Spyware targeting Randi Rhodes ?

[freeminder]

I've got my computer infected with some spyware that keeps replacing my homepage in IE with an address called "about:blank".

Asides of that, it also replaces some adresses I go to, like the randi rhodes site, the archive site, and whiterosesociety.

It doesn't do this with any other sites.

Can this be partisan spyware ?

:tinfoilhat:

Blanketing the free speech on the internet is what I believe to be a logical first strike should the masks come off.

[TheWatcher]

1. It's probably a CoolWeb Trojan

You can get rid of it with a Program called CWShredder.

Get it here:

http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/10/17/10-17-150.shtml

[Bowline]

14. Cool Web is a real bitch of a program to get rid of.

Once you get rid of it make sure you have the latest update to your anti-virus and your firewall. (You ARE running anti-virus and firewall protection, aren't you?)

[freeminder]

16. yes I am - but free ones

looks like I'll need to rake out some cash :-)

[Bowline]

17. It's worth your money.

Either Norton or McAfee will suit your anti-virus purposes. I also run the Zone Alarm firewall and have never had any problems with it. Again, both are worthwhile investments from a security standpoint.

[WillyT]

2. Interesting... You Running Anything To Deal With It ???

:shrug:

[TheWatcher]

4. I've had the about:blank problem before.

Seriously, use CWShredder or HiJack This! to get rid of it.

The CoolWeb Trojans are very annoying, and depending on which one you got, they sometimes require require modifying your registry ti get rid of completely.

If one of those two Programs don't help, Google about:blank Trojan or CoolWeb Trojan and you will find links to several Message Boards that can help solve the problem.

[ObaMania]

9. Ad Aware should help get rid of it too!

[Lerkfish]

3. could be...

your first problem indicates you just need to reset you home page.
the second problem could be an autofill issue: does your browser try to send you to an url that starts the same in the beginning?

[ET Awful]

6. Actually the second isssue indicates a modified hosts file. . .

that is redirecting certain domain names to other IP addresses.

CW Shredder is a good start.

Making the "hosts" file read-only is also a good thing to do. This file is in (usually) c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc

Also running Spybot Search&Destroy's immunize feature is helpful.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

5. Sounds like you have a variant of "CoolWebSearch", a hijacker that...

...essentially blocks your ability to bring up certain webpages.

Go to the following site and download a free anti-trojan software tool known as "CWShredder".

<http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/10/17/10-17-150.shtml>

Install it, and run it. Make sure you check for updates. That should eliminate your problem.

[ET Awful]

7. Unfortunately CWShredders author quit updating it last I heard :(

Hopefully the version in question was included in the last update.

[freeminder]

11. actually, that site gets about:blanked too

I feel owned

[freeminder]

12. but I did get CWShredder

over here : http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html

now let's see...

[rooboy]

8. Sounds like the CoolWeb trojan to me...

won't be anything to do specifically with Randi Rhodes, probably. These trojans are normally designed to increase traffic to sites who earn their income by the number of visitors.

[freeminder]

10. big thanks to all for helping me out!!

And no, I didn't abandon my own thread - baby intervention :-)


I'm quite happy it is something general evil and not partisan evil

*sigh*

[ellie]

13. That is awful!

I had that about:blank trojan for two months, I couldn't get rid of it! It was redirecting websites to the homepage; I would type in, for example, www.salon.com, and it would go back to about:blank. I could barely get on my computer. I just got rid of it yesterday. I went to computercops.biz and asked for help on their forum boards and someone helped me. The offending file is hidden and you have to find it and delete it. I was unable to fix it by just running CWShredder.

Someone should e-mail Randi and tell her that her site is causing these problems. My computer was infected from my DH who was "just checking his e-mail." (Code for visiting porn sites.)

[freeminder]

15. I just noticed

CWShredder and read-only "hosts" isn't gonna solve the issue.

Apparently, it's not Randi's site that is causing this, it's only a victim...

So thanks a lot for sharing your experience, I'll check out computercops.biz.

[Torgo Johnson]

18. That explains why Ad-Aware always detects...

the about:blank for my start page every time I run it. I don't have a Trojan. I prefer to start my browser with a blank page. I tried to have Ad-Aware ignore it but it doesn't seem to.