Back in 2010 I used to work on my projects, assignments and access my email account from shared computers. A certain day I realised my Hotmail (email) inbox, drafts and sent box were full of copies of a message, which had an attachment containing a virus. Most of my email contacts have also received a copy of the message sent from my account. I can't say precisely if my account was invaded by an individual or if it that was the result of a virus. I don't know if this could be classified as an infection but that was my last relevant incident I can remember.
How I got infected last time thread
- Thread starter Soulbound
- Start date
Just a few weeks ago I was looking for a portable version of some forgotten software. Found a link claiming to offer same. Even though the site and the file name contained .RU, and I knew it was risky, I gave it a try. I was even too lazy to go upstairs and test it in a VM. Of course, the next thing I knew, my browser and search engine were speaking Russian. 
Spent the next few hours undoing everything. Fortunately the damage was limited to browser and search hijacks, but they were creatively executed and it took a while to sort it out. I didn't even get the portable I was looking for.
Spent the next few hours undoing everything. Fortunately the damage was limited to browser and search hijacks, but they were creatively executed and it took a while to sort it out. I didn't even get the portable I was looking for.
- Apr 5, 2017
- 836
I was stupidly watching football (not legally i am ashamed to admit) and only the Good Lord above knows what i did but i had browser hijackers, all sorts of adware and other crappy stuff on my pc. I didn't know how to deal with it and contacted Microsoft to try and sort it out, i was only using free antivirus so once it was sorted i stopped watching footie illegally and got myself some half decent security (i hope) lesson learnt for me
- Jan 9, 2013
- 1,457
Mine was last year. Someone was asking help in removing rotinom. Since he can't provide a sample, I tested my archived sample "live" on my netbook. Rotinom is easy to remove manually even if you don't have an AV but this damn sample is infected with sality. I did clean the PC but some files got corrupted beyond repair so I end up restoring my system from an old image. Moral of the story, remember that if you play with fire you get burned.
Use all precautions to protect yourself like using custom extensions with my installers. I do that as a precaution in case I'll be disinfecting sality (which is still prevalent here).
Use all precautions to protect yourself like using custom extensions with my installers. I do that as a precaution in case I'll be disinfecting sality (which is still prevalent here).
- Jun 27, 2015
- 50
My first major infection was a fake antivirus trojan. I was younger and didn't know what it was at the time. Took a while to get rid of that bugger once I learned what a rouge AV is. My last one was probably a browser hijacker, that randomly appeared on my PC out of nowhere called mysearchdial. Even then that was a while ago and I still am extremely paranoid even today with what is out there. Human errors are inevitable though.
My last one was probably a browser hijacker, that randomly appeared on my PC out of nowhere called mysearchdial. Even then that was a while ago and I still am extremely paranoid even today with what is out there. Human errors are inevitable though.One time , 20+ years ago, when i got my first PC, it was in fact a PUP (but the term didn't existed yet ) detected by my AV, then i start digging about security and here i am.
- Dec 4, 2013
- 2,800
Umbra was incurably
infected with knowledge, ..lots & lots of it!Fortunately, for all the rest of us, it was/is (by nature) highly contagious!!!
You mean you're the infection that affects PUP/PUA?
yes , they mutated and more discreet because of me
- Feb 13, 2017
- 1,486
Thanks for sharing your experiences
I got infected many years ago.
I was using Windows XP and a 56K dial up connection... downloading a free game, a dialer changed the phone number of my ISP to a very expensive international prefix.
I don't remember which AV I was using (or if I used an AV).
The surprise came with the phone invoice
I got infected many years ago.
I was using Windows XP and a 56K dial up connection... downloading a free game, a dialer changed the phone number of my ISP to a very expensive international prefix.
I don't remember which AV I was using (or if I used an AV
).The surprise came with the phone invoice
- Apr 2, 2016
- 109
Never been infected.
Anyway a month ago I installed CIS and, after few days, a strange popup from Internet Security Essentials appeared.
I thought to have been infected by a fake av since I've never choose to install it and the alert was quite vague/non-sense, then I formatted the pc (google is pretty useless if you search Internet Security Essentials).
After few days, I found out that it was installed automatically by Comodo for MITM protection
Anyway a month ago I installed CIS and, after few days, a strange popup from Internet Security Essentials appeared.
I thought to have been infected by a fake av since I've never choose to install it and the alert was quite vague/non-sense, then I formatted the pc (google is pretty useless if you search Internet Security Essentials).
After few days, I found out that it was installed automatically by Comodo for MITM protection
- Jul 3, 2015
- 8,153
It used to be very easy to get infected. Your kid brought home a USB drive from school, and bam, it's all over.
- Jan 16, 2017
- 1,469
If PUP counts, I was infected 4 years ago. I installed some video downloader, it installed bunch of craps and browser toolbars. Could not uninstall some of them. Malwarebytes Anti Malware and Adwcleaner removed them. Took time to find out about these software as I was tech noob back then.
- Jul 6, 2017
- 271
Well, it seems that HitmanPro suddenly started detecting uTorrent on my laptop as malware. After initial shock of seeing "threats detected" scan result after so many years of not getting infected, I checked hashes on virus total and it seems it might have been false positive. But still, I uninstalled the program, deleted everything and scanned again. Avast Full Virus Scan, JRT, AdwCleaner, HitmanPro and MBAM scan results were all completely clean so I'm slowly starting to leave the paranoid mode.
After initial shock of seeing "threats detected" scan result after so many years of not getting infected, I checked hashes on virus total and it seems it might have been false positive. But still, I uninstalled the program, deleted everything and scanned again. Avast Full Virus Scan, JRT, AdwCleaner, HitmanPro and MBAM scan results were all completely clean so I'm slowly starting to leave the paranoid mode. 
- Oct 18, 2015
- 97
Simply opened a doubt installer with security off.
And I was almost sure was infected.
Quite masochist, I've to admit it
Just some nasty adware, but I get rid of them.
I always scan ed2k/torrents/attachments, they could have very nasty files inside ^^,
Severe infections belong to xp era :3
And yes, don't download anything from softonic
And I was almost sure was infected.
Quite masochist, I've to admit it
Just some nasty adware, but I get rid of them.
I always scan ed2k/torrents/attachments, they could have very nasty files inside ^^,
Severe infections belong to xp era :3
And yes, don't download anything from softonic
Last edited:
- Jan 9, 2013
- 1,457
Last one was testing Brontok worm. Comodo's auto containment was Disabled. Windows Defender didn't do anything to stop the worm. Tada! Infected. That was last week.
- Jun 24, 2016
- 2,487
Many many years ago when i was not aware of security, i downloaded a bot to play for me on Runescape (online game) and i got my passwords stolen. Betrayed by my own brothers...
- Mar 1, 2014
- 1,708
My first and last infection was when I downloaded and installed a fake AV. I was still naive that time, you know. I only noticed that my laptop was infected because I couldn't click and go anywhere except the screen of the fake AV. I had Avast installed that time, but Avast was silent. But it was weird because Avast detected and deleted it when I ran a boot-time scan.
I only noticed that my laptop was infected because I couldn't click and go anywhere except the screen of the fake AV. I had Avast installed that time, but Avast was silent. But it was weird because Avast detected and deleted it when I ran a boot-time scan. 
- Nov 15, 2016
- 97
Many years ago. I never faced PUP and Adware before. I never suspect a Installer, so I ran it without using Sandbox (to analyse it first).
After that, my homepage change to istartsurf.com
After that, my homepage change to istartsurf.com
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