explorer.exe and other process consuming RAM

[ubelsteiner]

Hi.  I have been a long-time Malwarebytes user for many years, but just recently ran into an infection that I have been unable to remove with my usual methods, and thought I might try signing up and getting some help here!  I work for an IT consulting company, and one of our customers has been having issues over the past month or so (not sure if he's been getting re-infected, or if previous removal attempts werent as successful as we thought) with the following symptoms:

 

-system is very slow!

-no pop-ups or other indication of infection

-seemingly random sys resources usage fluctuations

-system processes, such as explorer.exe, will use an insanely high about of RAM, often consuming all available

-there is often (but not always) 2 explorer.exe processes, one of which I cannot open the properties or browse to the location of (one that eats up the RAM!)

-most of the time, this explorer.exe process will have no description in the task manager, and is unable to be killed

-sometimes it WILL have the usual description and is able to be killed when its using a lot of ram - but killing it never has the normal effect of terminating explorer process (taskbar disappearing and such)

-when there is no duplicate explorer.exe process consuming memory, usually another system process will be (ie dllhst3g.exe, svchost.exe, and some others i cant remember that had descriptions along the lines of "windows image acquisition service" or windows network player 8)

 

I have ran scans with many programs in addition to malwarebytes, including ESET, adwcleaner, tds, roguekiller and many have said they detected/cleaned infections, but the memory hogging symptoms remain.

 

My client is becoming increasingly frustrated by this reoccurring issue and i'm desperate to get him fixed up once and for all (without having to do sys restore or OS reinstall)

 

Another important bit of information is that I am in a different state and working on this computer remotely using logmein rescue.  I am able to reboot machine, put it in safe mode and such, but cannot perform any tasks that require me to be physically at the computer, and also cannot remove anything that will terminate my remote connection in the process.

 

Thanks in advance!

[MrCharlie]

Welcome to the forum. (Do what you can)

General P2P/Piracy Warning:

 

1. If you're using Peer 2 Peer software such uTorrent, BitTorrent or similar you must either fully uninstall it or completely disable it from running while being assisted here.

2. If you have illegal/cracked software (MS Office, Adobe Products), cracks, keygens, custom (Adobe) host file, etc. on the system, please remove or uninstall them now and read the policy on Piracy.

Failure to remove such software will result in your topic being closed and no further assistance being provided.

 

<====><====><====><====><====><====><====><====>

 

1. Please run a Threat Scan with Malwarebytes (if possible)

Start Malwarebytes 2.0.........

Click on Settings > Detection and Protection > Non-Malware Protection > PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) detections > Make sure it's set to Treat detections as malware

Same for PUM (Potentially Unwanted Modifications)

Quarantine all that's found

Post the log (save the log as a .txt file not .xml)

Then......

2. Please download Farbar Recovery Scan Tool (FRST) and save it to a folder.

(use correct version for your system.....Which system am I using?)

FRST <----for 32 bit systems

FRST64 <----for 64 bit systems

• Double-click to run it. When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer.
• Press Scan button. (make sure the Addition box is checked)
• It will make a log (FRST.txt) in the same directory the tool is run. Please copy and paste it to your reply.
• The first time the tool is run, it makes also another log (Addition.txt). Please attach it to your reply.

If the logs are large, you can attach them:

To attach a log:

Bottom right corner of this page.

New window that comes up.

Last................

3. Please download and run RogueKiller 32 bit to your desktop.

RogueKiller<---use this one for 64 bit systems

Which system am I using?

Quit all running programs.

For Windows XP, double-click to start.

For Vista or Windows 7-8, do a right-click on the program, select Run as Administrator to start, & when prompted Allow to run.

Wait for the Prescan to finish

Click Scan to scan the system.

When the scan completes > Don't Fix anything! > Click on the Report Button > Copy and paste the Report back here.

Don't run any other options, they're not all bad!!!!!!!

RogueKiller logs will also be located here:

%programdata%/RogueKiller/Logs <-------W7

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\RogueKiller\Logs <-------XP

(please don't put logs in code or quotes and use the default font)

MrC

Note:

Please read all of my instructions completely including these.

Make sure system restore is turned on and running. Create a new restore point

Make sure you're subscribed to this topic: Click on the Follow This Topic Button (at the top right of this page), make sure that the Receive notification box is checked and that it is set to Instantly

Removing malware can be unpredictable...unlikely but things can go very wrong! Backup any files that cannot be replaced. You can copy them to a CD/DVD, external drive or a pen drive

<+>Please don't run any other scans, download, install or uninstall any programs while I'm working with you.

<+>The removal of malware isn't instantaneous, please be patient.

<+>When we are done, I'll give to instructions on how to cleanup all the tools and logs

<+>Please stick with me until I give you the "all clear".

------->Your topic will be closed if you haven't replied within 3 days!<--------

If I don't respond within 24 hours, please send me a PM

[ubelsteiner]

Welcome to the forum. (Do what you can)

General P2P/Piracy Warning:

 

 

<====><====><====><====><====><====><====><====>

 

1. Please run a Threat Scan with Malwarebytes (if possible)

Start Malwarebytes 2.0.........

Click on Settings > Detection and Protection > Non-Malware Protection > PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) detections > Make sure it's set to Treat detections as malware

Same for PUM (Potentially Unwanted Modifications)

Quarantine all that's found

Post the log (save the log as a .txt file not .xml)

Then......

2. Please download Farbar Recovery Scan Tool (FRST) and save it to a folder.

(use correct version for your system.....Which system am I using?)

FRST <----for 32 bit systems

FRST64 <----for 64 bit systems

• Double-click to run it. When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer.
• Press Scan button. (make sure the Addition box is checked)
• It will make a log (FRST.txt) in the same directory the tool is run. Please copy and paste it to your reply.
• The first time the tool is run, it makes also another log (Addition.txt). Please attach it to your reply.

If the logs are large, you can attach them:

To attach a log:

Bottom right corner of this page.

New window that comes up.

Last................

3. Please download and run RogueKiller 32 bit to your desktop.

RogueKiller<---use this one for 64 bit systems

Which system am I using?

Quit all running programs.

For Windows XP, double-click to start.

For Vista or Windows 7-8, do a right-click on the program, select Run as Administrator to start, & when prompted Allow to run.

Wait for the Prescan to finish

Click Scan to scan the system.

When the scan completes > Don't Fix anything! > Click on the Report Button > Copy and paste the Report back here.

Don't run any other options, they're not all bad!!!!!!!

RogueKiller logs will also be located here:

%programdata%/RogueKiller/Logs <-------W7

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\RogueKiller\Logs <-------XP

(please don't put logs in code or quotes and use the default font)

MrC

Note:

Please read all of my instructions completely including these.

Make sure system restore is turned on and running. Create a new restore point

Make sure you're subscribed to this topic: Click on the Follow This Topic Button (at the top right of this page), make sure that the Receive notification box is checked and that it is set to Instantly

Removing malware can be unpredictable...unlikely but things can go very wrong! Backup any files that cannot be replaced. You can copy them to a CD/DVD, external drive or a pen drive

<+>Please don't run any other scans, download, install or uninstall any programs while I'm working with you.

<+>The removal of malware isn't instantaneous, please be patient.

<+>When we are done, I'll give to instructions on how to cleanup all the tools and logs

<+>Please stick with me until I give you the "all clear".

------->Your topic will be closed if you haven't replied within 3 days!<--------

If I don't respond within 24 hours, please send me a PM

 

 

Thanks for the reply (cute lab!)

 

Attached are the requested logs.

Addition.txt

FRST.txt

MBAM log.txt

RKreport_SCN_12292014_200143.txt

[MrCharlie]

You're infected with the Poweliks Trojan and maybe more.

If your security settings won't allow you to download....the first part of this site explains how to fix that:

http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN3587

Download, update and run Malwarebytes Anti-Rookit:

Direct download:

http://downloads.malwarebytes.org/file/mbar/

Run it as Administrator! (right click..run as administrator)

Follow the directions

Note: If you have Malwarebytes Pro it must disabled to run MBAR

Right click on the Malwarebytes icon in the system tray and un-check

"Start with Windows" Re-boot and run MBAR

Don't forget to re-enable it when done.

Post the logs from MBAR

=====================

Then............

Download and run this tool on every user:

http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN3587 <---Poweliks

Last.......

Please re-scan with FRST and Make sure the Addition Box is checked.

Post or attach the 2 logs FRST(64).txt and Addition.txt

MrC

[ubelsteiner]

That definitely seems to have been it!  I forgot a critical symptom in my first post - not being able to download anything.  It was an easy thing to get past (defaulting security settings), and I was downloading all the cleaning programs to my computer and then sending them to his computer via logmein's file transfer, so it was never an issue after I got remoted in lol

 

Also explains why he kept getting reinfected with the same other things... hopefully this gets his problems by the root this time.  Running scan with eset again for good measure atm...

 

updated logs are attached

Addition.txt

FRST.txt

[MrCharlie]

Logs look OK.....MrC

[ubelsteiner]

Yeah, the Eset scan I ran afterwards detected a few things listed as powelik but I'm assuming they were just some remaining traces of it.  Seems to have been able to remove everything since this last scan i did came back completely clean.

 

Thanks so much for your help, have a drink on me!

[MrCharlie]

Great!

Take a look at My Preventive Maintenance to avoid being infected again.

Good Luck and Thanks for using the forum, MrC

[AdvancedSetup]

Glad we could help.

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