Malware FYI

Thought I'd pass this along. Couple times over the past month or so my PC encountered a routine called trojan.dropper. I guess this puppy is suppose to drop a trojan on your computer and gets in via infected websites you've visited.

I think my AVG software somehow impeded it's execution but in doing so my browser started acting up.

To make a long story short a McAfee scan didn't find it, AVG scan didn't find it, Malwarebytes found it but didn't clean it up 100%. I was still having browser issues. So, I did a little google work and downloaded spybot which found two fuc'd up registeries and successfully cleaned them. Problem solved.

Just something to add to your kit.

Love spybot

Used Malwarebytes yesterday works wonders, I opened a yahoo email from a local provider and then it showed up, Norton did not detect it. Plus Malwarebytes is free.

I use three things (besides McAfee or AVG) which are all free:

1) Spybot
2) Ad-aware
3) HiJackThis

and so far, I've managed to avoid problems.

By "Spybot," do you guys mean "Spybot Seearch and Destroy?"

I'm sure this is the classic response to these types of threads, but I'll go ahead anyways. Linux has come a long way.

In particular, Ubuntu has become as easy to use as a Windows box. I don't use Ubuntu, but I have installed it recently and I was really excited about what they are doing for the Linux Desktop. The install is easy breezy as they have literally removed all the scary stuff, in particular partitioning. It comes with a number of apps already installed, and getting new apps is as easy as opening the New Software app, picking what you want, and clicking install.

For those that can't live without their Micro$oft products, you always have the option of installing a virtual machine such as VMWare, VirtualBox, etc. I use VMWare when I'm forced to use a website that still insists on only supporting IE, though these sites are rapidly disappearing with the market share that both Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera have secured (almost 40% combined as of Dec '09).

For you gamers...you're still screwed

It can be a scary step to take, but it is completely worth it. I haven't had to worried about viruses or malware in ten years. OK I'll get off my nerdbox now.

......waiting for MacGeek to chime in

I put Ubuntu on my last PC back in '04. It rocked! Lots and lots of customization options, even more than OSX or Windows now. NeoOffice wasn't very advanced at the time, but it did an adequate job. I was always a bit concerned about it's resistance to malware. A year later I switched and haven't looked back. But, I must say, Windows 7 has piqued my curiosity.

Diver

Used Malwarebytes yesterday works wonders, I opened a yahoo email from a local provider and then it showed up, Norton did not detect it. Plus Malwarebytes is free. Originally Posted by vernors1940

AVG is been the one for awhile. Malwarebytes sounds interesting.

Microsoft security essentials with the new windows 7 is sweet and doesn't bogg down the computer the way AVG and Norton do. Just my two cents.

I have had a variation of the "smith" virus twice in the last month. I have AVG and it didn't help. The guy that removed the virus used malwarebytes when the virus was removed.

Just got hit with the same issue. Banner is comming from ECCIE advertisng in the upper right hand corner of page using the adddress 85.17.184.2. Mcafee Virus detection missed it. Ended up installing AVG, Malwarebytes's Anti-malware, and Spybot. Symptom of virus was that it disabled my internet connection.

Just got hit with the same issue. Banner is comming from ECCIE advertisng in the upper right hand corner of page using the adddress 85.17.184.2. Mcafee Virus detection missed it. Ended up installing AVG, Malwarebytes's Anti-malware, and Spybot. Symptom of virus was that it disabled my internet connection. Originally Posted by niceguy4u2010

What program detected it?

What error message does it give to you?

Malwarebytes's Anti-malware detected the threat. Sounds like our friendly site here good use good verification tools for their advertising clients. The realtime version of Malwarebyte's Anti-malware will throw up a message about the site being blocked and give the 85.14.184.2 address.

What's malware? ;-)

Malwarebytes's Anti-malware detected the threat. Sounds like our friendly site here good use good verification tools for their advertising clients. The realtime version of Malwarebyte's Anti-malware will throw up a message about the site being blocked and give the 85.14.184.2 address. Originally Posted by niceguy4u2010

Once again, what does the message say?

I believe the realtime version of Malwarebytes is only included in the for pay version, correct?

You've really got to watch out. I googled "malwarebytes" and the first link on the page is a sponsored web page link for "antimalwarepro.org/malwarebytes." Antimalwarepro is a malware program that takes over your computer itself. It's one of the worst of the current crops of spyware. I guess Google doesn't check very well who they take ads from.