Malware - How were you infected.

I don't want to appear holier than thou, but I am always trying to expand my knowledge of computers.

Having never been infected with any serious malware, I am curious as to how others became infected (eg Kids, Malicous Websites, Email Worms, Disfunctional Firewalls, P2P software etc).

Any input from unfortunate victims would be appreciated. The reason I ask is because I advise many family and friends on how to avoid these traps and perhaps others reading this thread may also benefit.

So briefly, if you have suffered from malware recently. How were you infected, if known?

 

wildfire,

As of this post, I notice 44 views and no posts so I figured I'd break the ice. Personally, I can't say I've ever been seriously infected, however, I've sure seen more than my fair share of infected machines. My record find dates back to October 28, 2003 with 5,385 infected files of 95,259 files scanned. This was the initial scan.

I will say this and it certainly is not meant to offend any age group - its just an observation. I have yet to see a machine owned by someone under 20 years of age that is not infected. Then again, in all fairness, I don't see too many machines unless they have problems so this is a very biased observation.

While I believe the threat base has changed significantly during the last 3-4 years, the biggest single culprit I am aware of is peer to peer file sharing used by those who consider themselves "bullet-proof" in their quest for free music, videos and program files.

I will follow this thread with interest and am only posting to try and "break the ice" because I too, find this to be a fascinating topic and am curious to hear what others might have to add.

 

I have to agree there (hence Kids was mentioned in my earlier post) though some do have their security pretty tight.

I am interested in Malware removal but the problem is I learn by doing and most of my employment experience was taking the easy way (ie Format and Re-Install)

The worst (and first) infection I had was a boot sector virus on an Amiga 1200, kids nowadays don't know how lucky they are... Run some software, press a coule of buttons and your systems sanatised. Try going through a couple of hundred floppies repeating that time after time knowing that if you miss one within a few days you could be back where you started, Ah those were the days

 

Anyone old enough out there when there was no Internet !

And earlier viruses were fun too. Remember when words dropped to bottom of the screen

 

Give me a COOKIE

 

I haven't really been infected. But it has been a close call a few times.Some sites seem to be breeding crounds for drive-bys. Just get the page loaded,and BANG,pop-ups out the wazoo. I always close my browser down immediately when that happens,and do some scanning for insurance.

 

It was long enough ago that I don't remember the details anymore, but several years ago I tried to open a site's video and a notice appeared telling me I needed a particular codec to get it to work. I foolishly clicked on the link to what was supposed to be the source of the codec and got hit my either a virus or a Trojan, can't remember which. Also can't remember how I fixed it.

 

Back in 1992 (I think it was then... ) when I first got into computers I was taking training to become a Computer Tech...one of my school mates gave me a floppy with a file on it (can't remember what the file was) and I got hit with the "Stoned Monkey" boot sector virus. I used a DOS version of F-Prot and "cleaned" my PC.

Since then I've also been very lucky (or smart...depends on how you take it) to never have been hit by another virus or any malware (other than cookies...LOLOL). A layered defense is the best defense...

For a long time I was a HJT Helper on the MRU Forum, Dell Forum, and a couple others. The worst was at the Dell forum as people young and old were getting hit with the AntiVirus Gold and it's many variants. It got so bad that I just burnt myself out and had to retire from being a "HJT Helper ". That was last year...I do plan on eventually coming out of "retirement" but it will have to wait until I slow down at work. Many of the people I helped were of all ages...the problem was they were not computer "security" savy. I will say that after they got cleaned they were much, much smarter.

 

remember when there was no internet?

heck I remember my vic 20 and no software and waiting for what seemed like for ever just to get a modem.
Back then it was a bulitin board and five and a quarter floppies plus the good ole tape drive that uses standard audio cassettes . So unforunatly I know what you went thru back then and how one had to assemble their own data bases and learn the basic language just to work with said data stored. rember this "if A string = d then goto line such and such "?
any who I to have seen many computers infected by malware and the likes and it allways relates to p2p file sharing or adult content. Up until recently and the xp antivirus09 thing it was 90 % the kids fault. now its every one my self included .There are many programs comming from the former ussr and china that are keeping me and every one I know hopping like the proverbial one legged man at a butt kicking contest. Some of them just to damage computers with out any gain on the authors end.
I guess there is some malice on some ones part but I dont know. Why target machines for no reason?

 

I've still got my Vic20 and a few other relics, I just can't bring myself to throw out a working computer.

Pedantic mode

That would be

IF A$ = D$ THEN GOTO ...

BBC Basic was far superior though FUNC's and PROC's was unheard of in any other BASIC in those days, but don't get me started with Spectrum BASIC.

 

It was a simpler time indeed. I have my favorite game still (impossible mission) and run a dos app that emulates the c64-vic 20 on a pc. and I ocaisionaly play it. Got to love the high end graphics. If you want the aPp let me know its a gpl and I can share it.
Now adays I play a few games on my black berry . I found pac man with sound and all. There are still amigas for sale on ebay. And lots of stuff floating around on p2p if you look.
It helps me feel young once again.

 

Yeah, if you're happy with Tape Loading Errors 10 minutes into load time

Probably not, I did have a few emulators around but finally gave up on the old days

Funnily enough my Amiga 1200 (8mb RAM/68030 processor/120Mb HD) still gets fired up occassionaly and is still suprisingly usable

Ditto

 

Yea it was fun loading tapes and read errors did happen ocaisionly.
But it was afordable compared to the apples and ibm units. But magnetic tape was subject to damage if placed on/near a speaker so were floppies. I still have a 1451 drive some where and some disks. There's a way to connect it to a pc serial port if you have both.
And data can be retrieved most cases.
You are right about letting the past be .
I only bother with one game and that's it.


Sent from my blacberry wireless device

 

I had never been infected until my 486DX died in 2006 and I bought a used system from a co-worker. I really don't know if this thing was infected before I got it but I assumed my daughter and her boyfriend picked up most of it. I switched from dial-up to a wireless internet provider and since we now had something faster than snail speed it got horribly infected (my daughter hated dialup). I had to correspond with TMerc from the local library and carry files back to the house to clean it up. You can see the activity here.

Since then I have only picked up a few trojans because my daughter had installed BearShare and Kazaa. She now knows those are bad.

I bought my new system in May and it has been unaffected because I am well protected - thanks to what I learned about antivirus and antispyware on WindowsBBS.

Mitch

 

I miss-spelled a web address once ( I typed a .com instead of a .edu error) and something got loaded onto my computer. Nortons started alerting me. Everytime I tried to close the site another popped up. I finally unplugged the computer from the internet and closed everything down.

Nortons for the most part did its job. Noahdfear helped me fix the problem.
http://www.windowsbbs.com/malware-virus-removal/65555-i-still-have-problem-2.html

 

In the past a common ruse for phishers, what's the difference between

Code:

WWW.MICROSOFT.COM and WWW.MICR0S0FT.COM ;)

Wondering, how common that is nowadays?

 

The difference is in the 0 and the O, but the only reason I caught it was the fact that I was looking for it.