Solved Yet another dllhost.exe COM Surrogate victim.

[Chris_999]

Thank you very much in advance for any assistance you can give to help me to remove this thing ! I will be massively grateful !

Chris

PS: most of the entries in the Task Manager say "dllhost.exe *32", but there is usually one 'COM Surrogate' that just shows "dllhost.exe" (in case that makes a difference).

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Hello,



They call me TwinHeadedEagle around here, and I'll be working with you.



Before we start please read and note the following:

• At the top of your post, please click on the "Watch thread" button and make sure to check Watch this thread...and receive email notifications. This will send an email to you as soon as I reply to your topic, allowing me to solve your problem faster.
• Please do not install any new software during the cleaning process other than the tools I provide for you. This can hinder the cleaning process. Please do not perform System Restore or any other restore.
• Instructions I give to you are very simple and made for complete beginner to follow. That's why you need to read through my instructions carefully and completely before executing them.
• Please do not run any tools other than the ones I ask you to, when I ask you to. Some of these tools can be very dangerous if used improperly. Also, if you use a tool that I have not requested you use, it can cause false positives, thereby delaying the complete cleaning of your machine.
  
• All tools we use here are completely clean and do not contain any malware. If your antivirus detects them as malicious, please disable your antivirus and then continue.
• If during the process you run across anything that is not in my instructions, please stop and ask. If any tool is running too much time (few hours), please stop and inform me.
• I visit forum several times at day, making sure to respond to everyone's topic as fast as possible. But bear in mind that I have private life like everyone and I cannot be here 24/7. So please be patient with me. Also, some infections require less, and some more time to be removed completely, so bear this in mind and be patient.
• Please stay with me until the end of all steps and procedures and I declare your system clean. Just because there is a lack of symptoms does not indicate a clean machine. If you solved your problem yourself, set aside two minutes to let me know.
  
• Please attach all report using
  
  button below. Doing this, you make it easier for me to analyze and fix your problem.
  
• Do not ask for help for your business PC. Companies are making revenue via computers, so it is good thing to pay someone to repair it.
• If I don't hear from you within 3 days from this initial or any subsequent post, then this thread will be closed.

Fix with Farbar Recovery Scan Tool

This fix was created for this user for use on that particular machine.

Running it on another one may cause damage and render the system unstable.

​

Download attached fixlist.txt file and save it to the Desktop:

Both files, FRST and fixlist.txt have to be in the same location or the fix will not work!

• Right-click on
  
  icon and select
  
  Run as Administrator to start the tool.
  (XP users click run after receipt of Windows Security Warning - Open File).
• Press the Fix button just once and wait.
• If for some reason the tool needs a restart, please make sure you let the system restart normally. After that let the tool complete its run.
• When finished FRST will generate a log on the Desktop, called Fixlog.txt.

Please attach it to your reply.

 

[Chris_999]

Hi TwinHeadedEagle - Thanks for your quick reply. I started running the FixList file, but then took a look at the contents of that file and noticed that the first "Filter:" entry is missing the "F" and just says "ilter:".

Do you know if that is going to cause any problem? How long should I expect for it to take? (it has been going ~8 minutes now). If the process 'hangs', should I just edit the file and add the "F" and try re-running it?

Please let me know what you think.

Thanks again,
Chris

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

No problem about missing letter, that won't cause any harm. Let it run, it will finish its job

 

[Chris_999]

Hi TwinHeadedEagle,

The FRST finished running, and I am attaching the FixLog below. This appears to have fixed the main multiplying COM Surrogate issue.

However, when I watch the Task Manager I do still see a "dllhost.exe / COM Surrogate" entry appear occasionally, but then it disappears quickly. Is that normal behavior, or is there still some malware lurking?

Also, whenever I try to open or download a PDF (or any other file), I get a message titled "Security Alert" and saying "Your current securtiy settings do not allow this file to be downloaded". This only started happening when the dllhost.exe COM Surrogate issue appeared.

Please let me know if you have any ideas on these last two issues.

Many thanks again for your time !

-Chris

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Okay, let's first rescan your PC one more time:

Scan with Farbar Recovery Scan Tool

Please re-run Farbar Recovery Scan Tool to give me a fresh look at your system.

• Right-click on
  
  icon and select
  
  Run as Administrator to start the tool.
  (XP users click run after receipt of Windows Security Warning - Open File).
• Make sure that Addition option is checked.
• Press Scan button and wait.
• The tool will produce two logfiles on your desktop: FRST.txt and Addition.txt.

Please include their content into your next reply.

 

[Chris_999]

I ran the FRST scan again, and attaching the result files here.
Thanks !
-Chris

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

PC seems clean, I do not see signs of malware.

 

[Chris_999]

Thank you for all your help.

BTW, do you know if this was a virus that caused this problem. Any idea if it came from a site that I visited?

My Kaspersky seems pretty adept at catching things, so I'm surprised that this got through (and so many people are having the same issue).

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. (and your beer is on the way)

Thank you !

Chris

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

You were infected with Poweliks malware. You mentioned site, I would like to know which one.

 

[Chris_999]

I don't know which site it might have been. I also cleared my cache and history in the process, so unfortunately I can't look back to see what it might have been.
Thanks again !
Chris

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Below you will find my thoughts about securing your machine. Go ahead through it, you will benefit from some useful advice about safe computing.

Recommended reading:
​

MUST READ - security tips:

• Computer Security - a short guide to staying safer online.
• Simple and easy ways to keep your computer safe and secure on the Internet

MUST READ - general maintenance:

• What to do if your Computer is running slowly?

The Importance of Software Updating:
​

In order to stay protected it is very important that you regularly update all of your software. Cybercriminals depend on the apathy of users around software updates to keep their malicious endeavor running.​

Operating systems, such as Windows, and applications, such as Adobe Reader or JAVA, are used by tens of millions of computers and devices around the world, making them a huge target for cybercriminals. Downloading updates and installing them can sometimes be tedious, but the advantages you get from the updates are certainly worth it.

• How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows
• How to update Java
• How to update Adobe Reader

Recommended additional software:
​

TFC - to clean unneeded temporary files.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware - to scan your system from time to time in search for malware.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Exploit - to prevent plenty of mostly exploited vulnerabilities.

McShield - to prevent infections spread by removable media.

CryptoPrevent - to secure yourself from very severe CryptoLocker infection.

Unchecky - to prevent from installing additional foistware, implemented in legitimate installations.

FiheHippo.com Update Checker - to keep your programs up-to-date.

Adblock - to surf the web without annoying ads!

Post-cleanup procedures:​

Download DelFix by Xplode and save it to your desktop.

• Run the tool by right click on the
  
  icon and Run as administrator option.
• Make sure that these ones are checked:
  • Remove disinfection tools
  • Purge system restore
  • Reset system settings
• Push Run and wait until the tool completes his work.
• All tools we used should be gone. Tool will create an report for you (C:\DelFix.txt)

The tool will also record healthy state of registry and make a backup using ERUNT program in %windir%\ERUNT\DelFix
Tool deletes old system restore points and create a fresh system restore point after cleaning.

My help is free for everybody.
If you're happy with the help provided and/or wish to buy me a beer for the assistance you received, then you can consider a donation:
Thank you!​

Stay safe,
TwinHeadedEagle

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Since this issue appears to be resolved, I am closing the topic. If that is not the case and you need or wish to continue with this topic, please contact me or any staff member with the address of the thread.

Other members who need assistance please start your own topic in a new thread. Thanks!