MetaChat - Recovering From A Computer Virus

MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.

06 December 2010

Recovering From A Computer Virus I have a question for the technically minded. on Saturday night, my computer picked up a worm, that was a scam to get me to buy 'Anitvirus Action'.→[More:]

it was a simple hijacker, didnt cause any damage and was easily repaired. my only wonder was how the hell I got it in the first place. I wasn't checking out any greasy or dangerous websites. I may have even been here or on Mashable, when all of a sudden Java started to update itself and the worm was launched.

does anyone know of any Java exploits that I should fix so it doesnt happen again ? any advice would be appreciated

post by: rollick at: 11:43 | 5 comments

Do you have your java jre fully updated?
Also, windows and flash updated?
I don't know where these things come from, but i know friends and relatives get them often.

posted by DarkForest 06 December | 13:25

These are becoming more prevalent. I've gotten one, and I think I was browsing somewhere that infected my wife's laptop, and she got one on her desktop computer.

I know I was using IE when I got the infection, and I've never had problems when using Firefox with NoScript. If you're OK with allowing sites one at a time, it could be a safer way to browse.

I've seen a number of good tutorials on how to remove the unwanted programs, but I haven't seen more on how to prevent worms than the general keep everything updated and have good antivirus software (though these viruses seem to be able to bypass and disable antivirus software).

posted by filthy light thief 06 December | 20:00

Amen to the Firefox & NoScript recommendation.

Flash is the Typhoid Mary of the 21st century. Be wary & update often. Java is a distant afterthought to Adobe products (flash & acrobat reader) in terms of vulnerabilites.

I'm partial to the software from Secunia, in particular the "Personal Software Inspector" product, which catalogs security vulnerabilites of software on your computer and offers the remedy; it is licensed free for personal use. (I'm not linking it; google and decide for yourself if they sound reputable.)

If you want to try to track down the vulnerability that was exploited to infect you, you might start with the US-CERT list.

posted by Triode 06 December | 22:22

I got the Trustpoint Virus the other week. Still haven't figured out where I got it from.

posted by drezdn 07 December | 09:55

Thanks For The Tips Everyone

posted by rollick 07 December | 12:50

← Apartment Menagerie || This is the MeTa discussion of Lost in the Funhouse by John Barth →

HOME || REGISTER || LOGIN