Live Security Platinum removal revealed other threats- can't delete or disinfect

[shellyj2010]

Operating system: Windows Vista
Architecture: 32 bit
Antivirus software and on-demand scanners on this system : Avita AntiVir- as of yesterday is not installed properly and will not uninstall or re-install
in the process of removing Live Security Platinum downloaded:
Malwarebytes- last scan 8/10/12 10:30 pm
HitmanPro- last scan 8/10/12 late night
Kaspersky- last scan 8/11/12 started 9:00 am
Date and how issue started: Live Security Platinum was downloaded through a seemingly legit Adobe update- and the fake alerts began- I knew immediately it was malware.But in the process of removing it found other threats that at this time have no symptoms. One of them I think caused what I thought was a loss of all data around 8 to 10 months ago- it was another fake antivirus program- we thought we removed successfully but a few months later it looked like it had removed all of our files- documents, pictures, music were all seemingly gone.
Current issues and symptoms: At this point the only symptom is Windows Update not working at all and slow loading of websites. Until last night all my data files had been hidden and I couldn't access them- but through this process was able to regain permissions and "unhide" all files. Twice this morning I have also received a pop up message saying host process has been stopped. But, nothing happens when I close it.
Steps taken in order to remove the infection: I tried to run an Avira scan and found that it wasn't working at all- wouldn't even open- said that the file could not find the control. I restarted in Safe Mode with networking and attempted to download again and it said it couldn't uninstall the bad version to Install again. Tried AVG- and in Safe Mode it is worthless. So, I found Stelian's removal process and followed the steps as written- everything worked like a charm until I got to the HitmanPro step. It found several threats-one a ZAccess Rootkit and the other a Trojan in the Windows/System32 files but it seems that my husband had used a 30 day trial already and so I could not remove them using HitmanPro. While looking through the comments on that page I saw someone with exactly the same issue- Stelian asked them to run Kaspersky and ESET. I downloaded both. Started the Kaspersky scan yesterday afternoon. It found the same things that HitmanPro had found and looked as though it would get rid of them so I left the house for a bit and when I returned my screen looked as though it had restarted but there was a message saying your system could not start- Startup Repair Utility can detect and repair files. It had apparently run already and another dialog box said Repair Utility found files installed incorrectly it can restore to an earlier boot (or something of that nature) and when I clicked OK my computer booted but Malwarebytes, HitmanPro, Kaspersky, and ESET were gone. I downloaded them again and started a Malwarebytes scan- this time it found the Rootkit ZAccess and said it removed it and restarted. I started a HitmanPro scan and it found the same things again. So, I started another Kapersky scan. I was about 40 minutes into the scan and realized it was nearly 1:00 am and the scan said it still had 3 hours left. So, I paused the scan to go to sleep as I didn't want to leave it unattended again. Since the Rootkit had been deleted I went to change my permissions back to "administrator" since I hadn't been able to since the original virus around 8-10 months ago. It finally allowed me to do that and I was able to unhide all hidden files and folders- regaining access to all my documents and pictures. Even though the symptoms seemed to be gone I want to be sure this will not happen again. This morning I restarted the Kaspersky scan. Everything was going fine- it detected a threat and quarantined it to delete it. It found 2 more threats that said deleted as well. Then when it tried to delete the Windows/System32/...services.exe thing- (sorry can't remember exactly and since Kapersky is gone again have no screen shots or reference) it said it needed to do a specific disinfection procedure that would require a restart upon completion. I clicked ok and it seemed to stop the scan to start the disinfection. It took it an hour- and once again said it disinfected the files- but before it said completed a dialog box came up that said System32......dll is not designed to run in Windows or is corrupt and before I could do anything the computer shut down on its own and attempted to restart. It looked like it was about to boot and then shut down again. This time I saw the screen from the night before that said Windows couldn't Startup and Startup Repair Utility could diagnose the problem then came the screen (that looks like the screen to choose SafeMode) that said Run Startup Repair Utility or Start Normally- above it said that if there was a power outage to start normally- otherwise it was recommended to use Startup Repair Utility. So, I clicked enter on that. Got the same message from the night before that it had found and attempted to Repair the files and it needed to restore to an earlier boot. If it started normally then it was successful in repairing the files (I guess it was too late last night and too early this morning but as I type this now I'm guessing that whole charade is a FailSafe for the virus to keep itself from being deleted- can't believe I fell for that after all this mess). When it started again all the downloads were again gone. I still have all my documents and photos, but like I said I want to make sure this thing is gone and I don't lose anything for real. So, I turned to Malwaretips again and decided it was time to post in the Forum for specific help. Thanks in advance for anything you can do to help. I'm sort of good with computers but not extremely knowledgeable- but I'm good at following instructions so hopefully with your help I can clean this thing!
REQUESTED LOGS: OTL LOG
aswMBR LOG
I've been working on this for over 24 hours and figure I need some help that is more specific to me and my computer! Thanks so much for all the time and info you guys share here for free! I would be up a creek without a paddle without it!

[shellyj2010]

UPDATE: Since my Avira was not working i didnt want to go without protection. i downloaded Avast Free on the suggestion seen in the Remove Live Security Platinum Tutorial by Stelian. i installed it and started a scan. It said I needed to do a boot-time scan due to the fact it detected infection. So, I started it. It took probably two hours and put 22 files into quarantine icluding the ZAccess Rootkit that two programs claim to have deleted already and the Trojan C:\Windows\System32\services.exe. The computer booted back up and I opened Avast to see the log. I've attached a screenshot of the log since i didn't see a place to export it. As i did that and logged into IE to come here to post I have had at least three alerts from Avast that threats have been detected. Each time it shows either Rootkit blocked and/or Trojan Horse blocked and lists these same files that it said it moved to the chest. Each alert says it has been moved there as well and says no further action required. Will I ever be rid of this?

[Jack]

Hi and welcome to the MalwareTips.com forums!

I'm Jack and I am going to try to assist you with your problem. Please take note of the below:

• I will start working on your malware issues, this may or may not, solve other issues you have with your machine.
• The fixes are specific to your problem and should only be used for this issue on this machine!
• The process is not instant. Please continue to review my answers until I tell you your machine is clear. Absence of symptoms does not mean that everything is clear.
• If you don't know, stop and ask! Don't keep going on.
• Please reply to this thread. Do not start a new topic.
• Refrain from running self fixes as this will hinder the malware removal process.
• It may prove beneficial if you print of the following instructions or save them to notepad as I post them.

Your security programs may give warnings for some of the tools I will ask you to use. Be assured, any links I give are safe.


Before we start:
Please be aware that removing malware is a potentially hazardous undertaking. I will take care not to knowingly suggest courses of action that might damage your computer. However it is impossible for me to foresee all interactions that may happen between the software on your computer and those we'll use to clear you of infection, and I cannot guarantee the safety of your system. It is possible that we might encounter situations where the only recourse is to re-format and re-install your operating system, or to necessitate you taking your computer to a repair shop.

Because of this, I advise you to backup any personal files and folders before you start.

---

Please run the following utility so that we can get a log of your system...
STEP 1 : Run a scan with Combofix

Please read and follow very carefully the below instructions

 
Download ComboFix from one of the following locations: 

COMBOFIX DOWNLOAD LINK #1 (This link will automatically download Combofix on your computer)
COMBOFIX DOWNLOAD LINK #2  (This link will automatically download Combofix on your computer)
 
VERY IMPORTANT !!! Save ComboFix.exe to your Desktop  
 

• 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 beforeperforming 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.
  -----------------------------------------------------------

How to run the Combofix scan :

1. Double click on ComboFix.exe & follow the prompts.
2. Accept the disclaimer and allow to update if it asks
3. When finished, it shall produce a log for you. 
4. Please include the C:\ComboFix.txt in your next reply.
   

Notes:

1. Do not mouse-click Combofix's window while it is running. That may cause it to stall.
2. Do not "re-run" Combofix. If you have a problem, reply back for further instructions.
3.  If after the reboot you get errors about programms being marked for deletion then reboot, that will cure it.

---

What's next?

Please post in your next reply:
1.Combofix log
2.Let me know if you had any problems with the above instructions and also let me know how things are running now!

[shellyj2010]

Thank you Jack!!!! Everything went perfectly- I was able to follow instructions easily. ComboFix scan took 10 minutes and found the C:\Windows\Systems32\services.exe that was infected. As you'll see on the log it was able to disinfect and replace with an t rebooted and upon saving the log Avast restarted and I still have not had an alert that they found a threat (and by this time it's been close to 10 minutes since it restarted! Yay! Also as soon as ComboFix closed my Windows Update is back up and running and I have updates available. Quick question on that- can I always trust updates from Windows Update? Internet is not running slowly any more either! I'm ecstatic! Is there anything else I need to do to ensure it's completely gone?

Oh and my husband and I wanted to know is there a way we can donate $ to help keep the malwaretips blogs and forums up and running? If not- do you have a favorite charity we could donate to in your honor? We are so happy with the result and the amount of money this has saved us!!!

Thanks you!!!!!

[shellyj2010]

Hi Jack- I need some more help- since getting rid of this- my Windows update has updates available but it won't let me download them- when I went through the hlep topic for the specific error I received it had me go in to make sure BITS was set up properly. Only BITS isn't in my services list anymore. How can I fix this?Thanks for any help you can offer!

[Jack]

Hello Shelly,
Glad to see that everything is almost fine now... lets fixing the side effects of this nasty infection.
Can you please perform the following scans:
VERY IMPORTANT! Please run only one scan at the time!DO NOT START ALL THE SCAN AT ONCE!
STEP 1: Run a HitmanPro scan

1. Download the latest official version of HitmanPro.
   HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a download page in a new window from where you can download HitmanPro)
2. Start HitmanPro  by double clicking on the previously downloaded file. and then following the prompts.
   
3. Once the scan is complete, a screen displaying all the malicious files that the program found will be shown as seen in the image below.After reviewing each malicious object click Next .
   
4. Click Activate free license to start the free 30 days trial and remove the malicious files.
   
5. HitmanPro will now start removing the infected objects, and in some instances, may suggest a reboot in order to completely remove the malware from your system. In this scenario, always confirm the reboot action to be on the safe side.
   

Add to your next reply, any log that HitmanPro might generate.

---

STEP 2: Run a scan with RogueKiller

1. Please download the latest official version of RogueKiller.
   ROGUEKILLER DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will automatically download RogueKiller on your computer)
2. Double click on RogueKiller.exe to start this utility and then wait for the Prescan to complete.This should take only a few seconds and then you can click the Scan button to perform a system scan.
   
3. After the scan has completed, press the Delete button to remove any malicious registry keys.
   
4. Next we will need to restore your shortcuts, so click on the ShortcutsFix button and allow the program to run.
   

The report has been created on the desktop.In your next reply please post:

All RKreport.txt text files located on your desktop.

---

STEP 3: Run a scan with ESET Online Scanner

1. Download ESET Online Scanner utility.
   ESET Online Scanner Download Link (This link will automatically download ESET Online Scanner on your computer.)
2. Double click on the Eset installer program (esetsmartinstaller_enu.exe).
3. Check Yes, I accept the Terms of Use
4. Click the Start button.
5. Check Scan archives
6. Push the Start button.
7. ESET will then download updates for itself, install itself, and begin scanning your computer. Please be patient as this can take some time.
8. When the scan completes, push List of found threats
9. Push Export to Text file  and save the file to your desktop using a unique name, such as ESET Scan. Include the contents of this report in your next reply.Note - when ESET doesn't find any threats, no report will be created.
10. Push the back button.
11. Push Finish

---

STEP 4: Repair Background Intelligent Transfer Service
1. Click START
2. Type “cmd” in the Search Box and then press Enter
3. Right-click “cmd.exe" and select “Run as administrator”
4. Click “Continue” on the “User Account Control” Window
5. In the command prompt type the following command
sc create BITS binpath= “c:\windows\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs” start= delayed-auto
6.Restart your computer and check if the problem is solved.

---

STEP 5: Run Temp File Cleaner by OldTimer

1. You can download the TFC utility from the below link
   TFC DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will automatically download Temp File Cleaner on your computer)
2. Please double-click TFC.exe to run it. (Note: If you are running on Vista or 7, right-click on the file and choose Run As Administrator).
3. It will close all programs when run, so make sure you have saved all your work before you begin.
4. Click the Start button to begin the process. Depending on how often you clean temp files, execution time should be anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or two. Let it run uninterrupted to completion.
5. Once it's finished it should reboot your machine. If it does not, please manually reboot the machine yourself to ensure a complete clean.

---

STEP 6 : Run a scan with OTL by OldTimer:

1. Download the OTL utility using the below link :
   OTL DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will automatically download OTL on your computer)
2. Double click on the icon to run it. Make sure all other windows are closed and to let it run uninterrupted.
   
3. When the window appears, underneath Output at the top change it to Minimal Output.
4. Check the boxes beside LOP Check and Purity Check.
5. Click the Run Scan button.
   
6. When the scan completes, it will open two notepad windows. OTL.Txt and Extras.Txt. These are saved in the same location as OTL.
   Please post this 2 logs in your first reply..

Note: If OTL.exe will not run, it may be blocked by malware. Try these alternate versions: OTL.scr, or OTL.com.

---

What's next?

Attach the following logs to your post (You can find here details on how to use the Attachment System):

1.HitmanPro logs
2.RogueKiller logs
3.ESET log
4.OTL logs
5.Let me know if you had any problems with the above instructions and also let me know how things are running now!

[shellyj2010]

Hi Jack-I started with the HitmanPro scan- it didn't produce a log but I attached a screen shot of what it found. But, as I talked about earlier we have used a trial license of HitmanPro already- back in 2011- so I can't activate to delete what it found. Should I continue with the rest of the scans without removing these through HitmanPro- or is it necessary for me to purchase a license to remove them first? Thanks!

[Jack]

(08-16-2012 09:36 PM)shellyj2010 wrote:  Hi Jack-I started with the HitmanPro scan- it didn't produce a log but I attached a screen shot of what it found. But, as I talked about earlier we have used a trial license of HitmanPro already- back in 2011- so I can't activate to delete what it found. Should I continue with the rest of the scans without removing these through HitmanPro- or is it necessary for me to purchase a license to remove them first? Thanks!

No, you don't need to buy HitmanPro....And yes,please continue with the other scans... We will use other tools to remove this infection.

[shellyj2010]

Ok- all steps have been completed! Everything else went smoothly. BITS is back and I was able to actually download and install Updates from Windows Update. I've attached all the logs- although OTL only had the OTL log- it didn't generate an Extras.txt log I have a question concerning RogueKiller- it created an Rkill Quarantine folder and moved the threats there- should I delete these files? Other than that everything seems to be running fine. I'll update if anything else shows up. Thanks!

[shellyj2010]

Hi Jack- well things went swimmingly for some time- then this past Friday- I tried to open an Excel spreadsheet that I had been working in for two weeks and the Windows Installer came up saying preparing configuration and then could not install. I tried to run an Avast scan and it said I was not linked to an Avast account- and wouldn't let me run Malwarebytes- saying Runtime Error. I rebooted in Safe Mode and backed up every file that is important to me to Google Drive- to be safe. I have been running Avast 7, We have done Malewarebytes scans each week, we have been religiously using Sandboxie to surf the net, and have only been visiting sites with Green rating in WOT- so I feel this is something that was most likely already on our system and laying dormant. My main question at this point is if we just reformat our hard drive and do a brand new installation for our OS (upgrading to Windows 7 instead of Vista) and start from scratch- will this get rid of any lurking viruses? Or is there a program we should purchase to completely clean the hard drive before installing a new OS? Thank you so much again for all your help!