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Antivirus XP 2008
Threat Center- Spyware and Virus Removal ^ | 7/30/2008 | Webmaster

Posted on 08/17/2008 1:24:34 PM PDT by AZFolks

Antivirus XP 2008 By: webmaster | Under: Unwanted Programs 26

Jun

Updated: July 30, 2008

Antivirus XP 2008 is a bogus antivirus application for Windows that was promoted and downloaded automatically by redirecting users internet browser to its predefined website.

Aliases: Adware.AntivirusXP2008

Risk Level: Medium

File Size: Varies

Affected System: Windows

Common Symptoms: 1. Redirects web broswser and pop-up scan results. It will then prompt the user to buy the licensed software.


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: spyware
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I got caught by this last night. I am only minimally proficient in computer usage (enough to read sites)but if you run across this virus, this website will help. I actually spoke with someone who felt the only 100% certain way to remove this is to reinstall the OS. If this does not beong on Free Republi, I apologize.
1 posted on 08/17/2008 1:24:35 PM PDT by AZFolks
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To: AZFolks

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/combofix/how-to-use-combofix

Download, follow the directions, good to go.


2 posted on 08/17/2008 1:26:11 PM PDT by Riley (The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column.)
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To: AZFolks

I had to remove it from a couple of machines at work.


3 posted on 08/17/2008 1:26:33 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: AZFolks

I apologize for the misspelling of belong and Republic.


4 posted on 08/17/2008 1:27:30 PM PDT by AZFolks
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To: AZFolks

It also goes by VISTA 2008. I googled it a found I website I trusted for removable instructions. It required editing the registry.


5 posted on 08/17/2008 1:29:16 PM PDT by ThomasThomas (Orationem pulchram non habens, scribo ista linea in lingua Latina.***)
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To: AZFolks
The easiest thing to do that might help regarding viruses would be.

You do NOT turn off the computer once you see something is crazy, though you should pull out the Internet connection.

Do a search for new created files that day or so.
Look for especially .exe and .dll files newly created.

Hit Ctrl + ALt + Del and review running processes in task manager.

See particularly if any of the newly found files are running as processes.

Go to the internet and look the files up and see what they say.

Lastly close down, go to safe mode F8 key at startup and potentially delete the new files.

That would be an easily removable thing if caught like some viruses or ad ware.

It can get bad, once my niece asked me to check her computer. There were viruses going for many months, they corrupted the computer and I had to reinstall the operating system.
She had only 465 viruses found.

6 posted on 08/17/2008 1:32:13 PM PDT by A CA Guy ( God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: AZFolks

Got caught last month by a form set up to emulate Vista.It found its way into my system and would not allow access to uninstall. I’d get popups telling me I had 73 viruses and trojans. My virus pgm dtected nothing. I wound up isolating and shredding it with windows defender. No trouble since.


7 posted on 08/17/2008 1:33:37 PM PDT by xkaydet65 (Freedom is purchased not with gold, but with steel.)
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To: AZFolks
I recently disinfected a machine that had this and an older variant — Antivirus2008. And a rootkit that hid certain system files, so that the guy's machine wouldn't update. (He was running Service Pack 1...)

I believe in the death penalty for ——s who foist this crap on users who don't know any better.

8 posted on 08/17/2008 1:36:21 PM PDT by DJ Frisat (SPAM: best in the can and in sammiches -- not for use on computers.)
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To: A CA Guy

Does this mess get downloaded from Windows XP automatic updates???


9 posted on 08/17/2008 1:39:48 PM PDT by ExTexasRedhead
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To: ExTexasRedhead
I haven't seen a download from MS do that.

I would think though that if the computer was already compromised, all kinds of stuff could download at all times, including automatic update time.
It wouldn't be automatic updates doing it, it would be the hackers who send maybe a key logger as you use the Internet.

10 posted on 08/17/2008 1:42:32 PM PDT by A CA Guy ( God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: ExTexasRedhead

I don’t think so. My wife had it start it scan and install when she went to a web site. Some how she thought she was going to a sewing site and ... bang, this AV program shows up.


11 posted on 08/17/2008 1:42:33 PM PDT by K-oneTexas (I'm not a judge and there ain't enough of me to be a jury. (Zell Miller, A National Party No More))
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To: AZFolks

Put down the “beong” and step away from the Free Republi... :) Seriously, though, thanks for posting this.


12 posted on 08/17/2008 1:42:39 PM PDT by Andonius_99 (There are two sides to every issue. One is right, the other is wrong; but the middle is always evil.)
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To: DJ Frisat

My daughters’ computer got nailed by this thing.....finally crashed it....she spent 300 to fix it and blamed ME for it! So now I can’t use her laptop.....funny she forgets who bought the darn thing for her!


13 posted on 08/17/2008 1:42:49 PM PDT by saltnlemons (Shell's Dad!)
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To: AZFolks

I’ve seen two computers eaten by this. It claims to be an antivirus program and convinces users to let it doa scan. and yes, if it gets far enough along it does require a Windows reinstall.

It doesn’t require reformatting, however, just a clean reinstall. That does mean you have to reinstall all your programs.


14 posted on 08/17/2008 1:46:39 PM PDT by js1138
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To: ExTexasRedhead
The guys whose computers I cleaned were browsing a porn website at work. Either that or they clicked on a link they got in an email. What they got was a message they thought came from a legitimate virus scanner. They OKed whatever it asked.
15 posted on 08/17/2008 1:50:41 PM PDT by js1138
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To: AZFolks

On the rare occasions when something like this has happened, I’ve just used the system restore feature and it worked like a charm.


16 posted on 08/17/2008 1:51:30 PM PDT by kms61
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To: kms61

Just got hit with this little b@stard two days ago after visiting the Pravda site after jumping over from the Drudge Report. Googled and found a lot of activity on this bugger. Went to the malwarebytes.com site and downloaded the free cleaner. It worked perfectly


17 posted on 08/17/2008 1:57:27 PM PDT by Cyman
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To: kms61

The bugger disabled my system restore feature.


18 posted on 08/17/2008 2:02:10 PM PDT by AZFolks
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To: AZFolks

Spybot S&D is a good cleaner for this one.


19 posted on 08/17/2008 2:06:04 PM PDT by Anitius Severinus Boethius
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To: AZFolks; All

How can I find out if this is on my system? This morning I turned it on and got busy elsewhere. I heard the system restart (a first without my being at the keyboard) and it came up the way it usually does.

I’ve got the Vista OS on my computer.

Thanks. I’m not a computer geek at all and the older I get the more I hate to deal with technical things.


20 posted on 08/17/2008 2:13:08 PM PDT by proudofthesouth (Homosexuality IS a choice! There isn't any biological reason for it. They CHOOSE to be that way!)
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