Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool

I find it very interesting that MS has released this tool without so much as a whisper in this months patch list.

http://www.microsoft.com/security/ma...e/default.mspx

It is supposed to remove:

• Berbew

• Blaster

• DoomJuice

• Gaobot

• Korgo

• Mydoom

• Nachi

• Netsky

• Randex

• Sasser

• Zafi

• Zindos


From the main site, http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

you see this interesting little tidbit: "The version of this tool delivered by Windows Update runs in the background and then deletes itself. To determine if the tool removed any malicious software, please review the log file."

What's uncle Billy up to now I wonder?

;)

It must have come out with January's patches because it been there for a few weeks.

I think it prescans and only downloads if you're infected. I tried it on some test machines and it never downloaded, according to the update page anyway.

billy might be buying up some "insurance" as soon his empire <cue d vader entry tune> will be releasing more repurchased software in this area, and they are testing things.

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What's uncle Billy up to now I wonder?

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Possibly looking to incorporate it in the OS??

well, you can dl the program, but im wondering if it actually can remove the virii in standalone form, or if it needs a connection ot the internet. I guess I need to install one of those virusis on a lab machine when i get a chance.

Dunno for sure what Billy's doing, but he stuck it in a critical download (one of 10 I got forcefed this morning)... Perhaps he's thinking on getting into antivirus as well as spyware tools?

They've had a limited version of this for a while, but they were specific to different viruses. It used to be the "mydoom removal tool" or something like that, and they didn't show up for all computers as a critical patch.

the grand irony from my POV is that all these new security softwares wouldn't be necessary if the Uncle Billy just fixed the damn problems in the first place.

Every month, they will release this software with the latest removal tool for the latest virus. They done it in January, they did it in February and they'll do again.

It's to help people to get rid off virus/Trojan that they normally don't know they catch if they don't have an update anti-virus.

Ok not bad that Microsoft is bringing out a Tool that can remove Malicious Software but it can be deletet by a Trojan. When you bring something out to the Market please take time and do it right at the firt time and not like Uncle Billy Boy totally wrecked.

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the grand irony from my POV is that all these new security softwares wouldn't be necessary if the Uncle Billy just fixed the damn problems in the first place.

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And how would you go about that?.................................................



I'm pissed off with hearing about what the problem is. Give me the solution.

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I'm pissed off with hearing about what the problem is. Give me the solution.

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Bite it, you scum!

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the grand irony from my POV is that all these new security softwares wouldn't be necessary if the Uncle Billy just fixed the damn problems in the first place.

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The grand irony of my point of view is that these anti-nastyware programs wouldn't be needed if people like you weren't so ****in' stupid.

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Bite it, you scum!

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Let me just add that to my defences...............So is that supposed to be recognised by my AV. Only , it seems do be doing jack ****.

I would keep to talking about having a crap, if i where you..................................Tosser

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The grand irony of my point of view is that these anti-nastyware programs wouldn't be needed if people like you weren't so ****in' stupid.

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I wouldnt have worded it so bluntly, but I going to have to agree that lack of common sense, and lack of understanding, is the problem behind most of virusis. I mean how ****ing hard is it to NOT OPEN ATTACHMENTS FROM PEOPLE YOU DONT KNOW

XTC..........You are quite correct, how hard is it to not click on that nice looking flashy thing.


However, it is not nessessary to click on any thing these days. Just going to the wrong web site, will get you infected.

Would you by a car that, after you drove past a certain point had no brakes?

As far as I am conserned, we are all beta testers, for microsoft.

You can bash on MS all you want. They have a damn good product. Win XP is a good OS for most users. people bitch and moan about lack of security blah blah blah. TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY IN YOUR OWN STUFF. I juust did my first scan for adware in a month and guess how many I found? -0- none! I am on my computer about 5 hours a day, I download music, I surf the net, I test random programs, I play games. Im just not a ****tard who says "oOoo pretty lights" and starts clicking ****.

MS has lots of known flaws becasue there are THOUSANDS of people looking to tear apart there code. *nix has holes too, so does MAC and every other OS made. but guess what? they dont have the customer base or the amount of people ripping at there code as MS. QUIT BLAMING OTHERS FOR USERS INCOMPITENCE.


no one is stopping anyone from downloading a free *nix OS and learning that. There are countless amounts of tuts here on how to secure your windows box. I have done it to mine. I have not had a virus that casued any dmage in over 3 years on my home box. people are just to stupid/lazy/eager to blame others to fix their own problems.

XTC,
I'm not bashing microsoft. I don't have a problem with spyware/virii/malware. Nore do my kids. But then I have bean a member here for some time.

Why should a new pc user have to spend as much time learning , as I do??

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Why should a new pc user have to spend as much time learning , as I do??

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are you joking? thats like saying "why should i have to use a condom? shouldn't someone else just come up with a cure for aids/hiv/every other STD in the world"

people need to take responsibility for what they do, plain and simple. if you are going to use a tool (and yes, a computer is a tool) then learn how to use it properly. You wouldnt walk in a busy street blindfolded, why get on the internet without knowing how to protect yourselffrom what is there.

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are you joking? thats like saying "why should i have to use a condom? shouldn't someone else just come up with a cure for aids/hiv/every other STD in the world"

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and why not?..........It's not me passing on the infection.

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and why not?..........It's not me passing on the infection.

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so you dont get infected and pass it on to others. TO PROTECT YOURSELF you are not infected YET. its prevention... its each persons job to protect themselves. you should blame others when your computer gets infected by a virus. If you were protected it would not have happened. same with STDs. If you were protected, chances are it would not have been infected. (not guaranteed, nothing is guaranteed)

Ok , you tell me here and now. What should a new computer user do to stop the spread of malware. All of it , not just what propagates, through known holes in the OS. The vulnerabilities of the future.

Im not saying they can stop the spread of future stuff, but they can sure as hell slow it down. Install a firewall, do your updates, dont click on stupid pop ups, dont open emails from people you dont know, especially attachments, have an antivirus installed on your computer and keep it updated, do all updates for both your OS and other things like firmware updates for hardware firewalls, dont use products (suh as IE) with tons of known holes when there are alternitives (like firefox, opera) keep your software uptodate (dont be using IE 5.0 etc.) use programs like adaware so if you do get some it gets rid of it for you.

there are alot of simple things a person can do to prevent the spread of virusis. they can protect them selves by using basic told (alot of which are free). its not hard. like I said, you cannot stop the spread of virusis, but you can slow it down, and you can protect yourself. every unprotectd computer is just another potential launch point for that virus to spread. By protecting yourself you are in effect protecting others.

XTC i think its kinda like stinger. The Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool I think is kind of pointless because there is a better product already out, which I have already mentioned...STINGER, it is also free.

EDIT- I didnt realize this has 3 pages, this is in reguards to your 1st reply. :D

lol, well im glad you tossed in your input. im not sure if stinger is better yet, so im giving it a go. I wanna see if it actually works. you can never have too many tools too remove the bullshit people let get on there computers.

Well microsofts is easy to get and even the must end user could use it, because they dont know they did, it is all done in the background. I dont think MS will catch up to stinger in the effectiveness department, nor how many it will catch. But, as more are added the more the consumer is protected, kinda becuase it doesnt alwyas scan, just does once. The thing i find stupid about the MS tool is it catches thing such as blaster and sasser but if you are the end of the end users you probably dont know how to run shutdown -a to bypass shutdown inorder to have time to visit WU.

I downloaded the program, I carry things like that on my USB key that way I can use it on people computers when they need help.

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antivirus installed on your computer and keep it updated, do all updates for both your OS and other things like firmware updates for hardware firewalls, dont use products (suh as IE) with tons of known holes when there are alternitives (like firefox, opera) keep your software uptodate (dont be using IE 5.0 etc.) use programs like adaware so if you do get some it gets rid of it for you

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There is a computer right next to me, an XP running IE, no anti-viral software at all, & no problems what so ever. Now... every windows home users does everything as admin. And this and their mind-set is the problem. No limitations at all are setup on these piss-poor systems and the only thing standing in the way are yesterday's profiles & signatures.

Unlike the rest of home-user-land... I have restrictive policies and auditing in place. If everyone did this then your average mass mailer would need to exploit something to escalate privileges needed to make changes and propogate. Effective malware propogation in general would be few and far between. Even without limited user accounts and strict policies... I've still got an eye on each and everything that happends. Every web request, every keystroke, every change in the registry, its all here...

And problems will always persist intil people wake up and realise that while AV software keeps failing, preventive measures & auditing tools will forever give the upper hand.

WTF? the specialist said something useful without insulting anyone? well hot damn.


BUt I agree with you 100 percent. whats that saying? "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

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Originally posted here by |3lack|ce
Dunno for sure what Billy's doing, but he stuck it in a critical download (one of 10 I got forcefed this morning)... Perhaps he's thinking on getting into antivirus as well as spyware tools?

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He sure is!
http://news.google.com/news?q=micros...ab=nn&oi=newsr
http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...ft-virus_x.htm
http://australianit.news.com.au/arti...-15316,00.html

- Xierox

Just to add to thehorse13’s original post, in case anyone is interested, the Knowledge Base article can be found here