🚀 go-pugleaf

From: "John Slade" <hhitman86@pacbell.net>

| On 7/29/2010 3:24 AM, David H. Lipman wrote:
>> From: "John Slade"<hhitman86@pacbell.net>

>> | On 7/27/2010 11:17 PM, RJK wrote:


>>>>      "David H. Lipman"<DLipman~nospam~@Verizon.Net
>>>>      <mailto:DLipman~nospam~@Verizon.Net>>  wrote in message
>>>>      news:i2o47d0214h@news2.newsguy.com...
>>>>      From: "russg"<russgilb@sbcglobal.net<mailto:russgilb@sbcglobal.net>>

>>>>      | snip stuff about experienced posters only.

>>>>      | I come here to learn, and there are some experts here. The OP
>>>>      | considers himself an expert and only wants
>>>>      | talk to experts. I would say his final approach of wiping and re-
>>>>      | installing the OS (which he didn't mention),
>>>>      | but first trying to save .docs, mp3 and other important files, is the
>>>>      | only solution. I learned that RAMNIT.A
>>>>      | is a PE infector, infects other known files, like IE. Here's some
>>>>      | info at sophos.com:

>>>>      |

>>>> http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/w32patchedi.html?_log_
>>>> from=
>>>>      | rss

>>>>      | The OP knows the name of the malware, so he must have submitted a
>>>>      | sample somewhere.

>>>>        From Dave's first post...
>>>>      "Does anybody have EXPERIENCE with Win32/RAMNIT.A ? I'm having a
>>>>      devil of a
>>>>      time removing it. The only tool the detects it consistently is MS
>>>>      Security
>>>>      Essentials, and MSSE keeps counting it and "disinfecting" it."

>>>>      He didn't submit a sample somewhere, MSE scanned the system,
>>>>      detected it
>>>>      (Win32/RAMNIT.A ), but MSE failed to full remove and clean the
>>>>      system of it. Dave also
>>>>      indicated he tried Avast to no avail.

>>>>      --
>>>>      Dave
>>>>      http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
>>>>      Multi-AV - http://www.pctipp.ch/downloads/dl/35905.asp
>>>>      Having cast my eye through this post, I think I would have given
>>>>      PrevX a go :-)
>>>>      ...and having read
>>>>      http://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2008-011517-3725-99

>>>>      ...I think (seeing as Sophos is armed against it), I'd try Sophos
>>>>      CLS from Bart PE cd :-)

>>>>      regards, Richard



>> |        It seems the information I found on this worm is that it
>> | probably hides in the "system volume information" folder that is
>> | "read only" and "hidden" by default. The worm just keeps getting
>> | reinstalled and can't be cleaned unless the permissions are
>> | changed for that folder. The information on this site links to
>> | instructions for cleaning RAMNIT.A.

>> | http://www.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/virus.aspx?id=81059

>> |       This links to information on how to disable "system
>> | restore" in order to remove the infection. It may be possible to
>> | use some offline scanner like BitDefender to remove the worm but
>> | it's better done in Windows.

>> Sorry, you are mis-interpreting the information.

>> Malware doesn't "hide" in the "system volume information" folder.  That is where the
>> System Resore cache resides.  What they are talking about is removing restore points
>> such
>> that you won't re-infect the PC if you restore the PC from a restore point that had
>> made
>> in an infected condition.

|       Some malware specifically uses the "system volume
| information" folder to reinfect the computer. It will infect
| multiple restore points even those that were there before the
| particular worm was introduced. I've had some experience with these.


>> Howver, I have learned that ist is NOT a good idea to dump the System Restore cache
>> while
>> cleaning a PC.  It is better to have an infected, working, PC than to have a a PC that
>> may
>> be unstable and you can't restore the PC to a stable but infected condition.  Once the
>> PC
>> is thouroughly cleaned and verified and is stable then you you can dump the System
>> Restore
>> cache.

|        This is one reason us PROFESSIONALS do a complete drive
| backup before we remove the infection in this way. That way if
| something goes wrong, you can always go back to the beginning.

|       It's possible to allow writing to the folder in question.
| I have cleaned a few computers in this way and I usually find
| that the restore points are not worth saving. I've had
| absolutely no systems lost due to cleaning out the system
| restore points. Never lost one and never needed to use the
| backup on these types of infections. I find it better to have a
| professional do the malware removal than someone who risks
| loosing everything because they're afraid to remove the restore
| caches.

| John


You said...
"Some malware specifically uses the "system volume information" folder to reinfect the 
computer."

Since you also stated "...us PROFESSIONALS...".
What is that malware spaecifically.  You should know it or it should be in your notes.
I'd like to know what it is you are referring to.

-- 
Dave
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
Multi-AV - http://www.pctipp.ch/downloads/dl/35905.asp