Several files of malware quarantined. What now?

[Protos97]

Hi, I have a MalwareBytes Premium account and have several cases of malware quarantined (see screenshot). 

Is there a way to delete the malware off my computer and will my computer be at risk again if my premium membership expires? 

[Maurice Naggar]

Hi,     
My name is Maurice. I will be helping and guiding you, going forward on this case.
Let me know what first name you prefer to go by.

Please follow my directions as we go along.  Please do not do any changes on your own without first checking with me. 

Items that are quarantined are no longer a threat.  They are in strict computer "jail".

If you will be away for more than 3 consecutive days,  do try to let me know ahead of time, as much as possible. 
  
Please only just attach   all report files, etc  that I ask for as we go along.

I would appreciate  getting some key details from this machine in order to help you forward.
 NOTE: The tools and the information obtained is safe and not harmful to your privacy or your computer, please allow the programs to run if blocked by your system.

Do have patience while the report tool runs.  It may take several minutes.  Just let it run & take its time.  You may want to close your other open windows so that there is a clear field of view.
Download Malwarebytes Support Tool
    
    
    Once the file is downloaded, open your Downloads folder/location of the downloaded file
    Double-click mb-support-1.5.4.760.exe  to run the report
        You may be prompted by User Account Control (UAC) to allow changes to be made to your computer. Click Yes to consent.
        
    Place a checkmark next to Accept License Agreement and click Next
    You will be presented with a page stating, "Get Started!"
    Do NOT use the button “Start repair” !
    Click the Advanced tab on the left column
    
    Click the Gather Logs button
    
    A progress bar will appear and the program will proceed with getting logs from your computer
   
    Upon completion, click a file named mbst-grab-results.zip will be saved to your Desktop. Click OK
    Please attach the ZIP file in your next reply.

Please know I help here as a volunteer.  and that I am not on 24 x 7.
Help on this forum is one to one.   Again, please be sure to ONLY attach report files  with your reply (s)  as we go along.  Do not do a copy / paste into main body.
Thank you,
Sincerely.
 

[Protos97]

Here is the zip file you have requested.  Hope this helps.

mbst-grab-results.zip

[Maurice Naggar]

Thank you very much for the report ZIP file.   I notice that one of the items tagged & removed is Orb Composer 1-5

The other is "Live 10 Standard".

Let's follow on by doing these 2 new scans.   Overall they will not take a lot of time.

[   1   ]

I would like you to do a new scan with Malwarebytes for Windows.  One of the major goals here is to have it remove all that it detects.  If it finds anything that is.
Start Malwarebytes from the Windows  Start menu.
Click Settings ( gear icon)   at the top right of Malwarebytes window.   We want to see the SETTINGS window.
Then click the Security tab.   Look for the section "Automatic Quarantine".   Be sure it is clicked On   ( to the far right side)

Then scroll down to the section Potentially Unwanted items.   We need the next 2 lines   ( for P U P  & for P U  M)  to be set to "Always ( Recommended) ".
You can make the change by clicking on the down-arrow selection list-control.   We want all P U P  &  P U M to be marked for removal.

Next, click the small x on the Settings line   to go to the main Malwarebytes Window.
Next click the blue button marked Scan.
When the scan phase is done, be real sure you Review and have all detected lines items check-marked on each line on the left. That too is very critical.
Then click on Quarantine selected.
Then, locate the Scan run report;  export out a copy;  & then attach in with your  reply.
See https://support.malwarebytes.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038479194-View-Reports-and-History-in-Malwarebytes-for-Windows-v4

 

[    2    ]

I  would suggest to download, Save, and then run Malwarebytes ADWCLEANER.
Please close Chrome and all other open web browsers after you have saved the Adwcleaner and before you start Adwcleaner scan.
Adwcleaner  detects factory Preinstalled applications too! 

Please download  Malwarebytes AdwCleaner  

https://downloads.malwarebytes.com/file/adwcleaner

 
Be sure to Save the file first, to your system.  Saving to the Downloads folder should be the default on your system.

Go to the folder where you saved Adwcleaner. Double click Adwcleaner  to start it.
At the prompt for license agreement, review and then click on I agree.

You will then see a main screen for Adwcleaner. ( if you do not see it right away, minimized the other open windows, so you can see Adwcleaner).
Then click on Dashboard button.
Click the blue button "Scan Now".

allow it a few minutes to finish the Scan.   Let it remove what it finds.
NOTE:  When it comes to the section "
Pre-installed applications

You can skip that.
Please find and send the Adwcleaner "C" clean report.
In Adwcleaner, click the "Reports" button.  Look at the list of reports for the latest date & type "Clean".
Double Click that line & it will open in Notepad.   Save the file to your system and then Attach that with your reply.

That C clean report will be the one with the most recent Date and time at folder  C:\AdwCleaner\Logs
Thanks.  Keep me advised.
 

[Protos97]

Ill have this next finished tomorrow morning.

[Protos97]

On step number 1, did you want me to delete these from the quarantine list?

[Maurice Naggar]

You may DELETE  items that are in Quarantine.

 

Please be sure you run the Adwcleaner like I outlined before.

Thanks.

[Protos97]

Here it is!

 

export txt.txt AdwCleaner[C00].txt

[Maurice Naggar]

Hi.  Thank you for the reports.   The Adwcleaner result is all good.   The Malwarebytes for Windows result is perfect.

Let me suggest the following 2 follow-up scans.

[   1   ]

The Microsoft Safety Scanner  is a free Microsoft stand-alone virus scanner that  can be used to scan for & remove malware or potentially unwanted software from a system. 
The download links & the how-to-run-the tool are at this link at Microsoft 
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/intelligence/safety-scanner-download

  
Let me know the result of this.
The log is named MSERT.log  
the log will be at  %SYSTEMROOT%\debug\msert.log   which in most cases is
C:\Windows\debug\msert.log
Please attach that log with your reply.
 

[     2    ]

Do a thorough scan with the Windows 10 antivirus  Windows Defender.

You can do a manual Check for Update for Windows Defender by using the Windows Settings menu.

From the Windows  Start menu, select Settings, then select Update and Security.

 

Next, look at the left-side menu & select Windows Security

 

 

Next, In Windows Security section:  Click on the grey button Open Windows Security

 

.

Now, click on the shield Virus and threat protection

By the way, when you see a green check-mark on your display, it means a good status  and that  protection is on.

 

 

 On the next display,  look at all the options.   Look down the list and see "Check for Updates" which I have highlighted with a blue icon.

You can click on that to have the system check for updates for Windows Defender.

Please also note that the Scan options (all) can be displayed by clicking on Scan options.  ( You can do Quick, Full, or Custom).

 

 

[Protos97]

Well my scan took over 5 hours to complete. 

I am not sure if the attachment i sent is the log you requested from microsoft safety scanner.  There was one result that it detected.  I still have to do another scan with windows defender though.  Will keep you posted 

[Protos97]

my windows defender is acting weird.  It wont stop buffering for updates and my all settings within the bottom right notification bar is not opening either.  Also in the homepage there are no green check marks but instead an unknown verification stated as seen in the image attached below.

[Protos97]

I should of asked this earlier before deleting this in awdcleaner.  Is it ok to delete this file from awdclearner?

[Maurice Naggar]

Thanks for the screen grab from the Microsoft Safety Scanner.   That result is quite expected.   The scanner did an adjustment,   That is fine.

To answer your latter question on Adwcleaner,  Yes you can go ahead and tick that line's check-box & click Delete.

Note as the screen says, the item is disabled in quarantine.  It is not any threat anymore.  But yes, you can Delete.

.

As to the Windows Defender antivirus definitions  - - - it appears as if possibly it is stalling or temporarily failing to complete the Update process.

This is something that only very recently started.   Microsoft has a fix out thru the Update process

REF   https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/windows-defender-broken-by-recent-updates-how-to-fix/

 

Do one new attempt for latest Update

click the Windows Settings icon. Select Update & Security.  Click on Windows Update. 

click on "Check for Updates"

Have patience.   Let it complete.   Let me know the result.
 

[Protos97]

Hi I ran the windows defender scan after updating and there were no detections of any viruses and malware.

However I am having some difficulty finding what you asked for copied below:

The log is named MSERT.log  
the log will be at  %SYSTEMROOT%\debug\msert.log   which in most cases is
C:\Windows\debug\msert.log

 

[Maurice Naggar]

Are you able to look at the folder C:\Windows\debug   ?   Look in there for msert.log

 

By the way, I am very glad to read 

Quote

the windows defender scan after updating and there were no detections of any viruses and malware.

 

[Protos97]

I think this is the file you are looking for.msert.log  

[Maurice Naggar]

Hi.  Thank you for the Safety scanner report, a good one.   No malware infection here.

The Windows Defender update & scan from the other day was all fine.   Is there anything else that you need at this time ?    Let me know about that.

 

Other safety tips for all your web browsers:

See this article on our Malwarebytes Blog
https://blog.malwarebytes.com/security-world/technology/2019/01/browser-push-notifications-feature-asking-abused/

  
You want to disable the ability of each web browser on this machine from being able to allow "push ads". That means Chrome, Firefox, or Edge browser (on Windows 10), or on Opera. 
Scroll down to the tips section "How do I disable them". 

[     2     ]

I suggest you install the Malwarebytes Browser guard for Chrome. 
To get & install the Malwarebytes Browser Guard extension for Chrome, 
  
Open this link in your Chrome   browser: 
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/malwarebytes/ihcjicgdanjaechkgeegckofjjedodee

  
Then proceed with the setup. 

.

[      3     ]
If the pc has Mozilla Firefox, to get & install the Malwarebytes Browser Guard  Firefox extension. 
Open this link in your Firefox browser:    
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/malwarebytes/

Then proceed with the setup. 
That link is for English US.   There are other language version.  Just go to the very bottom right of the page and look at “Change language” list drop down.
.
Keep me advised.

Thanks.

[Maurice Naggar]

Hello @Protos97    How is it going ?

[Protos97]

Hi, Thank you so much for all your help. Do you know what kind of viruses and malware I had installed on my computer?

[Maurice Naggar]

Hi.

What had been found at the very start was classified as malware.generic

You can read more on the Malwarebytes Threat Center    https://blog.malwarebytes.com/detections/malware-generic/

also  Malware.Ransom.Agent.Generic
Read about that on the Threat Center
https://blog.malwarebytes.com/detections/malware-ransom-agent-generic/

 

Did you apply all my tips from my last reply Tuesday  21 April ?   If not, please be sure you do those.   The Malwarebytes Browser Guards will add a layer of protection to Chrome, Firefox

[Protos97]

Not yet.  Ill post comment tomorrow around noon when I apply all the extra safety steps you recommended.  

[Maurice Naggar]

Hello.   I hope you are doing personally well.   Tell me, How is the situation on the pc now ?

[Protos97]

the PC is running fine now and I am using ableton without any issues.  I do have one last question.  How did my recording audio software ableton have malware in it?  It's gone now but was there a bug that was exploited or something.  Not sure how that happened.  

[Maurice Naggar]

Not sure how to go about your last question.  I am totally not familiar with that program.   Do not know how it may have been corrupted.

Just be sure that you always get software direct from the software publisher.

.

Backup is your best friend.  Keep backups of your system on a regular basis to offline storage & keep those safe. https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/136226-backup-software/

It is not enough to just have a security program installed. Each pc user needs to practice daily safe computer and internet use.

Best  practices & malware prevention:
Follow best practices when browsing the Internet, especially on opening links coming from untrusted sources.
First rule of internet safety: slow down & think before you "click".
Never click links without first hovering your mouse over the link and seeing if it is going to an odd address ( one that does not fit or is odd looking or has typos).

Free games & free programs are like "candy". We do not accept them from "strangers".

Never open attachments that come with unexpected ( out of the blue ) email no matter how enticing.
Never open attachments from the email itself. Do not double click in the email. Always Save first and then scan with antivirus program.

Pay close attention when installing 3rd-party programs. It is important that you pay attention to the license agreements and installation screens when installing anything off of the Internet. If an installation screen offers you Custom or Advanced installation options, it is a good idea to select these as they will typically disclose what other 3rd party software will also be installed.
Take great care in every stage of the process and every offer screen, and make sure you know what it is you're agreeing to before you click "Next".

Use a Standard user account rather than an administrator-rights account when "surfing" the web.
See more info on Corrine's SecurityGarden Blog http://securitygarden.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_7.html
Dont remove your current login. Just use the new Standard-user-level one for everyday use while on the internet.

 
Do a Windows Update.

Make certain that Automatic Updates is enabled.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12373/windows-update-faq

Keep your system and programs up to date. Several programs release security updates on a regular basis to patch vulnerabilities. Keeping your software patched up prevents attackers from being able to exploit them to drop malware.

For other added tips, read "10 easy ways to prevent malware infection"

.
 

[Maurice Naggar]

You may delete mb-support-1.5.4.760.exe   on the Downloads folder.

Delete  mbst-grab-results.zip  on the Desktop

Delete MSERT.exe

To remove the FRST tool & its work files, do this.  Go to your Downloads folder.  Do a RIGHT-click on FRSTENGLISH.exe & select RENAME & then change it to UNINSTALL.exe .
Then run that ( double click on it)  to begin the cleanup process.

 

The Adwcleaner you may keep & use on-demand , as needed, to check for adwares.

I do wish you all the best.   Stay safe.

Sincerely,

Maurice