Dso exploit virus

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

This thing is driving me bonkers.  I can't get rid of it in my system, it has installed itself in my registry.  Neither Norton or Adaware can get it out.  Thought I would see if anyone has been through this that could walk me through the process before I reformat the HD to get rid of it (ugh!).  I am virtually ignorant of all computer protocol other than point and click, and cut and paste so the discussions on various sites are useless, I just look and go "Huh?"

 

[Est]

Tamlin, thanks for sharing your problem; every time you figure out how to solve a problem you become just a bit more prepared for the future.  A bit of reaserch shows that the "DSO exploite" is trojan which allows remote exucution of code, this means that an outsider could potentially utilize this exploit to do some nasty stuff, including displaying one URL, but showing another page which can be a potential danger if the site you think you're visiting concerns sensative information...  Anyway, that's the useless trivia part, so if I was somehow confusing, don't worry, you didn't miss anything.  As the exploit exists in IE (internet explorer) you can go with a number of solutions:  My personal solution would be to dump IE explorer all together and go download firefox [Mozilla.org], and use it instead (it's more secure, updates frequently, looks nice, etc, if you need any help with this, then please, PM me).  Another solution would require you to tell me what version of Windows you're running, but would be simple enough.  Yet another -possible- solution is to go download the IE updates [Microsoft.com].  As this exploit has been recognized, patching your browser from the Microsoft website should take care of the problem, but you should check to make sure, and kill anything left over with either your anti-virus or anti-spyware software.  Well, for the sake of keeping things neat, I'll only list those 3  solutions for now.  If you have any questions, or if those don't cut it, then please, PM me.

On another note, you mentioned that neither AVG nor Norton could remove the problem, this could be a for a number of reasons ( Installer located elsewhere?  Registry key? etc...), but the real point is that I hope that you don't pay to use both AVG and Norton.  If you are paying for either or both, I'd say, wait until you need to sign up for support again, delete them, and then just stick with the free edition of AVG, the biggest down side is that you can't call in for support from AVG (and I'd get rid of Norton when your support expires anyway...), but hey, you're welcome to contact me for support any time.  Never underestimate the power of free  

And on another tangent, I share your dismay for the use (and often abuse) of formatting. Once you've tried things, please, let me know how it worked out... (Sorry if I generated any confusion).

 

[firewired]

Those are good suggestions Est.  Here is a helpful link to resolving your problem. It looks like quite a few people have had this problem.

Another program I would suggest downloading is Zone Alarm.  It protects your computer from people getting into it, third party cookies, and tracking cookies.  It helps to eliminate tracking cookies as well.  It also blocks pop ups and banners.  It tells you whenever it blocks something (cookies, ads, etc.) and it's unbelievable how much stuff it blocks.  You can get it off of Download.com for free.  

I hope this helps!  Feel free to PM me as well if you have any questions.

- Joel