Hello,

I have a problem with Aurora and Nail.exe. I can't seem to get rid of them. I ran a HJT scan and I tried to delete it like that. I ran both Ad-Aware, and MASW, with no luck. I also tried these in safe-mode. Then I tried to delete the files myself, with no luck.
Can anybody help.
Thanks in advance

Dani AI

Generated

Good troubleshooting by and thanks to for the follow-up — if the pop-ups stopped and Nail.exe is gone, that’s a strong sign the immediate infection vector was removed. A couple of short, low-risk follow-ups will help make sure nothing was left behind and reduce the chance of a relapse.

First, purge old System Restore points (malware often hides in those). Turn System Restore off for the system drive, reboot, then turn it back on and create a fresh restore point — that deletes any cached infected checkpoints. (support.microsoft.com)

Second, look for persistence mechanisms that may reinstall something later. Export the system’s autorun/startup list with Autoruns, review Run/RunOnce, Services, Winlogon and Scheduled Tasks entries, and save the export before you change anything. If you find entries with unknown executables or paths, note them and remove or disable them only after you have a saved copy of the list. Also run a rootkit check (RootkitRevealer or similar) to detect hiding techniques that ordinary scanners miss. (learn.microsoft.com)

Third, do a second-opinion scan with a different, up-to-date scanner (many people use Malwarebytes) and, before deleting anything you’re unsure about, check file hashes on VirusTotal to see how multiple engines classify the file. After clean-up, change any online passwords used on that machine, make sure Windows and your AV are fully updated, and keep the HJT/Ewido logs plus Autoruns/RootkitRevealer output in case the problem returns — those logs make follow‑up troubleshooting much faster. (malwarebytes.com)

If symptoms come back or you find hidden drivers/services you can’t explain, consider imaging data and doing a clean OS reinstall — persistent kernel/rootkit infections are the usual reason to choose a rebuild over continued cleanup.

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Aurora is a right pain to remove; please follow these instructions carefully:

Please download the trial version of Ewido Security Suite here:

Install it, and update the definitions to the newest files. Do NOT run a scan yet.

Please download Nailfix from here:

Unzip it to the desktop but please do NOT run it yet.

Next, please reboot your computer in Safe Mode by doing the following:
1) Restart your computer
2) After hearing your computer beep once during startup, but before the Windows icon appears, press F8.
3) Instead of Windows loading as normal, a menu should appear
4) Select the first option, to run Windows in Safe Mode.

For additional help in booting into Safe Mode, see the following site:
http://www.pchell.com/support/safemode.shtml


Once in Safe Mode, please double-click on Nailfix.cmd. Your desktop and icons will disappear and reappear, and a window should open and close very quickly --- this is normal.

Then please run Ewido, and run a full scan. Save the logfile from the scan.

Next please run HijackThis, click Scan, and check:

F2 - REG:system.ini: Shell=Explorer.exe C:\WINDOWS\Nail.exe

Close all open windows except for HijackThis and click Fix Checked.

Restart your computer in normal mode and please post a new HijackThis log, as well as the log from the Ewido scan.

Ok here is my HJT log, after I did all of the things you said to do.

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 2:01:42 PM, on 6/8/2005
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)
Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Softex\OmniPass\OPXPApp.exe
C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = www.google.com
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = www.google.com
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = www.google.com
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = www.google.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by Verizon Online
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyOverride = localhost
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 6.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Helper - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll
O3 - Toolbar: HP View - {B2847E28-5D7D-4DEB-8B67-05D28BCF79F5} - (no file)
O3 - Toolbar: McAfee VirusScan - {BA52B914-B692-46c4-B683-905236F6F655} - c:\progra~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcvsshl.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] C:\WINDOWS\System32\hkcmd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AutoTKit] C:\hp\bin\AUTOTKIT.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Recguard] C:\WINDOWS\SMINST\RECGUARD.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PS2] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ps2.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LTMSG] LTMSG.exe 7
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [gcasServ] "C:\Program Files\Microsoft AntiSpyware\gcasServ.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [KernelFaultCheck] %systemroot%\system32\dumprep 0 -k
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VSOCheckTask] "c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcmnhdlr.exe" /checktask
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VirusScan Online] "c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcvsshld.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MCAgentExe] c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\agent\mcagent.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MCUpdateExe] C:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\agent\mcupdate.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MPFExe] C:\PROGRA~1\McAfee.com\PERSON~1\MpfTray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_02\bin\jusched.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Google Search - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmsearch.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Backward Links - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmbacklinks.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Cached Snapshot of Page - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmcache.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O8 - Extra context menu item: Similar Pages - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmsimilar.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Translate into English - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmtrans.html
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_02\bin\npjpi150_02.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_02\bin\npjpi150_02.dll
O9 - Extra button: Control Pad - {28D44DAD-D1FC-4d4f-BB1B-ADF037C8DDBC} - C:\Program Files\Verizon Online\Verizon Online Control Pad\VerizonControlPad.Exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Control Pad - {28D44DAD-D1FC-4d4f-BB1B-ADF037C8DDBC} - C:\Program Files\Verizon Online\Verizon Online Control Pad\VerizonControlPad.Exe
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O16 - DPF: {084F552D-19EB-4668-9788-984CBC781A8F} (AsyncDownloader Class) -
O16 - DPF: {0E5F0222-96B9-11D3-8997-00104BD12D94} (PCPitstop Utility) -
O16 - DPF: {17492023-C23A-453E-A040-C7C580BBF700} (Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool) -
O16 - DPF: {2B323CD9-50E3-11D3-9466-00A0C9700498} (Yahoo! Audio Conferencing) -
O16 - DPF: {39B0684F-D7BF-4743-B050-FDC3F48F7E3B} (FilePlanet Download Control Class) - http://www.fileplanet.com/fpdlmgr/cabs/FPDC_1_0_0_44.cab
O16 - DPF: {4ED9DDF0-7479-4BBE-9335-5A1EDB1D8A21} (McAfee.com Operating System Class) - http://download.mcafee.com/molbin/shared/mcinsctl/en-us/4,0,0,84/mcinsctl.cab
O16 - DPF: {7D1E9C49-BD6A-11D3-87A8-009027A35D73} (Yahoo! Audio UI1) -
O16 - DPF: {BCC0FF27-31D9-4614-A68E-C18E1ADA4389} (DwnldGroupMgr Class) - http://download.mcafee.com/molbin/shared/mcgdmgr/en-us/1,0,0,21/mcgdmgr.cab
O16 - DPF: {D1E7CBDA-E60E-4970-A01C-37301EF7BF98} (Measurement Service Client v.3.4) -
O20 - Winlogon Notify: OPXPGina - C:\Program Files\Softex\OmniPass\opxpgina.dll
O23 - Service: ewido security suite control - ewido networks - C:\Program Files\ewido\security suite\ewidoctrl.exe
O23 - Service: McAfee.com McShield (McShield) - Unknown owner - c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcshield.exe
O23 - Service: McAfee SecurityCenter Update Manager (mcupdmgr.exe) - McAfee, Inc - C:\PROGRA~1\McAfee.com\Agent\mcupdmgr.exe
O23 - Service: McAfee.com VirusScan Online Realtime Engine (MCVSRte) - Networks Associates Technology, Inc - c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcvsrte.exe
O23 - Service: McAfee Personal Firewall Service (MpfService) - McAfee Corporation - C:\PROGRA~1\McAfee.com\PERSON~1\MPFSERVICE.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
O23 - Service: Softex OmniPass Service (omniserv) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Softex\OmniPass\Omniserv.exe

There are no indications of Aurora or any other infections in that log, which is a good start.

Are you still seeing any signs of "unwanted guests", or do things seem to be working properly now?

Things seem to be working now. The pop-up thing that aurora was doing has stopped. And I don't see nail.exe in the System folder anymore.

Sounds good. Let us know if anything seems to crop back up.

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