VirusTrigger is a rogue anti-spyware program advertised via the Zlob Trojan. The Zlob Trojan is a malware that pretends to be an audio or video codec required to view online videos. Once installed, the Zlob Trojan will automatically install VirusTrigger on your computer and configure it to start when you log into Windows. The Zlob Trojan will also display fake security alerts in your Windows taskbar stating that your computer may be infected. The current text of this alert is:

System Alert!

Your system might be infected with malicious software that may impact the performance of your computer. Click the icon for a free scan to detect any active spyware applications.

Once started, VirusTrigger will automatically conduct a scan of your computer and list a variety of malware that cannot be removed unless you first purchase the software. These results, though, are all fake and are only being shown to scare you into thinking you are infected. For example, one of the results stated that the C:\Windows\System32\winhelp.hlp file was a malware file called BTEngine. In reality, this file is a legitimate Windows Help file that should not be deleted. Another byproduct of having VirusTrigger installed is that your computer may start to become slower. This is because the program is always running in the background and displaying nag screens. Some images of the VirusTrigger program can be found below.

 

VirusTrigger screen shot
For more screen shots of this infection click on the image above.
There are a total of 8 images you can view.

 

This guide will walk you through removing the Virus Trigger program and its associated malware for free.

 

Threat Classification:

• Information on Rogue Programs & Scareware

 

Advanced information:

View VirusTrigger files.
View VirusTrigger Registry Information.

 

Entries for this program found in the Uninstall Programs control panel:

VirusTrigger 2.1

 

Tools Needed for this fix:

• Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

 

Symptoms that may be in a HijackThis Log:

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer,SearchURL = http://windiwsfsearch.com
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer,SearchURL = http://windiwsfsearch.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://windiwsfsearch.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://windiwsfsearch.com/ie6.html
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://windiwsfsearch.com
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://windiwsfsearch.com
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://windiwsfsearch.com/ie6.html
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://windiwsfsearch.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = http://windiwsfsearch.com
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = http://windiwsfsearch.com
O2 - BHO: VirusTriggerBinWarningBHO Class - {096CBA44-4A4C-49f7-8903-1E75550ABCB7} - C:\Program Files\VirusTriggerBin\VirusTriggerBinWarning.dll
O2 - BHO: 512686 helper - {51B15F5A-E98B-4658-B9CB-9307B74773A7} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\512686\512686.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {64466B8E-20A7-4A4A-AFF4-AAD9CA68B52C} - C:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\hpmun.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Browser Toolbar - {2EEF94DF-75F6-42E9-B7FB-AF5A170A6E2E} - C:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\browseul.dll
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [VirusTriggerBin] "C:\Program Files\VirusTriggerBin\VirusTriggerBin.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [wblogon] C:\WINDOWS\system32\algg.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Policies\Explorer\Run: [QuickTime Task] C:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\qttask.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Policies\Explorer\Run: [VMware hptray] C:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\hpmon.exe
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {3B8FB116-D358-48A3-A5C7-DB84F15CBB04} - http://www.ietoolexpress.com/redirect.php (file missing)
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: IExplorer Security - {3B8FB116-D358-48A3-A5C7-DB84F15CBB04} - http://www.ietoolexpress.com/redirect.php (file missing)
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: behaves - {1f3dd9bf-1472-4a8b-b295-b596a597149b} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\gowqug.dll

 

Guide Updates:

11/11/08 - Initial guide creation.
11/17/08 - Updated for new files

 

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Automated Removal Instructions for VirusTrigger 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 (Download page will open in a new window)
   
   


3. Once downloaded, close all programs and Windows on your computer, including this one.
   
   
4. Double-click on the icon on your desktop named 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 full scan option is selected and then click on the Scan button to start scanning your computer for VirusTrigger 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 Virus Trigger 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 Virus Trigger 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

 

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Associated VirusTrigger Files:

c:\Program Files\VirusTriggerBin
c:\Program Files\VirusTriggerBin\uninst.exe
c:\Program Files\VirusTriggerBin\VirusTriggerBin.exe
c:\Program Files\VirusTriggerBin\VirusTriggerBinWarning.dll
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\browseu.exe
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\browseul.dll
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\hpmom.exe
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\hpmon.exe
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\hpmun.dll
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\hpmun.exe
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\myd.ico
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\mym.ico
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\myp.ico
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\myv.ico
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\ot.ico
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\qttask.exe
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\qttaskm.exe
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\qttasku.exe
c:\Program Files\WebMediaViewer\ts.ico
c:\WINDOWS\system32\512686
c:\WINDOWS\system32\512686\512686.dll
c:\WINDOWS\system32\algg.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\gowqug.dll
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop\Antivirus Scan.url
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop\Online Antispyware Test.url
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Antivirus Scan.url
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Online Antispyware Test.url
%UserProfile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\VirusTrigger 2.1.lnk
%UserProfile%\Desktop\VirusTrigger 2.1.lnk
%UserProfile%\Favorites\Antivirus Scan.url
%UserProfile%\My Documents\My Documents.url
%UserProfile%\My Documents\My Music\My Music.url
%UserProfile%\My Documents\My Pictures\My Pictures.url
%UserProfile%\My Documents\My Videos
%UserProfile%\My Documents\My Videos\My Video.url
%UserProfile%\Start Menu\VirusTrigger 2.1.lnk
%UserProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\VirusTrigger 2.1
%UserProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\VirusTrigger 2.1\VirusTrigger 2.1.lnk
c:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins\search.xml

File Location Notes:

%UserProfile% refers to the current user's profile folder. By default, this is C:\Documents and Settings\<Current User> for Windows 2000/XP, C:\Users\<Current User> for Windows Vista/7/8, and c:\winnt\profiles\<Current User> for Windows NT.

 

Associated VirusTrigger Windows Registry Information:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VirusTriggerBin
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\WebMediaViewer
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{096CBA44-4A4C-49f7-8903-1E75550ABCB7}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{1f3dd9bf-1472-4a8b-b295-b596a597149b}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2EEF94DF-75F6-42E9-B7FB-AF5A170A6E2E}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{51B15F5A-E98B-4658-B9CB-9307B74773A7}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{64466B8E-20A7-4A4A-AFF4-AAD9CA68B52C}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{EE8A3F7B-E4AB-5C41-4926-3FAED82759F5}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{967A494A-6AEC-4555-9CAF-FA6EB00ACF91}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{9692BE2F-EB8F-49D9-A11C-C24C1EF734D5}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{F7D09218-46D7-4D3D-9B7F-315204CD0836}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\{A8954909-1F0F-41A5-A7FA-3B376D69E226}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\{E63648F7-3933-440E-B4F6-A8584DD7B7EB}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VirusTriggerBinWarning.WarningBHO
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VirusTriggerBinWarning.WarningBHO.1
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\webmedia.chl
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\z444.z444mgr
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\z444.z444mgr.1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\{3B8FB116-D358-48A3-A5C7-DB84F15CBB04}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{096CBA44-4A4C-49f7-8903-1E75550ABCB7}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{51B15F5A-E98B-4658-B9CB-9307B74773A7}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{64466B8E-20A7-4A4A-AFF4-AAD9CA68B52C}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Browser Toolbar
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\IExplorer add-on
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Online Alert Manager
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\System Alert Popup
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\VirusTriggerBin
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "VirusTriggerBin"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "wblogon"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\VirusTriggerBin "(Default)"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\SharedTaskScheduler "{1f3dd9bf-1472-4a8b-b295-b596a597149b}"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\explorer\run "QuickTime Task"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\explorer\run "VMware hptray"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser "ITBar7Layout"

 

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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.