Twisterdata.com has a virus?!

[jshields]

Hello all- I was wondering if anyone has had any issues with twisterdata.com? two days in a row now I have apparently received a virus from their site. I can only assume this because while on their site is when the virus popped up. yesterday i was able to do a system restore and get my computer working normally again. however, today i have not been able to get to that function as apparently the virus has taken that over. the virus i have received both times has been the vista security 2012. it's a fake antivirus program that continually tells you, your computer is under attack and you need to download/update with their software.

here is some more info on the virus: microsoft virus info

does anyone know how to contact them so they can be made aware? my computer is screwed so far......

 

[Skip Talbot]

If your browser and security software are up to date, you generally will not receive a virus from simply visiting a website. If you're picking up a viruses just from browsing or noticing them while browsing, your computer has already been compromised in some fashion. That's generally caused by either using software with holes in it, or from installing software from less than reputable sources. There are a variety of free virus removal tools out there. I suggest using one that runs off a boot disk so that the virus isn't locked into the memory before the scanner can wipe it out. After that make sure Windows is up to date, and your virus scanner is up to date. I recommend Microsoft Security Essentials (its free and lightweight) http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/security-essentials. Then of course don't run anything that you don't trust.

Several site scanners are reporting that TwisterData is clean:

Scanning site with: AMaDa CLEAN
Scanning site with: BrowserDefender CLEAN
Scanning site with: DNS-BH CLEAN
Scanning site with: DShield SDL CLEAN
Scanning site with: Google Diagnostic CLEAN
Scanning site with: hpHosts UNRATED
Scanning site with: joewein.de LLC CLEAN
Scanning site with: Malc0de CLEAN
Scanning site with: Malware Domain List CLEAN
Scanning site with: Malware Patrol CLEAN
Scanning site with: MyWOT CLEAN
Scanning site with: Norton SafeWeb CLEAN
Scanning site with: ParetoLogic URL Clearing House CLEAN
Scanning site with: PhishTank CLEAN
Scanning site with: SCUMWARE CLEAN
Scanning site with: SpamhausDBL CLEAN
Scanning site with: SURBL CLEAN
Scanning site with: Threat Log CLEAN
Scanning site with: Trend Micro Site Safety Center CLEAN
Scanning site with: URIBL CLEAN
Scanning site with: VSCAN CLEAN
Scanning site with: Web Security Guard UNRATED
Scanning site with: ZeuS Tracker CLEAN

http://www.urlvoid.com/

Unless that site was just compromised or there is something on it that only exploits a specific hole in bad software or, more likely, another virus you already have on your computer, I doubt its that site.

 

[Brandon Jenkins]

Definitely doesn't appear to be any issue with the site, more likely a case of the spyware being activated by an IE/Firefox add-on. I've removed several variants of Windows 7 2012 Anti-Spyware in the past few days (I am a sys admin). Download and run ComboFix to remove it outright. It works great with the new variants, I cannot speak for the older version of the same spyware.

You may also need to manually "activate" the fake AV software before you can run any malware removal tools, you can try this key

3425-814615-3990

There are other keys floating around which work as well and allow you to run programs normally even while you are still infected.

Alternatively, here is a step by step guide for removal.

 

[GPhillips]

May not have anything to do with this particular problem, but a java exploit is out there for those who haven't patched their java to the latest version. It leaves you open to drive-by downloads.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57...-active-cross-platform-exploit/?tag=mncol;txt

 

[jshields]

May not have anything to do with this particular problem, but a java exploit is out there for those who haven't patched their java to the latest version. It leaves you open to drive-by downloads.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57...-active-cross-platform-exploit/?tag=mncol;txt

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!!
actually the java update might have been the root of the problem. i had been receiving a request to update my java the last couple of weeks, but i had ignored it so far
i had been on twisterdata last night looking at the GFS model run and clicking on the different hours, when the "virus" showed up. i cleared it with a system restore, and had even gone to that site again since without any problems. i was on there this morning looking at the model runs and clicking on the different hours when the virus showed up again. i was finally able to get to my system restore and do that function which worked great again. but now suddenly, my computer won't charge. i seem to have a functioning charger and it's a pretty new battery. did a google search, and it seems like a setting might have been changed in the device manager for my battery?! maybe that happened when i did a system restore, but not sure why it would change since i have never changed it before. i didn't find this solution though until my computer was dying and i didn't get a chance to try and fix it. anyone know of a way to keep your laptop on if you dont have a battery with a charge and no way of charging?!!

sorry this is kindof going off topic here and i don't know if i should have even put this in the weather and chasing part anyways. mods please feel free to move it or stop it.

 

[Zach Young]

i had been receiving a request to update my java the last couple of weeks, but i had ignored it so far

Many people ignore prompts to update software to the newest version. Most updates however are related to security vulnerabilities, and failing to patch can leave your system open to attack. Security patches also alert hackers and malware writers that a vulnerability exists, and roughly where to find it. They create their latest spyware and viruses to take advantage of people that don't update. In the future when you see reminder to update your software, do so at your earliest convenience! Patching makes the reminder go away anyway!

 

[Derek Weston]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!!
actually the java update might have been the root of the problem. i had been receiving a request to update my java the last couple of weeks, but i had ignored it so far
i had been on twisterdata last night looking at the GFS model run and clicking on the different hours, when the "virus" showed up. i cleared it with a system restore, and had even gone to that site again since without any problems. i was on there this morning looking at the model runs and clicking on the different hours when the virus showed up again. i was finally able to get to my system restore and do that function which worked great again. but now suddenly, my computer won't charge. i seem to have a functioning charger and it's a pretty new battery. did a google search, and it seems like a setting might have been changed in the device manager for my battery?! maybe that happened when i did a system restore, but not sure why it would change since i have never changed it before. i didn't find this solution though until my computer was dying and i didn't get a chance to try and fix it. anyone know of a way to keep your laptop on if you dont have a battery with a charge and no way of charging?!!

sorry this is kindof going off topic here and i don't know if i should have even put this in the weather and chasing part anyways. mods please feel free to move it or stop it.

You should have updated Java. You need to be smart enough to know the difference between a real software update alert and BS. (really, you shouldn't have BS notifications on windows itself unless you've got something like win-anti-virus -- update notifications that you get while visiting websites are more likely to be BS... you know... the sort that look like a windows screen but when you go to click it's an image. It's really not that hard to figure out which promptings are worthwhile and which are BS)

 

[jshields]

You should have updated Java. You need to be smart enough to know the difference between a real software update alert and BS. (really, you shouldn't have BS notifications on windows itself unless you've got something like win-anti-virus -- update notifications that you get while visiting websites are more likely to be BS... you know... the sort that look like a windows screen but when you go to click it's an image. It's really not that hard to figure out which promptings are worthwhile and which are BS)

yeah i know, i should have updated Java. lesson learned!! however, I am "smart enough" to know the difference in what I was seeing was a virus and I didn't click on any of the "fake" antivirus alerts that were continuously popping up on my screen. the virus was already on my computer at that point.