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View Full Version : Strange issue with internet searches. Needing some help.

kona0197
24th June 2009, 02:49 PM
It seems a bug has taken over my browsers. All of them. Firefox 3, IE 7 and Google Chrome. Wherever I type something in a search box and search I get the results I expect. However when I click on a result I am redirected to coupon sites or shopping sites. I can't get any browser to connect to any site having a Firefox 3 download. I've ran a Virus check and Ad Aware check and a Spybot check. All with updates. I'm clean. So how do I get this off my system?
aleph
24th June 2009, 03:01 PM
Your ISP going naughty?
kona0197
24th June 2009, 03:13 PM

I would hope not. ISP is Qwest. Whatever this thing is it also turned off my Anti Virus program.

Any program anyone know of to get rid of this?
aleph
24th June 2009, 03:18 PM
Then I doubt if you are really 'clean'... you know, once you're infected, you can't trust the AV/malware/spyware checkers any more -- what if they are infected as well? Who watches the watchers?
kona0197
24th June 2009, 03:19 PM
Then what the heck do I do...
Dan
24th June 2009, 03:30 PM
Ayup. You've been nailed. Sounds like a conficker variant of some kind. First things first, back up all your data. There's a better than average chance you're going to need to re-install.

Second, reboot into safe mode with networking. Then go to TrendMicro's "housecall (http://housecall.trendmicro.com/)" and do the system scan from there.

If the scan turns up anything remotely related to the conficker worm, you might as well just fdisk it and start over.

Also, if you have kept any banking records, credit card number or any other sensitive personal information, this is the time to close accounts, re-issue credit cards etc. DO NOT WAIT, it is NOT allright they DID NOT miss. They just haven't started exploiting the info yet, but they did get it.
stevea
24th June 2009, 04:22 PM
An alternative suggestion it to install Linux :rolleyes:
kona0197
24th June 2009, 05:25 PM
Well I had two trojans. No worms. Still need a reinstall I guess.

As for installing Linux I have no burner to make an ISO and no money ATM to by a CD.
bob
24th June 2009, 05:30 PM
There's a LOT of similar posts about redirected browsing. Here's one that's actually got a 'fix': http://www.malwareremoval.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=43704
bob
24th June 2009, 05:36 PM
And, Terry, if you need any of us to burn something and ship it to you, just ask. (We don't do Windows, but otherwise.... :D)
kona0197
24th June 2009, 06:39 PM
Bob - that program in that link you gave fixed it. Thanks.

As for burning for me I do need a copy of a few flavors.