SecureVeteran is a scareware program that is installed on
a computer through the use of Trojans. This same Trojan will also create numerous
files with random names that will be used to impersonate malware on your computer.
When SecureVeteran then runs, it will scan your computer and find the files
that the Trojan created and state that they are infections. It will not, though,
allow you to remove any of these files until you purchase the program. This
act of creating fake malware files and then detecting them as malware is just
a tactic where they are trying to trick you into thinking you are infected so
that you purchase the program.
SecureVeteran
For more screen shots of this infection click on the image above.
There are a total of 7 images you can view.
While the program is running you will also see a constant display of fake
security alerts and windows appear on your computer. These security alerts will
state that your computer is infected or that you are under attack from a remote
computer. Another window you will see is a fake Windows Security Center window
that instead of saying you need active protection, suggests that you purchase
SecureVeteran. Like the fake scan results, these alerts and windows are just
another tactic to make you think you are infected and should be ignored.
As you can see, SecureVeteran is designed to trick you into thinking your computer
has a security problem in the hopes that you will then purchase the program.
If you have already purchased the program, I suggest that you contact your credit
card company and dispute the charges, as this program is a scam. To remove SecureVeteran,
please use the steps in the guide below.
Threat Classification:
Advanced information:
View SecureVeteran files.
View SecureVeteran Registry Information.
Entries for this program found in the Uninstall Programs control panel:
SecureVeteran
Tools Needed for this fix:
Symptoms that may be in a HijackThis Log:
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [SecureVeteran] C:\Program Files\SecureVeteran Software\SecureVeteran\SecureVeteran.exe -min
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ucw2.tmp] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ucw2.tmp
O23 - Service: SecureVeteran Security Service (SecureVeteranSvc) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\SecureVeteran Software\SecureVeteran\SecureVeteranSvc.exe (file missing)
Guide Updates:
09/29/09 - Initial guide creation.
Automated Removal Instructions for SecureVeteran using Malwarebytes Anti-Malware:
- Print out these instructions as we will need to close every window that
is open later in the fix.
- Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, or MBAM, from the following location
and save it to your desktop:
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Download Link (Download page will open in a new window)
- Once downloaded, close all programs and Windows on your computer, including
this one.
- Double-click on the icon on your desktop named mbam-setup.exe.
This will start the installation of MBAM onto your computer.
- 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.
- 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.
- On the Scanner tab, make sure the the Perform
full scan option is selected and then click on the Scan
button to start scanning your computer for
SecureVeteran
related files.
- 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.
- 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 SecureVeteran removal process.
- You will now be back at the main Scanner screen. At this point you should
click on the Show Results button.
- 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.
- 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.
- You can now exit the MBAM program.
Your computer should now be free of the SecureVeteran 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 Using Malware Removal Tools and Requesting Help
Associated SecureVeteran Files:
c:\Program Files\SecureVeteran Software
c:\Program Files\SecureVeteran Software\SecureVeteran
c:\Program Files\SecureVeteran Software\SecureVeteran\SecureVeteran.exe
c:\Program Files\SecureVeteran Software\SecureVeteran\uninstall.exe
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop\SecureVeteran.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\SecureVeteran
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\SecureVeteran\1 SecureVeteran.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\SecureVeteran\2 Homepage.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\SecureVeteran\3 Uninstall.lnk
%Temp%\ucw2.tmp
c:\WINDOWS\1049zha5k9ool76a.dll
c:\WINDOWS\111089ot-a-v5ruz7f2.exe
c:\WINDOWS\111539zoj627.bin
c:\WINDOWS\11607spy359z.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\1f9fdownzo5der1271.dll
c:\WINDOWS\system32\1z0fs9yware21825.cpl
c:\WINDOWS\system32\1z5245pambot52d9.dll
File Location Notes:
%Temp% refers to the Windows Temp folder. By default, this is C:\Windows\Temp for Windows 95/98/ME, C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\<Current User>\LOCAL SETTINGS\Temp for Windows 2000/XP, and C:\Users\<Current User>\AppData\Local\Temp in Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.
Associated SecureVeteran Windows Registry Information:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SecureVeteran
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\SecureVeteran
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SecureVeteran
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\LEGACY_SECUREVETERANSVC
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SecureVeteranSvc
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "SecureVeteran"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "ucw2.tmp"
This is a self-help guide. Use at your own risk.
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 ask for malware removal assistance in our Virus, Trojan, Spyware, and Malware Removal Logs forum.
If you have any questions about this self-help guide then please post those questions in our Am I infected? What do I do? and someone will help you.
