Another Trojan Email Is Doing The Rounds

bgt — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:17:52 +0000

Another Trojan Email popped into the spam basket today, this one entitled Facebook Password Reset Confirmation. The Email, purporting to be from Facebook, claims that the user’s Facebook password has been changed and informs them that the new password can be found in an attached document, which is a zip file.

You may receive a email claiming to be from Facebook Manager titled “Facebook Password Reset Confirmation. Important Message”. The message is a trick designed to fool recipients into installing a trojan on their computer.

Those who open the attached file, Facebook_password_3921.zip in this case, ostensibly to view their new password, will in fact be launching a copy of the Bredolab Trojan. Once downloaded, the virus gives the sender complete control of the target computer, allowing cyber criminals to potentially spy on users of the computer or use it to steal personal information or distribute more spam

As with any such dodgy emails, or unsolicited attachments, the best action is to delete the lot, and think no more about it.

Click here to find out more about the Bredolab Trojan on symantic.com.

McAfee Security Scan Problems

bgt — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:34:09 +0000

It was reported by one of our Windows XP users that they were getting a message from McAfee Security Scan® with a request to Check My Security Status. As we protect all of our Windows PCs using McAfee, this message was not out of place, and the user clicked Scan Now. The alarm bells started when the Security Scan reported that there was no anti-virus software installed, which just is not true.

A cursory glance (right click on the Shield in the system tools) shows that VirusScan Enterprise was alive and well on his machine, and the consol showed that the last auto-update was successful. Initial attempts to uninstall the unwanted program using Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs were unsuccessful. Googling the phrase How do I get rid of McAfee Security Scan turned up several suggestions involving booting into Safe Mode or installing anti-malware programs. There were also several suggestions that McAfee Security Scan is downloaded with an update to Adobe Reader, which our user had recently installed.

This is the removal method which worked for us:

Run msconfig using the Start, Run dialoge
When msconfig has loaded, click on the Startup tab
Find the entry for McAfee Security Scan, and uncheck the box
Then click on Apply

This will prevent the application from reloading next time you start up. Next you need to uninstall the application:

Call up Windows Task Manager
Click on the Applications tab
Click on McAfee Security Scan then click the End Task button
Fire up Control Panel then double click Add or Remove Programs
Wait a minute and McAfee Security Scan will relaunch and appear again in Task Manager, just like malware!
In Task Manager, click McAfee Security Scan, then End Task again
In Control Panel, immediately click Change for McAfee Security Scan, then Remove

If you have found this program installing itself without your conscious intent or consent we suggest that you voice your disapproval to Adobe. If enough people post their disapproval of this forced installation of annoying software to Adobe, they might just change their policy.

To any Adobe directors reading this, let me be the first to admit that you market some brilliant software, which is a credit to your company. Why risk your excellent corporate image with this offensive and shoddy software installation tactic?

For anyone else who is installing or upgrading Adobe Flash or Reader, take special note that there is an optional McAfee Scan listed in the installation that must be unchecked if you do not want to install McAfee Security Scan.

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Another Trojan Email Is Doing The Rounds

McAfee Security Scan Problems