Internet Warning

[jmnjrpa]

FYI- just a heads up-Weird thing happened yesterday when I was in the middle of replying to a PM. I got a virus (phishing)that rode in on my freeware AVG. Took me to a bogus site for buying the AVG Internet version. Went and bought a copy of PCTools Internet and it cleaned it right up. I wonder how many are going to get hit with that one.
It (PCTools)uses too many resources so I will change later but it did the job.

The virus limits all internet access except the bogus website. It also corrupts a lot of EXE files, your registry and will not allow Restore. It would not allow AVG to run and corrupted programs (not sure of how many). I am running XP Pro and IE8.

[CatatonicBug]

Sounds like a nasty one! Glad you got it taken care of. I use AVG Free myself, along with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware as needed. I also run Spybot and HijackThis as needed. Between those tools, I can usually take care of most bugs.

[jmnjrpa]

Yeah

A lot of people may like AVG and spend the $60 thinking they just bought it. The site is VERY well done with links to Paypal, etc.. People who do not know how these things work will be easily suckered in. One tipoff is the virus uses the warning that MS antivirus displays so it looks legit.

[CatatonicBug]

That's why I tell people to NEVER spend money on anti-malware tools. There are far too many good, free ones out there to spend money on junk like Norton or McAffee. You just have to know where to look to get the free ones sometimes.

[bikerphil]

Yep, never had any problems with the free antivirus. I use Avast free 5.0.

[DiverRay]

Microsoft and IE8 are the tip off's! I NEVER use a Microsoft product if someone else has the same thing. Mozilla Firefox, not IE, and I run XP Pro as well. If a site Needs IE to work, I don't go there, end of story.
Sorry about your problems, as I have had a few sites try the simular thing on me, including a French site!

[exquized1]

I to got hit yesterday. but mine takes me to windows defender and is telling me the only way to clean it up is by buying their program. I use housecall but cannot run that because this virus is blocking it.

[jmnjrpa]

exquized1

Reload it and I bet it will run. The virus does not appear to be "intelligent" in that it does not corrupt new loadings.

For the others (like me) that run freeware--
FYI-This "virus" was built to attack the freeware users. Another issue is that NO freeware has all the protection of the purchased item. The software companies do that so they will be paid. I am a cheap azz, but I have been building computers since '89. A lot of people haven't and so should get the purchased programs. Most if not all purchased antivirus programs would never have had this issue. I run a firewall at my router and a software firewall along with anti-virus, malware programs, and a couple of catch alls.
The router firewall alone would have caught it if I had configured it better. If all else had failed I would have simply reformatted the drives and reloaded from the (3) 500GB drives I have on my server. Not everyone has that knowledge or options.

BTW- AVG is Microsoft or controlled by them. Look at the logos and rotate the AVG logo 180 degrees. Frankly, without running a version of Linux or Macintosh it would be almost impossible to find a program that Microsh1t does not control.

[cywelchjr]

Reload it and I bet it will run. The virus does not appear to be "intelligent" in that it does not corrupt new loadings.

For the others (like me) that run freeware--
FYI-This "virus" was built to attack the freeware users. Another issue is that NO freeware has all the protection of the purchased item. The software companies do that so they will be paid. I am a cheap azz, but I have been building computers since '89. A lot of people haven't and so should get the purchased programs. Most if not all purchased antivirus programs would never have had this issue. I run a firewall at my router and a software firewall along with anti-virus, malware programs, and a couple of catch alls.
The router firewall alone would have caught it if I had configured it better. If all else had failed I would have simply reformatted the drives and reloaded from the (3) 500GB drives I have on my server. Not everyone has that knowledge or options.

BTW- AVG is Microsoft or controlled by them. Look at the logos and rotate the AVG logo 180 degrees. Frankly, without running a version of Linux or Macintosh it would be almost impossible to find a program that Microsh1t does not control.

I can agree and disagree with you. I have used as both a computer tech, programmer and network admin, pretty much all the free and pay for AV software, and frankly AVG is crap, and is NOT affiliated in any way with MS (they are out of eastern europe), MS has their own product which is OK, but only just. McAfee and Norton/Symantec are pretty much bloated crap with some of the lowest detection rates out there. Best thing to do is compare, you may be surprised. Of the offerings, one of the best, and the one I recommend for home users is Avast, and I recommend the pro version for business users, but they only give you more ways to mess yourself up with the paid version. Many of the free products use the free product to sell their server versions, and we have settled on Kaspersky, not because they are better than the others, but frankly when we needed to get our server farm protected quickly and they responded where the others didn't. If I get what looks like an MS warning, I go to the control panel to open the security center, and since I use Avast, any AV warning that comes up looking like an MS message I know is bogus because Avast's messages look radically different, and IMHO that's what they should do, be radically different from others, it makes the target so very much harder to hit that way.

I do really agree that you should stay away from IE where possible, that said, just because a site doesn't work with other browser doesn't keep me from using it. I use my banks online banking even thought it sucks with anything but IE, but that's one of the FEW things I use IE for. I use Chrome for most everything that doesn't require IE, although I have firefox installed and use it for some sites that don't care for chrome but work with it. Of course as the other browsers get more popular they get targeted more, and they are ALL vulnerable, it's just a matter of not running around with the biggest target painted on your back.

[cowboybob998]

safe mode

I got something like that here awhile back, went to safe mode and did a restore and things are back to normal, had to get in the safe mode, it lock up about every thing to were nothing would work.

[jmnjrpa]

Cy,

I know what you are saying about MS and AVG as I believed it myself until I compared their logos. At that, there is little doubt. One quick look at the logo and you know that Microsoft would have sued the crap out of AVG if they weren't in bed together! MS does more deals in secret than they do public. Geographic locations no longer mean anything to an international company like MS.

The point I was trying to make is that people without those computer skills are hanging in the wind. Personal "likes and dislikes" is the reason I did not try to influence people with names of products. There are many good products out there. I agree that Norton is bloated but my main objection is you have to download a special program to uninstall it! I would recommend freeware Zonealarm to the masses for one main reason - the internet kill button.

I don't like the target either. That's why I have so many "snipers" employed.

[planedick]

For me

I use Avast and a router with a firewall and as a last resort I have Acronis which is a image of the HD. If it becomes infected I just run Acronis and everything is back to normal....

[exquized1]

Well my virus must be a different one. I've tried downloading Housecall and avast with no luck. I can download them but when it comes time to open them it keeps blocking me. I think the virus is the program that keeps wanting me to download it at block viruses. Its called well I'm not sure. originally it said microsoft defender but when you go to buy the program it doesn't tell you what your buying. I'm not doing that. Looks like I will be seeing our local puter store to see if they can fix it. Just another bill that I don't need.

[jmnjrpa]

No download

You will have to install from your disc drive to your harddrive or run from disc. The virus is corrupting internet actions. You should have all your programs burned to discs even if you downloaded it.

[cywelchjr]

I know what you are saying about MS and AVG as I believed it myself until I compared their logos. At that, there is little doubt. One quick look at the logo and you know that Microsoft would have sued the crap out of AVG if they weren't in bed together! MS does more deals in secret than they do public. Geographic locations no longer mean anything to an international company like MS.

While I agree that for the most part location means nothing, this is NOT true with MS. There is not a case of them absorbing another Co that they didn't move them to Redmond, at least not that I am aware of, and there have been quite a few. I just put both logos side by side (after rotating the AVG logo 180) and the only similarity are the colors used and the order (if rotated 180), and having been through the trademark thing, there is no way someone would go after them for that (it's not really similar at all, and it's not even the MS logo that uses the colors, it's the windows logo). Remember, MS doesn't partner, the assimilate.

But, I do know some insiders who would know for sure, so I'll ask them and know for sure. I'm pretty sure I'll find that there is no linkage, but if there is I'll reveal what I can (I might only be able to verify that they are NOT, but not the reverse if you know what I mean). Of course that would be an answer in itself would it not?