HJT Index and info:

The info in the text box below is the complete index for the HJT log file.
You should find yourselves referring to this often as you investigate the various entries you find in the HJT log.

Section Name Description R0, R1, R2, R3 Internet Explorer Start/Search pages URLs F0, F1, F2,F3 Auto loading programs N1, N2, N3, N4 Netscape/Mozilla Start/Search pages URLs O1 Hosts file redirection O2 Browser Helper Objects O3 Internet Explorer toolbars O4 Auto loading programs from Registry O5 IE Options icon not visible in Control Panel O6 IE Options access restricted by Administrator O7 Regedit access restricted by Administrator O8 Extra items in the IE right-click menu O9 Extra buttons on main IE button toolbar, or extra items in IE 'Tools' menu O10 Winsock hijacker O11 Extra group in IE 'Advanced Options' window O12 IE plugins O13 IE Default Prefix hijack O14 'Reset Web Settings' hijack O15 Unwanted site in Trusted Zone O16 ActiveX Objects (aka Downloaded Program Files) O17 Lop.com/Domain Hijackers O18 Extra protocols and protocol hijackers O19 User style sheet hijack O20 AppInit_DLLs Registry value Autorun O21 ShellServiceObjectDelayLoad O22 SharedTaskScheduler O23 Windows XP/NT/2000 Services O24 Windows Active Desktop Components It is important to note that certain sections use an internal white list so that HijackThis will not show known legitimate files. To disable this white list you can start hijackthis in this method instead: hijackthis.exe /ihatewhitelists. In the explanations of each section I will try to explain in layman terms what they mean. I will also tell you what registry keys they usually use and/or files that they use. Finally I will give you recommendations on what to do with the entries. R0,R1,R2,R3 Sections This section covers the Internet Explorer Start Page, Home Page, and Url Search Hooks. R0 is for Internet Explorers starting page and search assistant. R1 is for Internet Explorers Search functions and other characteristics. R2 is not used currently. R3 is for a Url Search Hook. An Url Search Hook is used when you type an address in the location field of the browser, but do not include a protocol such as http:// or ftp:// in the address. When you enter such an address, the browser will attempt to figure out the correct protocol on its own, and if it fails to do so, will use the UrlSearchHook listed in the R3 section to try to find the location you entered. Some Registry Keys: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main: Start Page HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main: Default_Page_URL HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main: Default_Page_URL HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main: Search Page HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main: Search Page HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL: (Default) HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main: Window Title HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings: ProxyOverride HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard: ShellNext HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main: Search Bar HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\URLSearchHooks HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch = HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant Example Listing R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.google.com/ A common question is what does it mean when the word Obfuscated is next to one of these entries. When something is obfuscated that means that it is being made difficult to perceive or understand. In Spyware terms that means the Spyware or Hijacker is hiding an entry it made by converting the values into some other form that it understands easily, but humans would have trouble recognizing, such as adding entries into the registry in Hexadecimal. This is just another method of hiding its presence and making it difficult to be removed. If you do not recognize the web site that either R0 and R1 are pointing to, and you want to change it, then you can have HijackThis safely fix these, as they will not be detrimental to your Internet Explorer install. If you would like to see what sites they are, you can go to the site, and if it's a lot of popups and links, you can almost always delete it. It is important to note that if an RO/R1 points to a file, and you fix the entry with HijackThis, Hijackthis will not delete that particular file and you will have to do it manually. There are certain R3 entries that end with a underscore ( _ ) . An example of what one would look like is: R3 - URLSearchHook: (no name) - {CFBFAE00-17A6-11D0-99CB-00C04FD64497}_ - (no file) Notice the CLSID, the numbers between the { }, have a _ at the end of it and they may sometimes difficult to remove with HijackThis. To fix this you will need to delete the particular registry entry manually by going to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\URLSearchHooks Then delete the CLSID entry under it that you would like to remove. Please leave the CLSID , CFBFAE00-17A6-11D0-99CB-00C04FD64497, as it is the valid default one. Unless you recognize the software being used as the UrlSearchHook, you should generally Google it and after doing some research, allow HijackThis to fix it ------------------------------------------------- F0, F1, F2, F3 Sections These sections cover applications that are loaded from your .INI files, system.ini and win.ini, in Windows ME and below or their equivalent places in the registry for Windows NT based versions. The Windows NT based versions are XP, 2000, 2003, and Vista. A F0 entry corresponds to the Shell= statement, under the [Boot] section, of the System.ini file. The Shell= statement in the system.ini file is used to designate what program would act as the shell for the operating system. Example Listing: F0 - system.ini: Shell=Explorer.exe badprogram.exe Files Used: c:\windows\system.ini The Shell is the program that would load your desktop, handle window management, and allow the user to interact with the system. Any program listed after the shell statement will be loaded when Windows starts, and act as the default shell. There were some programs that acted as valid shell replacements, but they are generally no longer used. Windows 95, 98, and ME all used Explorer.exe as their shell by default. Windows 3.X used Progman.exe as its shell. It is also possible to list other programs that will launch as Windows loads in the same Shell = line, such as Shell=explorer.exe badprogram.exe. This line will make both programs start when Windows loads. A F1 entry corresponds to the Run= or Load= entry in the win.ini file. Like the system.ini file, the win.ini file is typically only used in Windows ME and below.Example Listing F1 - win.ini: load=bad.pif F1 - win.ini: run=evil.pif Files Used: c:\windows\win.ini Any programs listed after the run= or load= will load when Windows starts. This run= statement was used during the Windows 3.1, 95, and 98 years and is kept for backwards compatibility with older programs. Most modern programs do not use this ini setting, and if you do not use older program you can rightfully be suspicious. The load= statement was used to load drivers for your hardware. On Windows NT based systems (Windows 2000, XP, etc) HijackThis will show the entries found in win.ini and system.ini, but Windows NT based systems will not execute the files listed there. F2 and F3 entries correspond to the equivalent locations as F0 and F1, but they are instead stored in the registry for Windows versions XP, 2000, and NT. These versions of Windows do not use the system.ini and win.ini files. Instead for backwards compatibility they use a function called IniFileMapping. IniFileMapping, puts all of the contents of an .ini file in the registry, with keys for each line found in the .ini key stored there. Then when you run a program that normally reads their settings from an .ini file, it will first check the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\IniFileMapping for an .ini mapping, and if found will read the settings from there instead. You can see that these entries, in the examples below, are referring to the registry as it will contain REG and then the .ini file which IniFileMapping is referring to. F2 entries are displayed when there is a value that is not whitelisted, or considered safe, in the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon under the values Shell and Userinit.Example Listings: F2 - REG:system.ini: UserInit=userinit,nddeagnt.exe F2 - REG:system.ini: Shell=explorer.exe beta.exe Registry Keys: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Shell The Shell registry value is equivalent to the function of the Shell= in the system.ini file as described above. The Userinit value specifies what program should be launched right after a user logs into Windows. The default program for this key is C:\windows\system32\userinit.exe. Userinit.exe is a program that restores your profile, fonts, colors, etc for your username. It is possible to add further programs that will launch from this key by separating the programs with a comma. For example: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit =C:\windows\system32\userinit.exe,c:\windows\badprogram.exe. This will make both programs launch when you log in and is a common place for trojans, hijackers, and spyware to launch from. It should be noted that the Userinit and the Shell F2 entries will not show in HijackThis unless there is a non-whitelisted value listed. F3 entries are displayed when there is a value that is not whitelisted in the registry key HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows under the values load and run. These entries are the Windows NT equivalent of those found in the F1 entries as described above.Example Listings: F3 - REG:win.ini: load=chocolate.exe F3 - REG:win.ini: run=beer.exe Registry Keys: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\load HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\run For F0 if you see a statement like Shell=Explorer.exe something.exe, then you can generally delete it, but you should first consult Google and the sites listed below. For F1 entries you should google the entries found here to determine if they are legitimate programs. You can also search at the sites below for the entry to see what it does. For F2, if you see UserInit=userinit.exe, with or without nddeagnt.exe, as in the above example, then you can leave that entry alone. If you see UserInit=userinit.exe (notice no comma) that is still ok, so you should leave it alone. If you see another entry with userinit.exe, then that could potentially be a trojan or other malware. The same goes for F2 Shell=; if you see explorer.exe by itself, it should be fine, if you don't, as in the above example listing, then it could be a potential trojan or malware. You can generally delete these entries, but you should consult Google and the sites listed below. Please be aware that when these entries are fixed HijackThis does not delete the file associated with it. You must manually delete these files. ------------------------------------------ N1, N2, N3, N4 Sections These sections are for Netscape and Mozilla Browsers Start and default search pages. These entries are stored in the prefs.js files stored in different places under the C:\Documents and Settings\YourUserName\Application Data folder. Netscape 4's entries are stored in the prefs.js file in the program directory which is generally, DriveLetter:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\default\prefs.js. N1 corresponds to the Netscape 4's Startup Page and default search page. N2 corresponds to the Netscape 6's Startup Page and default search page. N3 corresponds to Netscape 7' Startup Page and default search page. N4 corresponds to Mozilla's Startup Page and default search page. Files Used: prefs.js As most spyware and hijackers tend to target Internet Explorer these are usually safe. If you see web sites listed in here that you have not set, you can use HijackThis to fix it. There is one known site that does change these settings, and that is Lop.com which is discussed here. -------------------------------------------- O1 Section This section corresponds to Host file Redirection. The hosts file contains mappings for hostnames to IP addresses.For example, if I enter in my host file: 127.0.0.1 www.bleepingcomputer.com and you try to go to www.bleepingcomputer.com, it will check the hosts file, see the entry and convert that to the IP address of 127.0.0.1 instead of its correct address. Host file redirection is when a hijacker changes your hosts file to redirect your attempts to reach a certain web site to another site. So if someone added an entry like: 127.0.0.1 www.google.com and you tried to go to www.google.com, you would instead get redirected to 127.0.0.1 which is your own computer. Example Listing O1 - Hosts: 192.168.1.1 www.google.com Files Used: The hosts file is a text file that can be edited by any text editor and is stored by default in the following places for each Operating System, unless you chose to install to different paths - Operating System Location Windows 3.1 C:\WINDOWS\HOSTS Windows 95 C:\WINDOWS\HOSTS Windows 98 C:\WINDOWS\HOSTS Windows ME C:\WINDOWS\HOSTS Windows XP C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC\HOSTS Windows NT C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC\HOSTS Windows 2000 C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC\HOSTS Windows 2003 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC\HOSTS The location of the Hosts file can be changed by modifying the Registry key below for Windows NT/2000/XP. Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\: DatabasePath If you see entries like the above example, and they are not their for a specific reason that you know about, you can safely remove them. If you see an entry Hosts file is located at C:\Windows\Help\hosts, that means you are infected with the CoolWebSearch. If the Hosts file is located in a location that is not the default for your operating system, see table above, then you should have HijackThis fix this as it is most likely caused by an infection. You can also download the program HostsXpert which gives you the ability to restore the default host file back onto your machine. To do so, download the HostsXpert program and run it. When it opens, click on the Restore Original Hosts button and then exit HostsXpert. -------------------------------------------- O2 Section This section corresponds to Browser Helper Objects. Browser helper objects are plugins to your browser that extend the functionality of it. They can be used by spyware as well as legitimate programs such as Google Toolbar and Adobe Acrobat Reader. You must do your research when deciding whether or not to remove any of these as some may be legitimate. Registry Keys: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper ObjectsExample Listing O2 - BHO: NAV Helper - {BDF3E430-B101-42AD-A544-FADC6B084872} - C:\Program Files\Norton Antivirus\NavShExt.dll There is an excellent list of known CSLIDs associated with Browser Helper Objects and Toolbars, compiled by Tony Klein, here: CLSID List . When consulting the list, using the CLSID which is the number between the curly brackets in the listing. The CLSID in the listing refer to registry entries that contain information about the Browser Helper Objects or Toolbars. When you fix these types of entries with HijackThis, HijackThis will attempt to the delete the offending file listed. There are times that the file may be in use even if Internet Explorer is shut down. If the file still exists after you fix it with HijackThis, it is recommended that you reboot into safe mode and delete the offending file. ---------------------------------------------- O3 Section This section corresponds to Internet Explorer toolbars. These are the toolbars that are underneath your navigation bar and menu in Internet Explorer. Registry Keys: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ToolbarExample Listing O3 - Toolbar: Norton Antivirus - {42CDD1BF-3FFB-4238-8AD1-7859DF00B1D6} - C:\Program Files\Norton Antivirus\NavShExt.dll There is an excellent list of known CSLIDs associated with Browser Helper Objects and Toolbars, compiled by Tony Klein, here: CLSID List . When consulting the list, using the CLSID which is the number between the curly brackets in the listing. The CLSID in the listing refer to registry entries that contain information about the Browser Helper Objects or Toolbars. When you fix these types of entries, HijackThis not delete the offending file listed. It is recommended that you reboot into safe mode and delete the offending file. ------------------------------------------ O4 Section This section corresponds to certain registry keys and startup folders that are used to automatically start an application when Windows starts. O4 keys are the HJT entries that the majority of programs use to autostart, so particular care must be used when examining these keys. The O4 Registry keys and directory locations are listed below and apply, for the most part, to all versions of Windows. As of HijackThis version 2.0, HijackThis will also list entries for other users that are actively logged into a computer at the time of the scan by reading the information from the HKEY_USERS registry key. If a user is not logged on at the time of the scan, their user key will not be loaded, and therefore HijackThis will not list their autoruns. When working on HijackThis logs it is not advised to use HijackThis to fix entries in a person's log when the user has multiple accounts logged in. We advise this because the other user's processes may conflict with the fixes we are having the user run. The current locations that O4 entries are listed from are: Directory Locations: User's Startup Folder: Any files located in a user's Start Menu Startup folder will be listed as a O4 - Startup. This location, for the newer versions of Windows, are C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Start Menu\Programs\Startup or under C:\User\USERNAME\ in Vista. These entries will be executed when the particular user logs onto the computer. All Users Startup Folder: These items refer to applications that load by having them in the All Users profile Start Menu Startup Folder and will be listed as O4 - Global Startup. This location, for the newer versions of Windows, are C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup or under C:\User\All Users\ in Vista. These entries will be executed when any user logs onto the computer. Startup Registry Keys: O4 entries that utilize registry keys will start with the abbreviated registry key in the entry listing. Examples and their descriptions can be seen below. For all of the keys below, if the key is located under HKCU, then that means the program will only be launched when that particular user logs on to the computer. If the entry is located under HKLM, then the program will be launched for all users that log on to the computer. Note: In the listing below, HKLM stands for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKCU stands for HKEY_CURRENT_USER. The Run keys are used to launch a program automatically when a user, or all users, logs on to the machine.Run keys: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run The RunOnce keys are used to launch a service or background process whenever a user, or all users, logs on to the computer. Once the program is successfully launched for the first time its entry will be removed from the Registry so it does not run again on subsequent logons.RunOnce keys: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce The RunServices keys are used to launch a service or background process whenever a user, or all users, logs on to the computer.RunServices keys: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices The RunServicesOnce keys are used to launch a service or background process whenever a user, or all users, logs on to the computer. Unlike the RunServices keys, when a program is launched from the RunServicesOnce key its entry will be removed from the Registry so it does not run again on subsequent logons.RunServicesOnce keys: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce The RunOnceEx keys are used to launch a program once and then remove itself from the Registry. This particular key is typically used by installation or update programs.RunOnceEx key: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx The Policies\Explorer\Run keys are used by network administrator's to set a group policy settings that has a program automatically launch when a user, or all users, logs on to the computer. Under the Policies\Explorer\Run key are a series of values, which have a program name as their data. When a user, or all users, logs on to the computer each of the values under the Run key is executed and the corresponding programs are launched.Policies\Explorer\Run keys: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run A complete listing of other startup locations that are not necessarily included in HijackThis can be found here : Windows Program Automatic Startup Locations A sample of the type of O4 listings that you can see in HijackThis can be seen below:Example Listings: 04 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = D:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe O4 - HKLM\..\Policies\Explorer\Run: [user32.dll] C:\Program Files\Video ActiveX Access\iesmn.exe O4 - S-1-5-21-1222272861-2000431354-1005 Startup: numlock.vbs (User 'BleepingComputer.com') O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-21-1229272821-2000478354--1005\..\Run: [Windows Defender] "C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe" -hide (User 'BleepingComputer.com') Looking at the examples above, we see 5 different startup entries, with 2 of them being for users who are logged on in the background. If an entry starts with a long series of numbers and contains a username surrounded by parenthesis at the end, then this is a O4 entry for a user logged on in the background. Let's break down the examples one by one. 04 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install - This entry corresponds to a startup launching from HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run for the currently logged in user. The name of the Registry value is nwiz and when the entry is started it will launch the nwiz.exe /install command. O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = D:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe - This entry corresponds to a program started by the All Users Startup Folder located at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. O4 - HKLM\..\Policies\Explorer\Run: [user32.dll] C:\Program Files\Video ActiveX Access\iesmn.exe - This entry corresponds to a value located under the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run key. The name of the Registry value is user32.dll and its data is C:\Program Files\Video ActiveX Access\iesmn.exe. This particular example happens to be malware related. O4 - S-1-5-21-1222272861-2000431354-1005 Startup: numlock.vbs (User 'BleepingComputer.com') - This particular entry is a little different. As you can see there is a long series of numbers before and it states at the end of the entry the user it belongs to. Those numbers in the beginning are the user's SID, or security identifier, and is a number that is unique to each user on your computer. This SID translates to the BleepingComputer.com Windows user as shown at the end of the entry. The rest of the entry is the same as a normal one, with the program being launched from a user's Start Menu Startup folder and the program being launched is numlock.vbs. O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-21-1222272861-2000431354-1005\..\Run: [Windows Defender] "C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe" -hide (User 'BleepingComputer.com') - This type of entry is similar to the first example, except that it belongs to the BleepingComputer.com user. This is just another example of HijackThis listing other logged in user's autostart entries. Now that we know how to interpret the entries, let's learn how to fix them. When you fix O4 entries, Hijackthis will not delete the files associated with the entry. Instead, you must delete these manually afterwards, usually by having the user first reboot into safe mode. The Global Startup and Startup entries work a little differently. HijackThis will delete the shortcuts found in these entries, but not the file they are pointing to. If an actual executable resides in the Global Startup or Startup directories then the offending WILL be deleted. -------------------------------------- O5 Section This section corresponds to having your Internet Explorer control show in the Control Panel. It is possible to disable the seeing of a control in the Control Panel by adding an entry into the file called control.ini which is stored, for Windows XP at least, in c:\windows\control.ini. From within that file you can specify which specific control panels should not be visible. Files User: control.iniExample Listing O5 - control.ini: inetcpl.cpl=no If you see a line like above then that may be a sign that a piece of software is trying to make it difficult for you to change your settings. Unless it is there for a specific known reason, like the administrator set that policy or Spybot - S&D put the restriction in place, you can have HijackThis fix it. ---------------------------------------- O6 Section This section corresponds to an Administrative lock down for changing the options or homepage in Internet explorer by changing certain settings in the registry. Registry Key: HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\RestrictionsExample Listing O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions These options should only appear if your administrator set them on purpose or if you used Spybots Home Page and Option Lock down features in the Mode -> Advanced Mode -> Tools -> IE Tweaks section. ----------------------------------------- O7 Section This section corresponds to Regedit not being allowed to run by changing an entry in the registry. Registry Key: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\SystemExample Listing O7 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System: DisableRegedit=1 Please note that many Administrators at offices lock this down on purpose so having HijackThis fix this may be a breach of corporate policy. If you are the Administrator and it has been enabled without your permission, then have HijackThis fix it. ------------------------------------------ O8 Section This section corresponds to extra items being found in the in the Context Menu of Internet Explorer. Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\MenuExtExample Listing O8 - Extra context menu item: &Google Search - res://c:\windows\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmsearch.html Each O8 entry will be a menu option that is shown when you right-click on Internet Explorer. The program shown in the entry will be what is launched when you actually select this menu option. Certain ones, like "Browser Pal" should always be removed, and the rest should be researched using Google. An example of a legitimate program that you may find here is the Google Toolbar. When you fix these types of entries, HijackThis does not delete the file listed in the entry. If you need to remove this file, it is recommended that you reboot into safe mode and delete the file there. ------------------------------------------- O9 Section This section corresponds to having buttons on main Internet Explorer toolbar or items in the Internet Explorer 'Tools' menu that are not part of the default installation. Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions registry key.Example Listing O9 - Extra Button: AIM (HKLM) If you do not need these buttons or menu items or recognize them as malware, you can remove them safely. When you fix these types of entries, HijackThis not delete the offending file listed. It is recommended that you reboot into safe mode and delete the offending file. ------------------------------------------- O10 Section This section corresponds to Winsock Hijackers or otherwise known as LSP (Layered Service Provider). LSPs are a way to chain a piece of software to your Winsock 2 implementation on your computer. Since the LSPs are chained together, when Winsock is used, the data is also transported through each of the LSPs in the chain. Spyware and Hijackers can use LSPs to see all traffic being transported over your Internet connection. You should use extreme caution when deleting these objects if it is removed without properly fixing the gap in the chain, you can have loss of Internet access.Example Listing O10 - Broken Internet access because of LSP provider 'spsublsp.dll' missing Many Virus Scanners are starting to scan for Viruses, Trojans, etc at the Winsock level. The problem is that many tend to not recreate the LSPs in the right order after deleting the offending LSP. This can cause HijackThis to see a problem and issue a warning, which may be similar to the example above, even though the Internet is indeed still working. You should therefore seek advice from an experienced user when fixing these errors. It is also advised that you use LSPFix, see link below, to fix these. Spybot can generally fix these but make sure you get the latest version as the older ones had problems. There is a tool designed for this type of issue that would probably be better to use, called LSPFix. For a great list of LSP and whether or not they are valid you can visit Zupe's LSP List Page. -------------------------------------- O11 Section This section corresponds to a non-default option group that has been added to the Advanced Options Tab in Internet Options on IE. If you look in your Internet Options for Internet Explorer you will see an Advanced Options tab. It is possible to add an entry under a registry key so that a new group would appear there. Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AdvancedOptionsExample Listing O11 - Options group: [CommonName] CommonName According to Merijn, of HijackThis, there is only one known Hijacker that uses this and it is CommonName. If you see CommonName in the listing you can safely remove it. If it is another entry, you should Google to do some research. --------------------------------------- O12 Section This section corresponds to Internet Explorer Plugins. Internet Explorer Plugins are pieces of software that get loaded when Internet Explorer starts to add functionality to the browser. There are many legitimate plugins available such as PDF viewing and non-standard image viewers. Registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\microsoft\internet explorer\plugins Example Listing Plugin for .PDF: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\PLUGINS\nppdf32.dll Most plugins are legitimate, so you should definitely Google the ones you do not recognize before you delete them. One known plugin that you should delete is the Onflow plugin that has the extension of .OFB. When you fix these types of entries with HijackThis, HijackThis will attempt to the delete the offending file listed. There are times that the file may be in use even if Internet Explorer is shut down. If the file still exists after you fix it with HijackThis, it is recommended that you reboot into safe mode and delete the offending file. ----------------------------------------- O13 Section This section corresponds to an IE DefaultPrefix hijack. The default prefix is a setting on Windows that specifies how URLs that you enter without a preceding, http://, ftp://, etc are handled. By default Windows will attach a http:// to the beginning, as that is the default Windows Prefix. It is possible to change this to a default prefix of your choice by editing the registry. The Hijacker known as CoolWebSearch does this by changing the default prefix to a http://ehttp.cc/?. That means when you connect to a url, such as www.google.com, you will actually be going to http://ehttp.cc/?www.google.com, which is actually the web site for CoolWebSearch. Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\URL\DefaultPrefix\Example Listing O13 - WWW. Prefix: http://ehttp.cc/? If you are experiencing problems similar to the one in the example above, you should run CWShredder. This program is used to remove all the known varieties of CoolWebSearch that may be on your machine. You can read a tutorial on how to use CWShredder here: (removed as the program is outdated and worthless for removing current variants) If CWShredder does not find and fix the problem, you should always let HijackThis fix this entry when it is found. ------------------------------------------ O14 Section This section corresponds to a 'Reset Web Settings' hijack. There is a file on your computer that Internet Explorer uses when you reset options back to their Windows default. That file is stored in c:\windows\inf\iereset.inf and contains all the default settings that will be used. When you reset a setting, it will read that file and change the particular setting to what is stated in the file. If a Hijacker changes the information in that file, then you will get re infected when you reset that setting, as it will read the incorrect information from the iereset.inf file.Example Listing O14 - IERESET.INF: START_PAGE_URL=http://www.searchalot.com Please be aware that it is possible for this setting to have been legitimately changed by a Computer Manufacturer or the Administrator of machine. If you do not recognize the address, then you should have it fixed. ------------------------------------------ O15 Section This section corresponds to sites or IP addresses in the Internet Explorer Trusted Zone and Protocol Defaults. Trusted Zone Internet Explorer's security is based upon a set of zones. Each zone has different security in terms of what scripts and applications can be run from a site that is in that zone. There is a security zone called the Trusted Zone. This zone has the lowest security and allows scripts and applications from sites in this zone to run without your knowledge. It is therefore a popular setting for malware sites to use so that future infections can be easily done on your computer without your knowledge as these sites will be in the Trusted Zone.. Registry Keys HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Domains HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Domains HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Ranges HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Ranges Example Listing O15 - Trusted Zone: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com O15 - Trusted IP range: 206.161.125.149 O15 - Trusted IP range: 206.161.125.149 (HKLM) Which key, Domains or Ranges, is used by Internet Explorer is determined by the URL that the user is trying to reach. If the URL contains a domain name then it will search in the Domains subkeys for a match. If it contains an IP address it will search the Ranges subkeys for a match. When domains are added as a Trusted Site or Restricted they are assigned a value to signify that. If they are assigned a *=4 value, that domain will be entered into the Restricted Sites zone. If they are given a *=2 value, then that domain will be added to the Trusted Sites zone. Adding an IP address works a bit differently. Under the SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Ranges key you may find other keys called Ranges1, Ranges2, Ranges3, Ranges4,... Each of these subkeys correspond to a particular security zone/protocol. If you add an IP address to a security zone, Windows will create a subkey starting with Ranges1 and designate that subkey as the one that will contain all IP addresses of a particular security zone for a particular protocol. For example, if you added http://192.168.1.1 as a trusted sites, Windows would create the first available Ranges key (Ranges1) and add a value of http=2. Any future trusted http:// IP addresses will be added to the Range1 key. Now if you added an IP address to the Restricted sites using the http protocol (ie. http://192.16.1.10), Windows would create another key in sequential order, called Range2. This would have a value of http=4 and any future IP addresses added to the restricted sites will be placed in that key. This continues on for each protocol and security zone setting combination. If you ever see any domains or IP addresses listed here you should generally remove it unless it is a recognizable URL such as one your company uses. The most common listing you will find here are free.aol.com which you can have fixed if you want. I personally remove all entries from the Trusted Zone as they are ultimately unnecessary to be there. ProtocolDefaults When you use IE to connect to a site, the security permissions that are granted to that site are determined by the Zone it is in. There are 5 zones with each being associated with a specific identifying number. These zones with their associated numbers are: Zone Zone Mapping My Computer 0 Intranet 1 Trusted 2 Internet 3 Restricted 4 Each of the protocols that you use to connect to a site, such as HTTP, FTP, HTTPS, are then mapped to a one of these zones. The following are the default mappings:Protocol Zone Mapping HTTP 3 HTTPS 3 FTP 3 @ivt 1 shell 0 For example, if you connect to a site using the http:// it will be part of the Internet zone by default. This is because the default zone for http is 3 which corresponds to the Internet zone. The problem arises if a malware changes the default zone type of a particular protocol. For example, if a malware has changed the default zone for the HTTP protocol to 2, then any site you connect to using http will now be considered part of the Trusted zone. As of now there are no known malware that causes this, but we may see differently now that HJT is enumerating this key. Registry Keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\ProtocolDefaults HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\ProtocolDefaults If the default settings are changed you will see a HJT entry similar to the one below:Example Listing O15 - ProtocolDefaults: 'http' protocol is in Trusted Zone, should be Internet Zone (HKLM) To fix these settings so they are back to their defaults simply fix the HJT entry. ---------------------------------------- O16 Section This section corresponds to ActiveX Objects otherwise known as Downloaded Program Files. ActiveX objects are programs that are downloaded from web sites and are stored on your computer. These objects are stored in C:\windows\Downloaded Program Files. They are also referenced in the registry by their CLSID which is the long string of numbers between the curly braces. There are many legitimate ActiveX controls such as the one in the example which is an iPix viewer. Example Listing O16 - DPF: {11260943-421B-11D0-8EAC-0000C07D88CF} (iPix ActiveX Control) - http://www.ipix.com/download/ipixx.cab If you see names or addresses that you do not recognize, you should Google them to see if they are legitimate or not. If you feel they are not, you can have them fixed. By deleting most ActiveX objects from your computer, you will not have a problem as you can download them again. Be aware that there are some company applications that do use ActiveX objects so be careful. You should always delete 016 entries that have words like sex, porn, dialer, free, casino, adult, etc. When you fix O16 entries, HijackThis will attempt to delete them from your hard drive. Normally this will not be a problem, but there are times that HijackThis will not be able to delete the offending file. If this occurs, reboot into safe mode and delete it then. ----------------------------------------- O17 Section This section corresponds to Lop.com Domain Hacks. When you go to a web site using an hostname, like www.bleepingcomputer.com, instead of an IP address, your computer uses a DNS server to resolve the hostname into an IP address like 192.168.1.0. Domain hacks are when the Hijacker changes the DNS servers on your machine to point to their own server, where they can direct you to any site they want. By adding google.com to their DNS server, they can make it so that when you go to www.google.com, they redirect you to a site of their choice.Example Listing 017 - HKLM\System\CS1\Services\VxD\MSTCP: NameServer = 69.57.146.14,69.57.147.175 If you see entries for this and do not recognize the domain as belonging to your ISP or company, and the DNS servers do not belong to your ISP or company, then you should have HijackThis fix it. You can go to Arin to do a whois a on the DNS server IP addresses to determine what company they belong to. ----------------------------------------- O18 Section This section corresponds to extra protocols and protocol hijackers. This method is used by changing the standard protocol drivers that your computer users to ones that the Hijacker provides. This allows the Hijacker to take control of certain ways your computer sends and receives information. Registry Keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\PROTOCOLS\ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\PROTOCOLS\Handler HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\PROTOCOLS\Filter HijackThis first reads the Protocols section of the registry for non-standard protocols. When it finds one it queries the CLSID listed there for the information as to its file path.Example Listing O18 - Protocol: relatedlinks - {5AB65DD4-01FB-44D5-9537-3767AB80F790} - C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\MSIETS\msielink.dll Common offenders to this are CoolWebSearch, Related Links, and Lop.com. If you see these you can have HijackThis fix it. Use google to see if the files are legitimate. You can also use Castlecop's O18 List to help verify files. It is important to note that fixing these entries does not seem to delete either the Registry entry or the file associated with it. You should have the user reboot into safe mode and manually delete the offending file. ------------------------------------------ O19 Section This section corresponds to User style sheet hijacking. A style sheet is a template for how page layouts, colors, and fonts are viewed from an html page. This type of hijacking overwrites the default style sheet which was developed for handicapped users, and causes large amounts of popups and potential slowdowns. Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Styles\: User StylesheetsExample Listing O19 - User style sheet: c:\WINDOWS\Java\my.css You can generally remove these unless you have actually set up a style sheet for your use. When you fix these types of entries, HijackThis not delete the offending file listed. It is recommended that you reboot into safe mode and delete the style sheet. ------------------------------------------ O20 Section AppInit_DLLs This section corresponds to files being loaded through the AppInit_DLLs Registry value and the Winlogon Notify Subkeys The AppInit_DLLs registry value contains a list of dlls that will be loaded when user32.dll is loaded. As most Windows executables use the user32.dll, that means that any DLL that is listed in the AppInit_DLLs registry key will be loaded also. This makes it very difficult to remove the DLL as it will be loaded within multiple processes, some of which can not be stopped without causing system instability. The user32.dll file is also used by processes that are automatically started by the system when you log on. This means that the files loaded in the AppInit_DLLs value will be loaded very early in the Windows startup routine allowing the DLL to hide itself or protect itself before we have access to the system. This method is known to be used by a CoolWebSearch variant and can only be seen in Regedit by right-clicking on the value, and selecting Modify binary data. Registrar Lite, on the other hand, has an easier time seeing this DLL. Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\\AppInit_DLLsExample Listing O20 - AppInit_DLLs: C:\WINDOWS\System32\winifhi.dll There are very few legitimate programs that use this Registry key, but you should proceed with caution when deleting files that are listed here. Use the Bleeping Computer Startup Database or Castlecops O20 list to help verify files. When you fix these types of entries, HijackThis not delete the offending file listed. It is recommended that you reboot into safe mode and delete the offending file. Winlogon Notify The Winlogon Notify key is generally used by Look2Me infections. HijackThis will list all Winlogon Notify keys that are non-standard so that you can easily spot one that does not belong. You can recognize the Look2Me infection key as it will have a DLL with a random filename located in the %SYSTEM% directory. The name of the Notify key will have a normal looking name even though it does not belong there. Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\NotifyExample Listing O20 - Winlogon Notify: Extensions - C:\WINDOWS\system32\i042laho1d4c.dll When you fix this entry it will remove the key from the registry but leave the file. You must then manually delete this file. ---------------------------------------- O21 Section This section corresponds to files being loaded through the ShellServiceObjectDelayLoad registry key. This Registry contains values in a similar way as the Run key does. The difference is that instead of pointing to the file itself, it points to the CLSID's InProcServer, which contains the information about the particular DLL file that is being used. The files under this key are loaded automatically by Explorer.exe when your computer starts. Because Explorer.exe is the shell for your computer, it will always start, thus always loading the files under this key. These files are therefore loaded early in the startup process before any human intervention occurs. A hijacker that uses the method can be recognized by the following entries:Example Listing R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = C:\WINDOWS\secure.html R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = C:\WINDOWS\secure.html Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ShellServiceObjectDelayLoad Example Listing O21 - SSODL: System - {3CE8EED5-112D-4E37-B671-74326D12971E} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\system32.dll HijackThis uses an internal white list to not show common legitimate entries under this key. If you do see a listing for this, then it is not a standard one and should be considered suspicious. Use our Bleeping Computer Startup Database or Castlecops O21 list to help verify files. When you fix these types of entries, HijackThis not delete the offending file listed. It is recommended that you reboot into safe mode and delete the offending file. ---------------------------------------- O22 Section This section corresponds to files being loaded through the SharedTaskScheduler registry value. The entries in this registry run automatically when you start windows. This key is commonly used by SmitFraud variants to display fake security alerts and to download rogue anti-spyware programs. Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\SharedTaskSchedulerExample Listing O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: (no name) - {3F143C3A-1457-6CCA-03A7-7AA23B61E40F} - c:\windows\system32\mtwirl32.dll Be carefully when removing items listed in these keys as some are legitimate. Your can use google to see if you can determine if it is a valid. Use our Bleeping Computer Startup Database or Castlecops O22 list to help verify files. Hijackthis will delete the SharedTaskScheduler value associated with this entry, but will not delete the CLSID that it points to and the file that the CSLID's Inprocserver32 points to. Therefore you should always have the user reboot into safe mode and manually delete this file. ----------------------------------------- O23 Section This section corresponds to XP,NT, 2003, and 2003 services. Services are programs that are loaded automatically by Windows on startup. These services are loaded regardless of whether or not a user logs on to the the computer and tend to be used to handle system wide tasks such as Windows operating system features, antivirus software, or application servers. Lately there has been an increased trend for malware to use services to infect a computer. It is therefore important to examine each of the services listed for ones that do not look correct. Common malware services you may find are Home Search Assistant and the new Bargain Buddy variant. Examples of lines associated with those infections can be found below. The majority of the Microsoft services have been added to the white list so they will not be listed. If you would like to see these services you can start HijackThis with the /ihatewhitelists flag. Legitimate Service Example:Example Listing O23 - Service: AVG7 Alert Manager Server (Avg7Alrt) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe Home Search Assistant Example: Example Listing O23 - Service: Workstation NetLogon Service - Unknown - C:\WINDOWS\system32\crxu.exe Bargain Buddy Examples:Example Listing O23 - Service: ZESOFT - Unknown - C:\WINDOWS\zeta.exe O23 - Service: ISEXEng - Unknown - C:\WINDOWS\System32\angelex.exe When you fix a O23 entry Hijackthis will change the startup for this service to disabled, stop the service, and then ask the user to reboot. It will not delete the actual service from the registry or the file it points to. In order to delete the service you will need to know the service name. This name is the text between the parenthesis. If the display name is the same as the service name, then it will not list the service name. There are three methods you can use to delete the service key: Delete it using XP's SC command you would type the following from a command prompt: sc delete servicename To delete the service using a registry file you can use the following example: Use a registry file to delete a service. The below registry file is an example of how to remove Angelex.exe Bargain buddy variant: REGEDIT4 [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ISEXENG] [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ISEXEng] [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ISEXENG] [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\ISEXEng] [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet003\Enum\Root\LEGACY_ISEXENG] [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet003\Services\ISEXEng] Use HijackThis to delete the service. You can click on Config, then Misc Tools, and then press the Delete an NT service.. button. When it opens you should then enter the service name and press OK. Be careful when removing items listed in these keys as for the most part they are legitimate. To research O23 entries you can use the Bleeping Computer Startup Database or Castlecops O23 list ----------------------------------------- O24 Section This section corresponds to Windows Active Desktop Components. Active Desktop Components are local or remote html files that are embedded directly onto your desktop as a background. Infections use this method to embed messages, pictures, or web pages directly on to a users desktop. Common examples of infections that use this method are the SmitFraud family of rogue anti-spyware programs. These infections use Active Desktop Components to display fake security warnings as the background of a user's desktop. The registry key associated with Active Desktop Components is: Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Desktop\Components Each specific component is then listed as a numeric subkey of the above Key starting with the number 0. For example: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Desktop\Components\0\ HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Desktop\Components\1\ HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Desktop\Components\2\ Example listings of Desktop Component entries used by SmitFraud variants are:Example Listing O24 - Desktop Component 0: (Security) - %windir%\index.html O24 - Desktop Component 1: (no name) - %Windir%\warnhp.html As it is possible someone has purposely configured an Active Desktop Component, if you see one that is unfamiliar it is advised that you ask the user if they purposely added it. When fixing these entries, HijackThis will only remove the Desktop Component in the registry. The actual HTML file being referenced, though, will not be deleted. Therefore, if the component is malware related you should manually delete this file. Conclusion HijackThis is a very powerful tool for finding out the specifics of your browser and what is running in Windows. Unfortunately, diagnosing the scan results of HijackThis can be complicated. Hopefully my recommendations and explanations will ease the way somewhat. This program, though, is to be used with caution, as incorrectly removing some items can cause problems with legitimate programs. -- InfernalLogic Help Desk: http://www.infernallogic.com/central/helpdesk/index.php

Common BHO Listing

Line by Line Evaluation

After assembling your list of bad entries you need to consider a couple of things:

So I "fixed" the entries. I'm good now right?

And you need to manually delete the entries that you just "fixed". They are still there taking up hd space and potentially ready to activate again.
I use "KillBox" (Pocket Killbox) to delete these critters as it will delete your mom if you aren't careful.
KillBox can be downloaded from here:Clicky!

As always, if you are unsure about any part of this process you should submit the logfile when opening a helpdesk ticket here at InfernalLogic.com, and we'll be happy to assist you with the procedure.