Bitcoin miner keeps coming back

[Mihkel]

Hello!

When i start my computer and check task manager then i see that something called vgost or something with tools picture takes the most cpu.

I end task always and find the location first and delete it, but it always come back!

Can anyone help me with this?

Last time i deleted 5 of those with malwarebytes, but they come back after restart.

Can anyone help?

[Malwarebytes]

***This is an automated reply***

Hi,

Thanks for posting in the Malware Removal for Windows Help forum. Being infected is not fun and can be very frustrating to resolve, but don't worry because we have a team of experts here help you!!

Note: Please be patient. When the site is busy it can take up to 48 hours before a malware removal helper can assist you. If no one has replied to your new topic after 48 hours please contact a Moderator or Administrator to let them know.

 

First, if you haven't done so, please run a Threat Scan with the latest version of Malwarebytes. This may resolve your malware infection issue without the need for additional support. Click "Reveal Hidden Contents" below for details:

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Malwarebytes can detect and remove most malware with no further actions required for free.

If you do not have Malwarebytes, please download it here and install. Be sure to post back the log as shown below.

1. Open Malwarebytes for Windows
2. To the left, click Scan > Scan Types.
   
3. Select Threat Scan. Threat Scan is the most thorough and recommended scan method available.
   
4. Click Start Scan

Next, if you're still experiencing issues after running Malwarebytes, then technical logs will be required to assist you. Click "Reveal Hidden Contents" below and follow the instructions to run the Farbar Recovery Scan Tool:

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Don't use any temporary file cleaners unless requested - this can cause data loss and make a recovery difficult.

Please download the Farbar Recovery Scan Tool here and save it to your desktop. Note: You need to run the version compatible with your system. You can check here if you're not sure if your computer is 32-bit or 64-bit

1. Double-click to run it. When the tool opens click Yes to the disclaimer.
2. Press the Scan button.
   
3. It will make a log (FRST.txt) in the same directory the tool is run. Please copy and paste it to your reply.
4. The first time the tool is run, it also makes another log (Addition.txt). If you've run it before it may not and you may need to select it manually.

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[Aura]

Hi Mihkel

My name is Aura and I'll be assisting you with your malware issue. Since we'll be working together, you can call me Aura or Yoan, which is my real name, it's up to you! Now that we've broke the ice, I'll just ask you a few things during the time we'll be working together to clean your system and get it back to an operational state.

• As you'll notice, the logs we are asking for here are quite lenghty, so it's normal for me to not reply exactly after you post them. This is because I need some time to analyse them and then act accordingly. However, I'll always reply within 24 hours, 48 hours at most if something unexpected happens
• As long as I'm assisting you on Malwarebytes Forums, in this thread, I'll ask you to not seek assistance anywhere else for any issue related to the system we are working on. If you have an issue, question, etc. about your computer, please ask it in this thread and I'll assist you
• The same principle applies to any modifications you make to your system, I would like you to ask me before you do any manipulations that aren't in the instructions I posted. This is to ensure that we are operating in sync and I know exactly what's happening on your system
• If you aren't sure about an instruction I'm giving you, ask me about it. This is to ensure that the clean-up process goes without any issue. I'll answer you and even give you more precise instructions/explanations if you need. There's no shame in asking questions here, better be safe than sorry!
• If you don't reply to your thread within 3 days, I'll bump this thread to let you know that I'm waiting for you. If you don't reply after 5 days, it'll be closed. If you return after that period, you can send me a PM to get it unlocked and we'll continue where we left off;
• Since malware can work quickly, we want to get rid of them as fast as we can, before they make unknown changes to the system. This being said, I would appreciate if you could reply to this thread within 24 hours of me posting. This way, we'll have a good clean-up rhythm and the chances of complications will be reduced
• I'm against any form of pirated, illegal and counterfeit software and material. So if you have any installed on your system, I'll ask you to uninstall them right now. You don't have to tell me if you indeed had some or not, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Plus, this would be against Malwarebytes Forums's rules
• In the end, you are the one asking for assistance here. So if you wish to go a different way during the clean-up, like format and reinstall Windows, you are free to do so. I would appreciate you to let me know about it first, and if you need, I can also assist you in the process
• I would appreciate if you were to stay with me until the end, which means, until I declare your system clean. Just because your system isn't behaving weirdly anymore, or is running better than before, it doesn't mean that the infection is completely gone
  This being said, I have a full time job so sometimes it'll take longer for me to reply to you. Don't worry, you'll be my first priority as soon as I get home and have time to look at your thread
  

This being said, it's time to clean-up some malware, so let's get started, shall we?

I'll wait for your logs.

[Mihkel]

Hello!

So i downloaded it, but scanned too, because i dont always trust everything,

And found that some things detect it as Coinminer, (http://prntscr.com/jagzb5 and https://www.virustotal.com/#/file/94625159b98ee547433b2007873c5d5280c8ac861957f6532ab3de55c13e7362/detection)

Can you explain why is it saying it?

 

[Aura]

These are false positives. A lot of the tools we use can be falsely flagged as malicious by security vendors, since they way they work can be seen as malicious. But as long as you download it from an official source (such as BleepingComputer), they are safe to download and use.

[Mihkel]

Hello!

Sorry about what i said, now i trust it, but i think i got rid of the bitcoin miner.

I did the scan with Farbar recovery scan tool and got 2 notepad files after it.

in the FRST notepad file i searched almost to the end, but found some random chrome (my default browser) extensions.

And some months ago and archer extension came up all the time i started chrome, not anymore, but maybe you know why?

It had things like BetterTTV, Clipchamp and more wierd extensions

 

-Mihkel

[Aura]

Can you provide me the FRST logs? Without them, I cannot say what you were infected with.

[Mihkel]

Hello!

I think i got the bitcoin miner back, http://prntscr.com/jauv4r, http://prntscr.com/jauv9x and http://prntscr.com/jauvi7.

I ended task and deleted it, and then looked at the FRST log, and found that there is something like AuxHD.vbs, i don't know what it is, so i searched on internet and found that there is a photo with a fake av (i think) and saying how to get rid of AuxHD.vbs, so i think something is wrong with it, maybe you know what it is? http://prntscr.com/jav1rk i think i will send you the log, but first i'm gonna look it myself, so it was on startup i think, looked at task manger startup, nothing called AuxHD.vbs was here, but there is something called "Program" and 4 "Mihkel"s , my computer names, i think. I think there is startup programs on regedit too but not sure, i couldnt find startup programs on regedit.                                                                              Looking at the log file long time already, almost at the end, and found something like "82ace7d6-0197-474d-bf4b-a2043e72329b" Maybe it is something? 

Completed reading all the FRST log. Gonna send it to you.

FRST_27-04-2018 10.04.56.txt

[Aura]

I also need the Addition.txt log that was created when you ran a FRST scan.

[Mihkel]

There it is.

Addition_27-04-2018 10.04.56.txt

[Aura]

Sorry, I'll need you to send me the unedited logs (you altered your userprofile name) via PM as I need them to create a fixlist.

[Mihkel]

I'm gonna do it.

[Aura]

Well, were there any other issues to address, or that was it?

[Mihkel]

On 29.4.2018 at 9:49 AM, Mihkel said:

That was it, Thank you so much.

 

[Aura]

Since there are no signs of infection anymore in your logs, and you just told me that there are no more issues left to address, I guess we're done here. We'll wrap it up by running DelFix to delete the tools and logs that were used in this clean-up.

DelFix
Follow the instructions below to download and execute DelFix.

• Download DelFix and move the executable to your Desktop
• Right-click on DelFix.exe and select Run as Administrator (for Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 users)
• Check the following options :
  
  • Activate UAC
  • Remove disinfection tools
  • Create registry backup
  • Purge system restore
  • Reset system settings
    
• Once all the options mentionned above are checked, click on Run
• After DelFix is done running, a log will open. Please copy/paste the content of the output log in your next reply
  

Tips, tricks, advice and recommendations

Now it's time to give you some tips, tricks, advice and recommendations on how to protect your system and prevent you from being infected in the future. This is where I'll explain basic security measures that you should take to protect and harden your system, and also make sure it stays as safe and secure as possible against hackers and malware. You are free to ignore the recommendations listed below, although I obviously do not recommend it. If you have any questions about one of the points covered in the speech below, feel free to ask me your questions here directly so I can answer them and guide you.

Windows Updates

Keeping Windows up to date is one of the first steps in having a safe and secure system. The Security Updates that Windows receives are meant to fix exploits and flaws in it that makes it more secure and not exploitable by hackers. In order to do that, you should always install the Security Updates, known as "Important Updates" on your Windows system. These updates are released on the second Tuesday of every month, but some are also released before if they are emergency/critical Security Updates. Let's make sure that you have all your Important Updates and Recommended Updates installed and that your Windows Updates are set to be installed automatically.

• How To Change Windows Update Settings
• How To Check For & Install Windows Updates
  

Keeping your programs up-to-date

Like keeping Windows updated, keeping your installed programs up-to-date is another important step in having a safe and secure system. Outdated programs can be exploited by hackers and malware to infect a system and take it over. This is especially true today with the rise of Exploit Kits (and also 0-days) which is one of the biggest attack vectors to distribute malware. Therefore, you should always keep vulnerable programs like Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Shockwave Player, Java, Silverlight, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, VLC Media Player, etc. updated to their most recent version (even better, you don't have to install them if you don't use them). Programs like UCheck, ]SUMo and Heimdal Free will scan your system for outdated programs, and help you identify them, as well as update them.

• UCheck Documentation
  

Anti-Virus

Note: The programs listed below are all free to use or they have some sort of trial. Some of them have a paid version that provides more features, while a lot of other good programs only have a paid version but aren't listed there (such as Kaspersky and ESET Antivirus products).

• Sophos Home
• Bitdefender Free Antivirus
• Emsisoft Anti-Malware - Free 30 day trial. Once it expires, EAM enters into a freeware mode where it is still considered an Antivirus program, but without real-time protection
• Avira Free Antivirus
• avast! Free Antivirus
  

Anti-Malware, Anti-Exploit and Anti-Ransomware

Having a decent security setup (which also includes an Antivirus) is the most crucial step to protect a system. These programs are additional layers of defence that will prevent a system from being infected, or if it somehow ends up infected, help mitigate the infection and remediate it. Fortunately, the new Malwarebytes 3 bundle all these layers in one, easy to use and efficient product. Malwarebytes 3 offers Malware, Web, Exploit and Ransomware protection modules that works together in order to keep your system protected and stop an infection at multiple level.

• Malwarebytes - Comes with a free trial of the Premium version for 14 days, after which it reverts back to the Free version
  

Note: Please note that only the Premium version of Malwarebytes 3 offers real-time protection (Malware, Web, Exploit and Ransomware). The free version only allows you to scan your system for threats and remove them.

Firewall

Starting in Windows Vista, the Windows Firewall greatly improved and will satisfy the needs of most users. If you do not have an Internet Suite Antivirus program (which includes a firewall) and you want to use a 3rd party firewall, you can consider the options below.

• GlassWire - Has both a free and paid version (with different packages)
• Windows Firewall Control - Gives you more control over your Windows Firewall
• TinyWall - Lightweight firewall implementing the Windows Firewall and giving you more control over it
  

Web Browsers and Web Browsing

Web Browsers could be considered as the closest door between a malware and your system. This is where most malware goes through to infect a system, and therefore it should be the program(s) you want to secure the most. There are two ways of going about it: hardening your web browser via extensions, and having good browsing habits. 

Hardening your web browser means to install extensions that will help it protect itself (and your system on the same occasion) against Exploit Kits, MiTM attacks, etc. but also you at the same time. Here are a few extensions that I recommend you to install.

• uBlock Origin: Efficient multi-purpose blocker that is lightweight on RAM and CPU usage (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera and most Chromium and Firefox-based browsers)
• HTTPS Everywhere: Extension that converts your HTTP (unencrypted) requests to HTTPS (encrypted) ones (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera)
• Web of Trust: Website reputation, rating and review extension that will help you quickly identify bad and suspicious sites from good ones (every web browsers)
• NoScript: NoScript is a script blocker (Java, Flash, JavaScript, etc.) for Mozilla Firefox and Firefox-based browsers (Mozilla Firefox and Firefox-based web browsers)
• uMatrix: For advanced users, a point and click matrix-like extensions that allow you to control requests done on a webpage (based on source, destination and type) (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera)
• LastPass: Secure password manager allowing you to create, manage, and use passwords you save in your LastPass account (every web browser)
  

As for safe browsing habits, you can find tons of guides, tutorials, articles, etc. online that will highlight the basics you need to follow (only visit websites you trust, do not click on ads, do not download files from untrusted sources, use a password manager, always verify the URL of a website and make sure it's correctly typed, etc.), and even what you can do if you want to take it a step further (create a fake email address for spam emails, browse the web in a privacy mode, etc.). Here are a few:

• The Ultimate Guide to Secure your Online Browsing: Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer on Heimdal Security
• Seven Useful Habits For A Safer Internet on Kapsersky Blog
• Tips for Secure Web Browsing: Cybersecurity 101 on VeraCode
• Safe browsing habits on Internet Safety Project Wiki
  

As you can see, there are plenty of resources out there. Simply Googling "good browsing habits" or "safe browsing habits" should allow you to find a lot of them.

Other recommendations

Even if you follow every recommendation that I listed here, in the end, it's also your job to be careful when browsing the web and downloading files if you don't want to get infected. Therefore, if you use your brain (common sense) when browsing the web, downloading programs and files, etc., you have far less chances to get infected by a malware. If for example you're not sure if a website is legitimate or not, or if a file is safe to download and execute, or if a program looks "too good" to be free, I suggest you to avoid going to that website, downloading that file or using that program.

Here are a few guides, tutorials, articles, etc. that you could read in order to learn more about computer protection and security to improve your current computer protection setup but also improve your good web browsing and computer usage practices :

• Answers to common security questions - Best Practices by quietman7
• How Malware Spreads - How did I get infected by quietman7
• Simple and easy ways to keep your computer safe and secure on the Internet by Lawrence Abrams (aka Grinler)
• How to Prevent Malware by miekiemoes
• Tips & Advice on StaySafeOnline.org
  

The End!

And that's it! Now that you know more about how to protect your computer and secure it, you're good to go back to your online activities, but in a safe and secure way! You are also free to stay on the forums and ask for help in different topics if you ever need to. Just make sure that you post your question/issue in the right section to get the best assistance possible. And if you ever get infected again (which I hope you wont!), you can always comeback in this section to get another checkup with one of our trained malware removal member.

Do you have any questions before I close this thread?

[Mihkel]

On 29.4.2018 at 9:49 AM, Mihkel said:

That was it, Thank you so much. No questions.

 

[Aura]

No problem Mihkel, you're welcome!

Stay safe

[Aura]

Glad we could help.

If you need this topic reopened, please send a Private Message to any one of the moderating team members. Please include a link to this topic with your request.

This applies only to the originator of this thread.Other members who need assistance please start your own topic in a new thread.

Thanks