Computer probably has a virus, it wont run explorer.exe... [log file included]

Computer probably has a virus, it wont run explorer.exe... [log file included]
Hello dear community.

This afternoon I downloaded a PowerDVD version from a torrent, apparently the file wasnt clean, and know I can do sh*t on my computer.

When I entered my account and password my wallpaper is there, but thats it (explorer.exe is missing)

I tried numerous things, but everytime I try to "open" something using ctrl/alt/delete -> new task I get the message Data Execution Prevention blocked it.

This is really my last hope, since I really dont want to take my PC to the shop, since theyll probably say "all we can do is clean the entire c: drive", which is dont really want..

Anyway, here is the log file, Ill keep looking on these forums every couple of hours or so, hopefully you guys can help me.

King regards,
Danny

Hello and welcome to the BleepingComputer.com!

I will be helping you today. If you still need help, please let me know by replying to this thread.

Please be advised, that I am still in training.
For your own protection, I may not offer you any advice without it being checked by more experienced helpers first. This can unfortunately lead to slight delays in the responses. However we are trying to help you as quickly as possible.

In the upper right hand corner of the topic you will see a button called Options. If you click on this in the drop-down menu you can choose Track this topic. By doing this and then choosing Immediate E-Mail notification and then clicking on Proceed you will be advised when we respond to your topic and facilitate the cleaning of your machine.

After 5 days if a topic is not replied to we assume it has been abandoned and it is closed.

Please refrain from running tools or applying updates other than those we suggest while we are cleaning up your computer. The reason for this is so we know what is going on with the machine at any time. Some programs can interfere with others and hamper the recovery process.

Please give me some time to go through your logs, I'll post back soon.
regards _temp_

Hi dannydanny,

i have some bad news. One or more of the identified infections is a backdoor trojan and a keylogger.

This allows hackers to remotely control your computer, steal critical system information and download and execute files.

I would counsel you to disconnect this PC from the Internet immediately. If you do any banking or other financial transactions on the PC or if it should contain any other sensitive information, please get to a known clean computer and change all passwords where applicable, and it would be wise to contact those same financial institutions to apprise them of your situation.

Though the trojan has been identified and can be killed, because of it's backdoor functionality, your PC is very likely compromised and there is no way to be sure your computer can ever again be trusted. Many experts in the security community believe that once infected with this type of trojan, the best course of action would be a reformat and reinstall of the OS. Please read these for more information:

How Do I Handle Possible Identify Theft, Internet Fraud and CC Fraud?
When Should I Format, How Should I Reinstall

There are also signs indicating a fileinfector on your machine, in which case a format is the only safe solution.
I would like to ask you to upload a couple of files to virustotal to check if the fileinfector is present in case you do not want to reformat immediately.

Please make sure that you can view all hidden files. Instructions on how to do this can be found here:

How to see hidden files in Windows

Please click this link-->Jotti

When the jotti page has finished loading, click the browse button and navigate to the files listed below in bold, then click Submit. You will only be able to have one file scanned at a time.

C:\windows\explorer.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\reader_s.exe

Please post back the results of the scan in your next post.

If Jotti is busy, try the same at Virustotal: http://www.virustotal.com/

These infections most likely come from your P2P usage, I am sorry to say.peer-to-peer or file-sharing programmes allow to share files between users as the name(s) suggest. In today's world the cyber crime has come to an enormous dimension and any means is used to infect personal computers to make use of their stored data or machine power for further propagation of the malware files. A popular means is the use of file-sharing tools as a tremendous amount of prospective victims can be reached through it.

It is therefore possible to be infected by downloading manipulated files via peer-to-peer tools and thus suggested to be used with intense care. Some further readings on this subject, along the included links, are as follows: "File-Sharing, otherwise known as Peer To Peer" and "Risks of File-Sharing Technology."


If you do not wish to reformat right away please post the results from Jotti and an OTL log in your next reply.

• Please download OTL from one of the following mirrors:
  • This is THE Mirror
• Save it to your desktop.
• Double click on the icon on your desktop.
• Click the "Scan All Users" checkbox.
• Push the button.
• Two reports will open, copy and paste them in a reply here:
  • OTListIt.txt <-- Will be opened
  • Extra.txt <-- Will be minimized

But please keep in mind, that a format might be the only way out.
regards _temp_

Thanks alot for helping me,

Here are the results from the scan, they look pretty screwed tho .

Explorer.exe =

2009-07-26 Trojan.Win32.Patched!IK
2009-07-24 W32/Virut.Gen
2009-07-26 Virus.Win32.Virut.ce
2009-07-26 Win32/Virut.NBP
2009-07-26 Trojan.Win32.Patched
2009-07-26 W32/Scribble-B
2009-07-24 W32.Virut.G

Svchost.exe =

Clean

Reader_s.exe=

2009-07-26 Win32.Virtob!IK
2009-07-26 Virus.Win32.Virut.ce
2009-07-24 W32/Virut.Gen
2009-07-26 Win32.Virtob
2009-07-24 W32.Virut.G
2009-07-26 Win32/Virut.NBP
2009-07-26 W32/Scribble-B

This seriously tells me nothing, what would you advice me to do?

Kind Regards,
Danny

And here are the logs.

Hi,

the results from jotti tell me, that you really hit the jackpot. Sorry.

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. 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. Virux is an even more complex file infector which can embed an iframe into the body of web-related files and infect script files (.php, .asp, and .html). When Virut creates infected files, it also creates non-functional files that are corrupted beyond repair. 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 virus has a number of bugs in its code, and as a result it may misinfect a proportion of executable files....some W32/Virut.h infections are corrupted beyond repair.

McAfee Risk Assessment and Overview of W32/Virut

There are bugs in the viral code. When the virus produces infected files, it also creates non-functional files that also contain the virus...Due to the damaged caused to files by virut it's possible to find repaired but corrupted files. They became corrupted by the incorrect writing of the viral code during the process of infection. undetected, corrupted files (possibly still containing part of the viral code) can also be found. this is caused by incorrectly written and non-function viral code present in these files.

AVG Overview of W32/Virut

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

This kind of infection is contracted and spread by visiting remote, crack and keygen sites. These type of sites are infested with a smörgåsbord of malware and an increasing source of system infection. However, the CA Security Advisor Research Blog says they 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.

...warez and crack web pages are being used by cybercriminals as download sites for malware related to VIRUT and VIRUX. Searches for serial numbers, cracks, and even antivirus products like Trend Micro yield malcodes that come in the form of executables or self-extracting files...quick links in these sites also lead to malicious files. Ads and banners are also infection vectors...

Keygen and Crack Sites Distribute VIRUX and FakeAV

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

There is no guarantee this infection can be completely removed. In some instances it may have caused so much damage to your system that it cannot be completely cleaned or repaired. The malware may leave so many remnants behind that security tools cannot find them. Many experts in the security community believe that once infected with this type of malware, the best course of action is to wipe the drive clean, 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?

If you insist on trying to fix this infection instead of following our advice to reformat and reinstall your operating system, there are various rescue disks available from major anti-virus vendors which you can try. Keep in mind, even the vendors like Kaspersky say there is no guarantee that some files will not get corrupted during the disinfection process. In the end most folks end up reformatting out of frustration after spending hours attempting to repair and remove infected files. IMO the safest and easiest thing to do is just reformat and reinstall Windows.

Bleeping Computer DOES NOT assume any responsibility for your attempt to repair this infection using any of the following tools. You do this at your own risk and against our advice.

These are links to Anti-virus vendors that offer free LiveCD or Rescue CD files that are used to boot from for repair of unbootable and damaged systems, rescue data, scan the system for virus infections. Burn it as an image to a disk to get a bootable CD. All (except Avira) are in the ISO Image file format. Avira uses an EXE that has built-in CD burning capability.

• Avira AntiVir Rescue System - Avira's download page.
  If you encounter problems running the Rescue Disk, you can get further assistance at the Avira Tools Support Forum.
• Dr Web LiveCD. Be sure to print out and follow the instructions provided in the User Manual.
• F-Secure Rescue CD - Rescue CD 3.01 released.
  Video: How to Remove Malware with F-Secure Rescue CD
  If you encounter problems running the Rescue CD, you can get further assistance at the F-Secure Support Forum.
• BitDefender LiveCD - Index of /rescue_cd
  If you encounter problems running the Rescue CD, you can get further assistance at the BitDefender Support Forum.
• Kaspersky RescueDisk - Index of /devbuilds/RescueDisk/
  If you encounter problems running the RescueDisk, you can get further assistance at the Kaspersky Support Forum.

If you are not sure how to burn an image, please read How to write a CD/DVD image or ISO. If you need a FREE utility to burn the ISO image, download and use ImgBurn.

My advice to you, dannydanny, is to reformat and reinstall. Virut is a nasty and relatively new infection and no-one can promise that the fix will work completely. Bleeping Computer does not recommend that you attempt it.

I suggest you to start backup all of your valuable data/documents/pictures/movies/songs/etc..
Do NOT backup any applications/installers and Do NOT backup any .exe/.scr/.htm/.html/.xml/.zip/.rar files...
This because these files may be infected as well. If you back them up and replace them afterwards, it will infect your computer again.

Note: If you have to backup files, do so only for MS Office documents & any non executable file. Burn them to CD/DVD. Do NOT copy files from the infected machine to your pendrive OR another machine. You risk infecting the other machine.


Virut is not disinfectable. Your only option is to perform a full reformat. Do NOT attempt a repair install. It shall be a waste of time. If you do so, the infected executables remain on the machine & you shall likely trigger another bout of Virut.

If you do not know how to perform a fresh install, use this websites and read for instructions how to format and reinstall Windows:

http://web.mit.edu/ist/products/winxp/adva...all-format.html

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this really is your only option at this point.

regards _temp_

Due to lack of feedback, this topic is now Closed

If you need this topic reopened, please send me a PM.
Please include the address of this thread in your request.
This applies only to the original topic starter.

Everyone else please start a new topic.

With Regards,
_temp_