also...

been running across this alot lately


seems there are alot of files prepended with teh word "skynet" - so i'm calling it the skynet virus!

saw it twice last week and again just this morning



its a hum-dinger, to be sure! i had to resort to a modified "one-two punch" --- boxes w/ skynet will not boot into safe mode (blue screens or just bounces to the "windows didn't start correctly last time - choose how you want to boot..." screen

since we charge alot and time is money.. i'll roll straight into removing the affected computer, hooking it up to my laptop via IDE/USB cable, and running a FULL SCAN in malwarebytes


that will clear out most of it, to the point that it will now run in the orig computer

once on the new computer, i sock it with ComboFix and that clears it the rest of the way


to finish up, i'll install AntiVir (free), configure it for them, teach them how to use it and roll




unfortunately, in the computer i had this morning, skynet tampered with the reg files in such a way that EXE files were not associated with any particular program

grrr!



so, i couldn't access "my computer" or change the windows firewall or even run combofix (cuz its an EXE) - i tried "sfc /scannow" but... THAT'S an EXE as well!

grrr!



the box would go online though, so i found a tool called exefix_xp.com and that was all she wrote!

(might wanna keep that lil tidbit in your hip pocket...)

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It's the Skynet Trojan

This method, while effective, is not recommended. ComboFix should ONLY be run under the STRICT supervision of a helper trained in its use due to its ability to render a computer unbootable