Repeated Trojan horses?

[Maczebus]

Ok.
All through today my AVG anti virus thing has been letting me know my computer has a trojan horse virus in it.
The current message is:
Virus
Trojan horse P2E.H

is found in file
C:\WINDOWS\system32\p2esocks_1014.dll

To remove this virus, please run AVG for windows

That's just one example - there are others along this theme - always trojans though.
Anyway, I run AVG for windows and it does indeed clear the problem up - for a bit. Then they come back.

How can I stop this happening? It's a pain in the backside having to run AVG as it slows my system down whilst it's checking stuff. Well, it's just down right irritating really.
Also. Should I be worried about this - does this imply sinster goings on at all?

[amerifolklegend]

How can I stop this happening?

Get your porn in DVD, VHS, or magazine format.

[microbrew]

Or if what afl suggests is too drastic, update or even better, stop using Internet Explorer.


That's what the government suggests...

[Maczebus]

Thanks chaps.
I haven't been to any dodgy sites in the last few days. That's the point, I've been good and it still happens.

I was thinking there may be some port I can close down and stop them invading - or something.

If I start using mozilla (example) then, will it stop stuff like this happening?

[JeffS]

Thanks chaps.
I haven't been to any dodgy sites in the last few days. That's the point, I've been good and it still happens.

I was thinking there may be some port I can close down and stop them invading - or something.

If I start using mozilla (example) then, will it stop stuff like this happening?

The latest Trojan horse uses JavaScript in the infected webpage to bring up a pop up window, which records your keystrokes (thus grabbing your passwords, credit card numbers, etc.). Mozilla can block pop ups automatically, ad Internet Explorer can't. So, yes, Mozilla will stop this latest one.

IE has other security holes as well. It let's the outside world do pretty much anything with JavaScript, unless you completely disable it (and thus crippling a lot of websites). Mozilla will run JavaScript fine without letting the outside world access to your local machine or your activity. It was built from the ground up with this sort of thing in mind. IE, by contrast was built to be quick to market, and "good enough", so that MS could bundle it with it's OS, and thus kill it's competition. In that process they produced a product that now has more holes than swiss cheese.

A lot of people will say IE and MS have the problems because they are the big target. Well, that's true, but it's also true that the problems would not be there nearly as much if these products were built properly in the first place.

Anyway, if you try Mozilla, there is absolutely no risk - it's a free download. The product was put together form the old Netscape source, and has been updated and modified since then by various companies and individuals. I love Mozilla myself. Give it a try, you won't regret it.

[Maczebus]

Well I'm using mozilla and it's still happening.

[microbrew]

Well I'm using mozilla and it's still happening.

Try Mozilla Firefox. It has better technology, and I know firefox isn't vulnerable to the Virus. And update your Java engine, and disable Active X.

[Maczebus]

I instructed all those who use the computer to use mozilla from now on.
However despite doing that and doing the AVG check - I get the messages saying there's a virus.
I'm supposed to update my java engine how?
I'm supposed to disable active X how? And will doing that stop me from doing something else?

Thanks

[Sinko]

Go here and run the Active Scan:

http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan/

It is free and very effective. Scan the whole system.

[JeffS]

Well I'm using mozilla and it's still happening.

Click on 'Edit', then 'Preferences'. Here, expand the 'Privacy & Secutiry' selection, then select 'Popup Widows'. Put a check mark next to 'Block unrequested popup windows'.

This will stop the pop up completely, thus rendering what the trojan horse is doing. If this does not solve the problem, then we are talking about two different trojan horses (there are a lot of them out there, that exploit different things). The one that I was talking about exploited JavaScript in IE. It's possible that you are experiencing one that exploits something else.