VBS_SOLOW.C

Step 1

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as VBS_SOLOW.C. If the detected files have already been cleaned, deleted, or quarantined by your Trend Micro product, no further step is required. You may opt to simply delete the quarantined files. Please check this Knowledge Base page for more information.

Step 2

For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users, before doing any scans, please make sure you disable System Restore to allow full scanning of your computer.

NOTES:

To remove this malware, first identify the malware program.

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro antivirus product.

NOTE the path and file name of all files detected as VBS_SOLOW.C.

Trend Micro customers need to download the latest virus pattern file before scanning their computer. Other users can use Housecall, the Trend Micro online virus scanner.

Terminating the WSCRIPT.EXE Process

This procedure terminates the legitimate process WSCRIPT.EXE, which this malware uses for its malicious routines.

1. Open Windows Task Manager.

• On Windows 98 and ME, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE
• On Windows NT, 2000, XP, and Server 2003, press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC, then click the Processes tab.

2. In the list of running programs*, locate the process:

• WSCRIPT.EXE

3. Select the malware process, then press either the End Task or the End Process button, depending on the version of Windows on your computer.

4. To check if the malware process has been terminated, close Task Manager, and then open it again.

5. Close Task Manager.

*NOTE: On computers running Windows 98 and ME, Windows Task Manager may not show certain processes. You can use a third party process viewer such as Process Explorer to terminate the malware process.

On computers running all Windows platforms, if the process you are looking for is not in the list displayed by Task Manager or Process Explorer, continue with the next solution procedure, noting additional instructions. If the malware process is in the list displayed by either Task Manager or Process Explorer, but you are unable to terminate it, restart your computer in safe mode.

Editing the Registry

This malware modifies the computer's registry. Users affected by this malware may need to modify or delete specific registry keys or entries. For detailed information regarding registry editing, please refer to the following articles from Microsoft:

1. HOW TO: Backup, Edit, and Restore the Registry in Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows ME
2. HOW TO: Backup, Edit, and Restore the Registry in Windows NT 4.0
3. HOW TO: Backup, Edit, and Restore the Registry in Windows 2000
4. HOW TO: Back Up, Edit, and Restore the Registry in Windows XP and Server 2003

Removing Autostart Entry from the Registry

Removing the autostart entry from the registry prevents the malware from executing at startup.

If the registry entry below is not found, the malware may not have executed as of detection. If so, proceed to the succeeding solution set.

1. Open Registry Editor. Click Start>Run, type REGEDIT, then press Enter.
2. In the left panel, double-click the following:
   
   

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SOFTWARE>Microsoft>
   Windows>CurrentVersion>Run

3. In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:
   
   

   {Name of currently logged in user} = "%System%\{Name of currently logged in user}.vbs"

   (Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, which is usually C:\Windows\System on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\System32 on Windows NT and 2000, or C:\Windows\System32 on Windows XP and Server 2003.)

Restoring Modified Registry Entry

1. Still in Registry Editor, in the left panel, double-click the following:
   
   

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Microsoft>
   Internet Explorer>Main

2. In the right panel, locate the entry:
   
   

   Window Title = "Hacked by {malware file name of file detected earlier}"

3. Right-click on the value name and choose Modify. Delete the value data of this entry.
4. Close Registry Editor.

Restoring AUTORUN.INF

1. Right-click Start then click Search... or Find..., depending on the version of Windows you are running.
2. In the Named input box, type:
   
   

   AUTORUN.INF

3. In the Look In drop-down list, select a drive, then press Enter.
4. Select the file, then open using Notepad.
5. Check if the following lines are present in the file:
   
   

   shellexecute=wscript.exe {malware file name of file detected earlier}

6. If the lines are present, delete the file.
7. Repeat steps 3 to 6 for AUTORUN.INF files in the remaining removable drives.
8. Close Search Results.