Trojans

meld51 · 27-05-2006, 08:16

Hello, I recently managed to get some sort of malware on my laptop which kept telling me to sign up for their download service. It was the one called 'Moviepass' which is fairly intimidating. It also contacted some websites to send info to them. I think I've managed to eradicate all this though it took some time.

However, is there some sort of monitor I can use to sample the comms to external web addresses that my laptop requests? It seems to me that once you have this sort of stuff installed on your laptop, no AV filter will stop it since the comms request comes from your PC inside your firewall. The Microsoft Anti-Spyware programme seemed to be of no use whatsoever whereas Adaware spotted some of it's bits and pieces. I have a hardware firewall as part of my router.

In the end I followed the removal technique offered by Symantec which was some help, though I could not find any offending registry keys. Maybe Adaware had already dealt with them.

Anyway, I'd like to take a look at all the websites that my PC goes to from time to time. Some of these hijack items do a link up without you knowing. Is there anything?

27-05-2006, 08:19

Personaly I use spyware blaster and spyware guard.

Spyware blaster will put known bad sites and active x plugins into the restricted zone on internet explorer.

Spyware guard will warn you if anything tries to install a BHO or change any browser settings.

If you use both of these and scan and clean on a regular basis you should be o.k.

In my experience anyway there is no way to block all of the junk out there.

**David F** · 27-05-2006, 08:58

In 6 years of modern computing ive never had a virus infection ,ive had files but no infection ive only ever had my browser hijacked once and I browse is some dodgy places

Avast stops any scripts running flat and I run window washer every couple of days and im fine

meld51 · 27-05-2006, 09:08

Thanks folks, but my question was....is there a way of seeing every address that my PC has requested a link to? I was thinking about what happens straight after I start my machine for instance, or straight after I start Internet explorer. Or maybe I can log 5 minutes' worth of activity, just so I can see what happens. Maybe there is something somewhere in Windows that can do this, or maybe a bit of freeware on the web. Do the apps that you mention do this I wonder?

**David F** · 27-05-2006, 09:21

Think firewalls like zonealarm do this.

27-05-2006, 09:38

You could install one of the free mini proxy servers on your computer. This would only detect web trafic and not peer to peer trafic but it would allow you to see what the browser is doing.

All you would have to do is enable loging on the proxy server and set your browser proxy settings to 127.0.0.1 and the port the proxy uses.

Something like this maybe

EvilRix · 27-05-2006, 19:30

Hi,

A personal Fiirewall is what you're after. It will block unwanted network traffic coming in and going out of your PC. One of the best is ZoneAlarm. I'd also suggest you get a good Anti-Virus scanner such as AVG or Avast and a Spyware/Adware scanner such as Spybot S&D or Adaware. All these products are free so all you need do is Google for them, download them and install them.

Good luck.

meld51 · 27-05-2006, 20:16

Thanks folks
I must be getting complacent and senile.
For many years I used various firewalls but more recently I have relied on the hardware firewall that comes with a router.
I have removed all the software firewalls because they tend to cause problems across my network from time to time. Anyway of course Zonealarm does I want and I have reinstalled it for the time being until I am completely happy with my security again.

Have a good weekend!

homealone · 27-05-2006, 20:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by meld51

Thanks folks, but my question was....is there a way of seeing every address that my PC has requested a link to? I was thinking about what happens straight after I start my machine for instance, or straight after I start Internet explorer. Or maybe I can log 5 minutes' worth of activity, just so I can see what happens. Maybe there is something somewhere in Windows that can do this, or maybe a bit of freeware on the web. Do the apps that you mention do this I wonder?

your router may have a log facility, although sometimes they need 3rd party programmes to get all the info, or printouts...

EvilRix · 28-05-2006, 10:33

To be honest just relying on a hardware firewall is a little naive. Your hardware firewall should be considered your inital line of defence, not the only line of defence! What happens if (for arguments sake) one of you PC's on your network is accidently infected by a worm (don't say it'll never happen because you have AV software, that's only as good as your last DAT update and even then it can miss things)? If you have no personal firewall protection on you PCs they may all be very quickly infected too. If you have a firewall on them you'd (most likely) only have to deal with one infected PC where as now you have many.

I know it's tempting to think, "oh I have a NAT router/firewall I'll be ok",but the reality of it is you are not. Every PC you have should (at the very least IMHO) be protected by update to date AV software, a personal firewall and a spy/adware scanner - even Linux PCs!

28-05-2006, 10:34

I would have to agree 100% with that