Unknown Google redirect malware problem

[Lostagain24]

Hello,

On 05-16-10 apparently encountered a malware download. My AVG antivirus blocked an attempt to access a website of which URL was not logged. Did quick search of recently downloaded files and found file VCGRKRJTSSD.EXE located in C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp folder that had been downloaded about the same time the malware took effect. Deleted file. Later when using Internet Explorer found that all searches were being redirected to miscellaneous websites. Immediately placed AVG Firewall in

MWB.zip

[Maniac]

Hello Lostagain24! Welcome to MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware Forums!

My name is Borislav and I will be glad to help you solve your problems with malware. Before we begin, please note the following:

• The process of cleaning your system may take some time, so please be patient.
  
• Stay with the topic until I tell you that your system is clean. Missing symptoms does not mean that everything is okay.
  
• Instructions that I give are for your system only!
  
• If you don't know or can't understand something please ask.
  
• Do not install or uninstall any software or hardware, while work on.
  

Step 1:

Please, uninstall the following applications:

1. Adobe Acrobat 8 Standard
   
2. Adobe Acrobat 8.2.2 - CPSID_53952
   
3. Adobe Acrobat 8.2.2 Standard
   

You can read, how to this in:

• Windows XP
  
• Windows Vista
  
• Windows 7
  

Step 2:

Please go into the Control Panel, Add/Remove and for now remove ALL versions of JAVA

Then run this tool to help cleanup any left over Java

Your Java is out of date. Older versions have vulnerabilities that malware can use to infect your system.

Please download JavaRa and unzip it to your desktop.

***Please close any instances of Internet Explorer (or other web browser) before continuing!***

• Double-click on JavaRa.exe to start the program.
  
• From the drop-down menu, choose English and click on Select.
  
• JavaRa will open; click on Remove Older Versions to remove the older versions of Java installed on your computer.
  
• Click Yes when prompted. When JavaRa is done, a notice will appear that a logfile has been produced. Click OK.
  
• A logfile will pop up. Please save it to a convenient location and post it back when you reply
  Then look for the following Java folders and if found delete them.
  C:\Program Files\Java
  C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java
  C:\Windows\Sun
  C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Java
  C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sun\Java
  C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Java
  C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Sun\Java
  

Step 3:

**Note: If you need more detailed information, please visit the web page of ComboFix in BleepingComputer. **

Please note that these fixes are not instantaneous. Most infections require more than one round to properly eradicate.

Stay with me until given the 'all clear' even if symptoms diminish. Lack of symptoms does not always mean the job is complete.

Kindly follow my instructions and please do no fixing on your own or running of scanners unless requested by me or another helper.

Please download ComboFix from

Here or Here to your Desktop.

**Note: In the event you already have Combofix, this is a new version that I need you to download. It is important that it is saved and renamed following this process directly to your desktop**

1. If you are using Firefox, make sure that your download settings are as follows:
   
   • Open Tools -> Options -> Main tab
     
   • Set to Always ask me where to Save the files.
     

[*]During the download, rename Combofix to Combo-Fix as follows:

[*]It is important you rename Combofix during the download, but not after.

[*]Please do not rename Combofix to other names, but only to the one indicated.

[*]Close any open browsers.

[*]Close/disable all anti virus and anti malware programs so they do not interfere with the running of ComboFix.

-----------------------------------------------------------

• Very Important! Temporarily disable your anti-virus, script blocking and any anti-malware real-time protection before performing a scan. They can interfere with ComboFix or remove some of its embedded files which may cause unpredictable results.
  
• Click on this link to see a list of programs that should be disabled. The list is not all inclusive. If yours is not listed and you don't know how to disable it, please ask.
  

  -----------------------------------------------------------

  
  

• Close any open browsers.
  
• WARNING: Combofix will disconnect your machine from the Internet as soon as it starts
  
• Please do not attempt to re-connect your machine back to the Internet until Combofix has completely finished.
  
• If there is no internet connection after running Combofix, then restart your computer to restore back your connection.
  

-----------------------------------------------------------

[*]Double click on combo-Fix.exe & follow the prompts.

[*]When finished, it will produce a report for you.

[*]Please post the C:\Combo-Fix.txt for further review.

**Note: Do not mouseclick combo-fix's window while it's running. That may cause it to stall**

In your next reply, please include these log(s) in this sequence:

1. JavaRa log
   
2. ComboFix log
   

[Lostagain24]

Borislav,

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

I followed all of the instructions provided. Your requested files are attached.

Everything went well until the completion of Combo_Fix. At that time I lost my AVG Antivirus and had to recover it. Everything seems to be working again.

One item of interest was when I was removing Adobe Acrobat 8.2.2.Standard. The "Add/Remove Programs" window that shows all of the installed programs indicated that I had last used this program on "5/11/2071". Quite unusual. But the program did uninstall without hesitation.

Please review the attached files and recommend where to proceed from here.

Hello Lostagain24! Welcome to MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware Forums!

My name is Borislav and I will be glad to help you solve your problems with malware. Before we begin, please note the following:

• The process of cleaning your system may take some time, so please be patient.
  
• Stay with the topic until I tell you that your system is clean. Missing symptoms does not mean that everything is okay.
  
• Instructions that I give are for your system only!
  
• If you don't know or can't understand something please ask.
  
• Do not install or uninstall any software or hardware, while work on.
  

Step 1:

Please, uninstall the following applications:

1. Adobe Acrobat 8 Standard
   
2. Adobe Acrobat 8.2.2 - CPSID_53952
   
3. Adobe Acrobat 8.2.2 Standard
   

You can read, how to this in:

• Windows XP
  
• Windows Vista
  
• Windows 7
  

Step 2:

Please go into the Control Panel, Add/Remove and for now remove ALL versions of JAVA

Then run this tool to help cleanup any left over Java

Your Java is out of date. Older versions have vulnerabilities that malware can use to infect your system.

Please download JavaRa and unzip it to your desktop.

***Please close any instances of Internet Explorer (or other web browser) before continuing!***

• Double-click on JavaRa.exe to start the program.
  
• From the drop-down menu, choose English and click on Select.
  
• JavaRa will open; click on Remove Older Versions to remove the older versions of Java installed on your computer.
  
• Click Yes when prompted. When JavaRa is done, a notice will appear that a logfile has been produced. Click OK.
  
• A logfile will pop up. Please save it to a convenient location and post it back when you reply
  Then look for the following Java folders and if found delete them.
  C:\Program Files\Java
  C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java
  C:\Windows\Sun
  C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Java
  C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sun\Java
  C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Java
  C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Sun\Java
  

Step 3:

**Note: If you need more detailed information, please visit the web page of ComboFix in BleepingComputer. **

Please note that these fixes are not instantaneous. Most infections require more than one round to properly eradicate.

Stay with me until given the 'all clear' even if symptoms diminish. Lack of symptoms does not always mean the job is complete.

Kindly follow my instructions and please do no fixing on your own or running of scanners unless requested by me or another helper.

Please download ComboFix from

Here or Here to your Desktop.

**Note: In the event you already have Combofix, this is a new version that I need you to download. It is important that it is saved and renamed following this process directly to your desktop**

1. If you are using Firefox, make sure that your download settings are as follows:
   
   • Open Tools -> Options -> Main tab
     
   • Set to Always ask me where to Save the files.
     

[*]During the download, rename Combofix to Combo-Fix as follows:

[*]It is important you rename Combofix during the download, but not after.

[*]Please do not rename Combofix to other names, but only to the one indicated.

[*]Close any open browsers.

[*]Close/disable all anti virus and anti malware programs so they do not interfere with the running of ComboFix.

-----------------------------------------------------------

• Very Important! Temporarily disable your anti-virus, script blocking and any anti-malware real-time protection before performing a scan. They can interfere with ComboFix or remove some of its embedded files which may cause unpredictable results.
  
• Click on this link to see a list of programs that should be disabled. The list is not all inclusive. If yours is not listed and you don't know how to disable it, please ask.
  

  -----------------------------------------------------------

  
  

• Close any open browsers.
  
• WARNING: Combofix will disconnect your machine from the Internet as soon as it starts
  
• Please do not attempt to re-connect your machine back to the Internet until Combofix has completely finished.
  
• If there is no internet connection after running Combofix, then restart your computer to restore back your connection.
  

-----------------------------------------------------------

[*]Double click on combo-Fix.exe & follow the prompts.

[*]When finished, it will produce a report for you.

[*]Please post the C:\Combo-Fix.txt for further review.

**Note: Do not mouseclick combo-fix's window while it's running. That may cause it to stall**

In your next reply, please include these log(s) in this sequence:

1. JavaRa log
   
2. ComboFix log
   

ComboFix.txt

[Maniac]

Open Notepad and copy and paste the text in the code box below into it:

SRPeek::
c:\windows\system32\proquota.exe

Save the file to your desktop and name it CFScript.txt

Then drag the CFScript.txt into the ComboFix.exe as shown in the screenshot below.

This will start ComboFix again. It may ask to reboot. Post the contents of Combofix.txt in your next reply.

Note: These instructions and script were created specifically for this user. If you are not this user, do NOT follow these instructions or use this script as it could damage the workings of your system.

[Lostagain24]

Borislav,

Again I followed your steps as instructed. The ComboFix text file is attached.

As a note to this, my Malwarebytes software did not block any rogue accesses to the Internet the entire day today. This is a first this week as compared to attempts every few minutes over the past several days. If I am not imagining things, I feel that we are getting the upper hand on this issue.

Also, a manual search of the hard drive looking for the proquota.exe file turned up nothing except file proquota.ex_ in folder C:\I386. I assume this is a backup copy.

Now, 2 questions:

1. Should file "proquota.exe" be resident on this machine? If so, where and how to install it.

2. It has also been noted that the diagnostic software used so far has indicated that file "PROCEXP113.SYS" is missing. Should this be another resident file required by Windows XP?

Thanks again for you help so far.

ComboFix.txt

[Maniac]

1. Should file "proquota.exe" be resident on this machine? If so, where and how to install it.

Follow these instructions:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic43051.html

2. It has also been noted that the diagnostic software used so far has indicated that file "PROCEXP113.SYS" is missing. Should this be another resident file required by Windows XP?

This driver is part of Process Explorer. You should re-install it after finish our work.

[Maurice Naggar]

Due to the lack of feedback this topic is closed to prevent others from posting here. 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 thread 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!