I have been battling this virus now for a month, when on my browser (firefox) any google search result redirects to dodgy sites. I have used many different anti maleware programs with no success, i work as an IT technitian so i am confident with advanced computing, i actually remove viruses on computers in my spare time but this is beyond me i have tried everything i know. It has affected every machine within my house (3 laptops and 1 desktop computer) it is even affecting mobile phones searching on google or any search engine, once i go outside my house and connect to anyone elses network there is no problem. I have proffesional Avast on my computers and use malewarebytes regularly on each to keep them all clean. However this seems to be invisible to all anti malwares. Its driving me crazy i have searched the internet also and there are no fixes i can find. Please help for i have given up hope...
Malwarebytes dude:
Hi and welcome to Malwarebytes.
Appears as though your router is infected.
1. Very important: First disconnect your computer from the internet.
2. Router Reset: Next you must reset the router to its default configuration. This can be done by inserting something tiny like a paper clip end or pencil tip into a small hole labeled "reset" located on the back of the router. Press and hold down the small button inside until the lights on the front of the router blink off and then on again (usually about 10 seconds).
3. Reset the IP/DNS settings of your interent connection:
Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Double click on Network Connections.
Right click on your default connection (usually Local Area Connection or Wireless Network Connection) and select Properties.
Select the General tab.
Double click on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
Under General tab:
Select "Obtain an IP address automatically".
Select "Obtain DNS server address automatically".
Click OK twice to save the settings.
Reboot if you had to change any setting.
4. Flush the DNS cache:
Click the Start logo in the bottom left corner of the screen
Click on Run
In the command window copy/paste the following:
ipconfig /flushdns
Then hit enter.
Exit the command window.
5. Reconnect: Once you have followed all the above steps you can reconnect your computer to the internet.
I'd never heard of malware affecting a router before but honestly if that pleb was a decent tech it's not that hard of a thing to work out...
If it's affecting ALL of your devices regardless of operating system within your home but not outside... that doesn't leave a lot left to be the culprit.
So if you look in there you should be able to at least delete the startup key and also determine the executable name, which you can CTRL + ALT + DEL and end the process from task manager.
Other than that also make sure that your Firefox isn't redirecting through a proxy that you don't know. Check Firefox proxy settings. Would be unlikely - you would notice the internet is very very slow if this were the case.
It knocked out the internet accross the board but only cause i tried the reset modem thingo.
reconfig the modem back to how it should be.
was talking to someone who had the same thing.
it plagued him for months until the format option took preference.
Im due for a flush anyways and a OS upgrade.
seems like the only way.
@Pinky... your suggestions were good.
i had a look at config but couldnt see anything that looked like the problem.
but then again didnt really know what i was looking for.
im due for a format anyways. been 12 months. (long overdue)
Took me 3 years to format last time, i ran 3 OS's, XP Vista then was happy with windows 7. But then migrating from 7 32bit to 7 64bit was too hard so that's why I formatted.
You do keep windows up to date and have a virus scanner right?
I know it seems obvious but my brother was complaining to me about having a similar issue and I told him that windows has built in anti-malware software now and he told me that he never updates windows, to which I facepalmed. Once he turned on windows update and updated his machine it found the malware and removed it. He claimed to have "tried everything" as well but he is an epic noob so that consists of hitting the side of the monitor and banging random keys.