating, troubleshoot Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Open Avast. Update its definitions. Then please run a full system scan. This may take a while to complete. Please be patient.


In your next reply, please include:

• Malwarebytes log
  
• Results of Avast scan
  
• How's your computer running now? Please provide a detailed description of any remaining problems, detailed word-for-word error messages that you are receiving, and/or screenshots of strange behavior.

jntkwx, on 27 July 2011 - 03:56 PM, said:

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.51.1.1800
www.malwarebytes.org

Database version: 7308

Windows 6.1.7600
Internet Explorer 8.0.7600.16385

28/07/2011 12:49:33
mbam-log-2011-07-28 (12-49-33).txt

Scan type: Full scan (C:\|D:\|E:\|)
Objects scanned: 338387
Time elapsed: 40 minute(s), 7 second(s)

Memory Processes Infected: 0
Memory Modules Infected: 0
Registry Keys Infected: 0
Registry Values Infected: 0
Registry Data Items Infected: 0
Folders Infected: 0
Files Infected: 0

Memory Processes Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Memory Modules Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Values Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Data Items Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Folders Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Files Infected:
(No malicious items detected)



Avast says no threat found however not quite sure if I updated definitions correctly as don't know how to do that!

Hi frustrated11,

Looking good. Usually, Avast updates its definitions automatically, so I think we're ok there. Let's double check we've found all the malware.

Clear Cache/Temp Files
Download TFC by OldTimer to your desktop

• Please double-click TFC.exe to run it. (Note: If you are running on Vista, right-click on the file and choose Run As Administrator).
  
• It will close all programs when run, so make sure you have saved all your work before you begin.
  
• Click the Start button to begin the process. Depending on how often you clean temp files, execution time should be anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or two. Let it run uninterrupted to completion.
  
• Once it's finished it should reboot your machine. If it does not, please manually reboot the machine yourself to ensure a complete clean.

Please download SystemLook from one of the links below and save it to your Desktop.
Download Mirror #1
Download Mirror #2

• Double-click SystemLook.exe to run it.
  
• Copy the content of the following codebox into the main textfield:
  

  :dir
  %homepath%\Appdata\ /s
  %homepath%\Downloads\ /s

  
  
• Click the Look button to start the scan.
  
• When finished, a notepad window will open with the results of the scan. Please post this log in your next reply.

Note: The log can also be found on your Desktop entitled SystemLook.txt


In your next reply, please include:

• SystemLook log
  
• How's your computer running now?

This post has been edited by jntkwx: 28 July 2011 - 08:57 AM