trojans

[mrslippyfist]

just did a virus check, my puter has a trojan called "justin.a"
any idea what this does and what to do about it, my virus programme says its uncleanable and i can't find any info on the internet about it.
Help!

 

[Phantasm66]

if your virus detection software offers to delete the file, do so.

trojan:
A program that appears legitimate, but performs some illicit activity when it is run. It may be used to locate password information or make the system more vulnerable to future entry or simply destroy programs or data on the hard disk. A Trojan horse is similar to a virus, except that it does not replicate itself. It stays in the computer doing its damage or allowing somebody from a remote site to take control of the computer. Trojans often sneak in attached to a free game or other utility. For information about various Trojans that are spread on the Internet, visit Harbor Telco Security's Web site at http://lockdown2000.com.

see: http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm?term=TrojanHorse

 

[Eric Legge]

You should state the version of Windows because the methods of dealing with virus/trojans varies between them.

If you are using Windows 98 /98 SE, try running the scanreg /restore command in DOS mode to backdate the system files to a date prior to the infection.

For both Win 98 and XP, use the TweakUI Repair features to recover any system functions that might have been taken over.

SCANREG

Start up and press the F8 or Control key to bring up the boot menu. Select to boot into the DOS command line. Enter scanreg /restore. You will be presented with several CAB files that contain backups of the Windows Registry and other critical system files. Restore one that predates the problem and that should allow Windows to boot properly.

Since the restored CAB file (one of a default of five CAB files in the C:\Windows\SYSBCKUP folder) contains the system files - user.dat, system.dat, win.ini, and system.ini - was created on a pariculr date, any changes that were made to the system after that date will have to be repeated.

You will obviously not repeat any change that you suspect caused the problem in the first place unless you want to make sure that it was indeed the cause of that problem.

To fix the Registry use scanreg /fix - and to optimise the Registry use scanreg /opt.

If scanreg /fix gets stuck half way through just reboot and, if necessary, use scanreg /restore to recover the situation. But most of the time the system will start-up after a Ctrl+Alt+Del restart even if the scanreg /fix utility gets stuck.

Obtain all of the TweakUI info you need here. - PC Forrest (Plenty of PC information - MS DOS, the BIOS, Windows, swap files, TweaK-UI, Registry hacks, etc.)

http://www.forrestandassociates.co.uk/pcforrest/tweakui.html

Eric,

http://www.legge40.freeserve.co.uk/BuyerBeware.htm

 

[mrslippyfist]

Am running win xp. Thanks for that, i deleted the file, trojans don't replicate themselves do they, so i shouldn't get it again unless i run whatever released it in the first place, right?
Also it might be my imagination, but my puter seems to be slower, do trojans do damage, or just allow people access to your computer?

 

[poertner_1274]

Depending on the type of trojan, I think they can replicate, just like virii.

Trojans shouldn't do anything differently to your computer, other than allow that person access to it. This is of course if they didn't do something to it, which I'm sure they didn't. Most of the time people want access to your computer to run servers on, not to destroy.

Are you for sure it is slowing down? Or could you just be worried about it since you had the trojan on your computer? Try and run some diagnostics possibly and post back if it is actually slowing down.

 

[Eric Legge]

FYI, there is an excellent little utility called Startup Monitor that can detect when a trojan wants to set itself up as a startup program, which it has to be in order to be active. It allows you to stop this, and can be active while you install valid software.

It doesn't show in the system tray, but can be turned off from the Programs menu.

Get it here -

http://www.mlin.net/

Eric,

http://www.legge40.freeserve.co.uk/BuyerBeware.htm

 

[Phantasm66]

hehehe its funny the trojans that people get... but please run an up to date virus checker and get rid of them...

 

[Justin]

/me hasn't been infected by a virus/trojan/et cetera since 1993

 

[iss]

I have never had a trojan. but then I NEVER open or run a file I have downloaded until I have scanned it with anti-virus and a trojan detector.And I never open attachments on emails even from mom I have had to delete downloaded files when the scan detected viruses or trojans.

 

[mrslippyfist]

See, im a fool, i only use an online virus checker http://housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/start_corp.asp
because im too impatient to have a checker running permenently and like to keep my computer lean and mean, which is probably why i get virii occasionally

 

[RustyZip]

I use Norton's AntiVirus software and keep it on permanently, and under the Windows Task Manager it uses 0% CPU usage...

It really is worth it, thanks to Norton i have had no Viruses/Trojans etc. It even tells you if your downloading a virus in software (say from Kazaa) before its even finished downloading...

 

[George Zabaneh]

YO! i am the impatient type as well!

After fully installing splinter cell. I double clicked on my computer and found out that my comp had detected a F: drive DVD-RW drive which i didnt have installed on my computer. And in it splinter cell cd 3 was on it. I tried to eject that drive from right click, eject but then after double clicking splinter cell it gave me this message to please game cd 3 into drive F: . This morning i ran a virus check on www.pcpitstop.com and it told me that my drive c: was infected with a trojan virus by the name of justin.a. It told me that it deletes important files off my hard drive and is located in my system 32 folder. YES i am running a windows xp OS.

Send back message with confirmation

- Post edited for warez content
Didou

 

[BrownPaper]

i got a trojan a few days ago on my other computer. i had an up-to-date virus scanner that detected a trojan and got rid of it, but that damn IE active scripting and ActiveX screwed me over. the trojan was downloaded and installed without my permission. my computer was a mess. malicious web sites can still make your life miserable with IE vulnerbilities despite anti-virus and software firewall and hardware firewall. you are only as strong as your weakest link.

my advice is to really secure IE as much as possible by changing the default settings or use a different browser. i now set my hardware firewall to block ActiveX and other junk i don't need.

i had to end up reformatting. it was not too bad because there was not really any data on the computer.

even with all of the anti-hacker/cracker defenses, the worst thing to have is a false sense of security.