Beware: Virus Mongers Are Getting Trickier

[Hoc]

Just a warning to everyone. A couple of days ago, I was surfing the web, and wanted to see a video, which required download of a codec. My McAfee Antivirus software said it was OK, so I downloaded and installed it.

It installed a virus and a trojan that installed a number of spyware programs. Ultimately, I was able to delete the virus using PreVX Antivirus, and multiple spyware blockers detected and supposedly deleted the trojan and the spyware.

One particularly nasty program that had been installed was a program called "Virus Protect Pro," which kept popping up balloons stating that my computer was "infected with spyware," and other messages designed to scare me. It wanted me to pay $50 for the full program to remove the spyware.

Several scanners saw it, and claimed to delete it, but it was there all the time, popping up annoying messages every few seconds and using up most of my computer's processing power. But it did not show up in the running programs or startup.

Ultimately, I got rid of it by using a special program just for getting rid of Virus Protect Pro, which required a bootup in safe mode and running the program to fix it. That program, also, is the subject of a number of internet messages where virus mongers have inserted trojans and viruses into it, so I had to find the original source to download and run it, in order to make sure it was safe.

Just be aware that they're getting nastier out there, and running a good antivirus program is no longer enough to protect your computer from malware.

 

[DaveNV]

Wow. What a royal PITA. Glad you were able to sort it all out!

Dave

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Just a warning to everyone. A couple of days ago, I was surfing the web, and wanted to see a video, which required download of a codec. My McAfee Antivirus software said it was OK, so I downloaded and installed it.

It installed a virus and a trojan that installed a number of spyware programs. Ultimately, I was able to delete the virus using PreVX Antivirus, and multiple spyware blockers detected and supposedly deleted the trojan and the spyware.

One particularly nasty program that had been installed was a program called "Virus Protect Pro," which kept popping up balloons stating that my computer was "infected with spyware," and other messages designed to scare me. It wanted me to pay $50 for the full program to remove the spyware.

Several scanners saw it, and claimed to delete it, but it was there all the time, popping up annoying messages every few seconds and using up most of my computer's processing power. But it did not show up in the running programs or startup.

Ultimately, I got rid of it by using a special program just for getting rid of Virus Protect Pro, which required a bootup in safe mode and running the program to fix it. That program, also, is the subject of a number of internet messages where virus mongers have inserted trojans and viruses into it, so I had to find the original source to download and run it, in order to make sure it was safe.

Just be aware that they're getting nastier out there, and running a good antivirus program is no longer enough to protect your computer from malware.

I got a similar worm one time. After battling it for ahwile with limited success, Idiscovered that anytime it was deleted, it would clone itself with a new name made of random characters and automatically establish itself as active process.. I watched it happen - I identified the folder it was in, terminated the process in Task Manager, deleted the file, and watched as a new file was created and the process appeared in Task Manager.

I could only get rid of it by booting to Safe Mode and deleting it. Also had to do some registry cleanup. Nastiest one I've ever encountered.

 

[timeos2]

The King David Virus?

One particularly nasty program that had been installed was a program called "Virus Protect Pro," which kept popping up balloons stating that my computer was "infected with spyware," and other messages designed to scare me. It wanted me to pay $50 for the full program to remove the spyware.

Several scanners saw it, and claimed to delete it, but it was there all the time, popping up annoying messages every few seconds and using up most of my computer's processing power. But it did not show up in the running programs or startup..

THE WORST! The Wastegate Sales Weasel of Spyware/Viruses. Be sure you have disabled WinXP System Restore or it will come back again & again.

It is insidious and, like a timeshare weasel, keeps coming back for more. If you buy it's even worse! Just like a timeshare from a developer...