Symptoms:
Fake anti spyware programs popup a screen over the desktop and/or a balloon popup from the windows tray area; displaying a warning message that your computer is infected with spyware and telling you to purchase, download & install their program to remove it.
It is installed on your computer via a Trojan that issues fake security alerts and downloads/installs the software. The Rogue program is hoping to scare the infected users into purchasing the full commercial version.
Please create your own
"New topic"
As topic title put the name of the malware and write: [Smitfraud]
Any additional instructions will be provided after all logs are posted.
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"USE AT YOUR OWN RISK" We do not take responsibility for any outcome of following these directions.
If you do not agree with that please go no further!
Every computer is different and users have different computer expertise.
If you are apprehensive, please post a log from HijackThis in the malware forum and let us take a look and guide you.
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Instructions are for Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Win 2003.
This is a "self help" to remove the infections on Windows 2000, 2003 and all XP versions
ONLY. If you don't have W2K or XP, please Register and post a HijackThis log for manual removal.
Please print out or copy these instructions/tutorial to Notepad as the internet will not be available (while in Safe Mode) to you at certain points of the removal process. Make sure to work through all the Steps in the exact order in which they are listed below. If there's anything that you don't understand, ask your question(s) before moving on with the fixes.
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1) Download
HijackThis© Merijn from:
http://www.thespykiller.co.uk/files/HJTsetup.exe
Note: This is a complete installer that installs HijackThis to your computer at C:\Program Files\HijackThis, making an entry in the start menu and also providing a desktop shortcut. If HijackThis is used from a temp folder, it is in danger of being accidentally deleted by clean up tools.
At the download prompt, choose "Save". After the download is complete, navigate to the C:\Program Files\HijackThis folder and double-click it to complete the installation.
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2) Download
SmitfraudFix (by S!Ri) to your Desktop.
This tool removes Desktop Hijack malware: Smitfraud, Win32.puper, AVGold, Security iGuard, Spyware Vanisher, quicknavigate.com, updateSearches.com, startsearches.net, Virtual Maid, SpySheriff, PSGuard, SpyAxe, WinHound, AlphaCleaner, AdwarePunisher, SpywareQuake......
http://siri.urz.free.fr/Fix/SmitfraudFix.zip
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3) Download the trial version of Ewido anti-malware from here:
http://www.ewido.net/en/download/
- Install Ewido anti-malware.
- The program will now go to the main screen.
You will need to update Ewido to the latest definition files.
- On the left-hand side of the main screen click the Update Button.
- Click on Start.
The update will start and a progress bar will show the updates being installed.
After the updates are installed, close Ewido.
Dont run a scan yet
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4) If you have not already installed Spybot-S&D 1.4, please see here:
After the updates are installed, Close Spybot-S&D
Dont run a scan yet
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5) Open the
SmitfraudFix folder on your desktop and double-click
smitfraudfix.cmd
- Select option #1 - Search by typing 1 and press Enter
- This program will scan large amounts of files on your computer for known patterns so please be patient while it works. When it is done, the results of the scan will be displayed and it will create a log named rapport.txt in the root of your drive, eg: Local Disk C: or partition where your operating system is installed.
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6) Reboot your computer in
Safe Mode.
- If the computer is running, shut down Windows, and then turn off the power.
Wait 30 seconds, and then turn the computer on.
- Start tapping the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Options Menu appears. If you begin tapping the F8 key too soon, some computers display a "keyboard error" message. To resolve this, restart the computer and try again.
- Ensure that the Safe Mode option is selected.
- Press Enter. The computer then begins to start in Safe mode.
- Login on your usual account.
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7) Clean out your
Temporary Internet files. Proceed like this:
- Quit Internet Explorer and quit any instances of Windows Explorer.
- Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Internet Options.
- On the General tab, click Delete Files under Temporary Internet Files.
- In the Delete Files dialog box, tick the Delete all offline content check box , and then click OK.
- On the General tab, click Delete Cookies under Temporary Internet Files, and then click OK.
- Click on the Programs tab then click the Reset Web Settings button. Click Apply then OK.
- Click OK.
Next Click
Start, click
Control Panel and then double-click
Display. Click on the
Desktop tab, then click the
Customize Desktop button. Click on the
Web tab. Under
Web Pages you should see a checked entry called
Security info or something similar. If it is there, select that entry and click the
Delete button. Click
Ok then
Apply and
Ok.
Empty the Recycle Bin by right-clicking the
Recycle Bin icon on your Desktop, and then clicking
Empty Recycle Bin
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8) #2 - SmitfraudFix Clean
- Extract all the files to your Desktop. A folder named SmitfraudFix will be created there.
- Open the SmitfraudFix Folder, then double-click smitfraudfix.cmd file to start the tool.
- Select option #2 - Clean by typing 2 and press Enter.
- Wait for the tool to complete and disk cleanup to finish.
- You will be prompted : "Registry cleaning - Do you want to clean the registry ?" answer Yes by typing Y and hit Enter.
- The tool will also check if wininet.dll is infected. If a clean version is found, you will be prompted to replace wininet.dll. Answer Yes to the question "Replace infected file ?" by typing Y and hit Enter.
- A reboot may be needed to finish the cleaning process. If your computer does not restart automatically please do it yourself manually, and reboot back into Safe Mode
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9) Close
ALL open Windows / Programs / Folders. Please start
Ewido, and run a full scan.
- Click on Scanner
- Click on Complete System Scan to start the scan process.
- Let the program scan the machine.
While the scan is in progress you will be prompted to clean the first infected file it finds. Choose
Remove, then put a check next to
Perform action on all infections in the left corner of the box so you don't have to sit and watch Ewido the whole time.
Click OK.
When the scan finishes, click on "Save Report". This will create a text file.
Save the report to your Desktop.
Close Ewido.
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10) Open
Spybot-S&D
- Close all browsers, check for problems and fix everything found in red
- Then on the toolbar menu select mode and switch to advanced mode, on the left lower down select tools, and view report, ensure all the options are selected near the bottom except:
- Uncheck[ ] do not report disabled or known legitimate Items.
- Uncheck[ ] Include a list of services in report.
- Now select (near the top) view report.
- Press export in the save in box, choose a place such as My Documents folder and save the report there.
Close Spybot-S&D
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11) Reboot back into
Windows. (Normal Mode)
- Double click HijackThis.exe.
- Hit None Of The Above, just start the program.
- Hit Scan.
- When the scan is finished, the "Scan" button will change into a "Save Log" button.
- Click that, save the log somewhere.
Copy/paste into your own new topic.
- c:\rapport.txt
- Ewido log
- The HJT log
How to copy and paste
You may need to post several replies to your topic so that the logs are intact and not cut off.
Credit to: LonnyRJones and CalamityJane for their assistance in revising this topic.
Thank you S!Ri Developer and frequent updater of SmitfraudFix