Avoiding and Removing Conficker.B Virus Infections

Conficker.B Overview

Conficker.B is a self updating malicious computer worm that infects computers across a network by exploiting the susceptibility in the Windows Server service. Said another way, Conficker.B sneaks into computers through a security weakness in Windows and having done that tries to infect other computers connected on a network. Conficker.B spreads through removable drives and network shares. This worm disables security services, blocks access to security related websites and opens the affected system to outside attacks.

Conficker has variants such as Conficker A, Conficker B, Conficker.C, Conficker.D, and Conficker E being the latest one. These are also related to other worms such as Kido, Win32.Worm and Downadup.Gen.

There are currently tens of millions of computers believed to be infected with Conficker B.

Conficker is hard to remove from affected systems because it utilizes a Windows feature intended for good (Access Control Lists) to lock the malware executable in the system. This highlights the need for users to establish strong passwords both on personal computers and corporate networks, as well as the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest Windows security patches.

A wide variety of Windows operating system vintages are potentially at risk from Conficker including Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta.

Conficker infections spread by copying on to removable drives (aka USB memory sticks and other removal drives – which can include digital cameras and music players) and edits the autorun.inf file to cause itself to be run whenever that drive is plugged in to another machine.

One major implication of the Conficker B worm, is the sophistication with which Conficker is able to terminate, disable, reconfigure, or black hole native operating systems.

As mentioned earlier, Conficker disables several important system services and security products.

In spite of the prominence of the threat of Conficker.B, PC users can always reduce the risk of infection by following the basic steps outlined below:

Reducing the Risk of a Conficker.B Infection

• Be cautious when opening up folders for file sharing
• Use strong administrator passwords that are unique for all computers.
• Avoid logging on to computers by using Domain Admin credentials.
• Make sure all systems have the latest security updates applied.
• Disable Auto Play features

support.com Customer Stories:

There are many forums and free help sites available for the more experienced computer user to help clean up an infected PC. If you choose to use support.com's experienced Solutions Engineers to help, here are recent comments from customers who had the problem solved by support.com:

• "Called because I received a threatening phone call from an individual who said I infected a 'client' with Conficker. Your tech explained the realities of that claim. Much peace of mind there! Also your tech updated my system while he was online with me and cleared my Firefox info in a way I did not understand was possible. support.com is my lifeline. The best money I spend every month! I have referred a ton of clients and will continue. Majorly satisfied with this service." Kathy, Orlando, Florida
• "On 8/9, we learned we had what we thought was a Virus, but later learned it was some sort of Spyware/Malware under the name of 'Green AV', on our computer. 'Green' would disguise itself as Windows Security and pop up warnings of password compromises and possible identity theft to try to get us to give personal info.to keep the computer safe. Scott at support.com demonstrated knowledge, professionalism and expertise in helping us rid our PC of the 'Green Monster'. Thanks, Scott and support.com!" Ketura, Alabama
• "Referred by brother, and I've been a customer for over 3 months. You're able to remove this 'green av' trojan agent I've been dealing with for the past month. It really was a nuisance. Thanks for getting rid of it." Michael, California
• "I had a bunch of nasty viruses infecting my computer and was unable to clean any of them up. I was skeptical about contacting the the support team but was reassured by Bob that he could help me. I soon realized that he was right! Both he and Jim did a fantastic job at fixing the problem. And I didn't even have to take my computer to a shop to be fixed in a week... it was done in 2 hours!!!! Hats off to a wonderful team. Susan."Susan, Missouri
• "Virus that kept reappearing. I tried to run it down myself but it got worse. Your support person got it cleared up within an hour. Thanks." Dale, Texas
• "My daughter downloaded a photo and the AntiVirus 360 popped up and I tried as much as I could think of to fix it -probably only making the problem worse not knowing what malware is. When I finally got on-line to look up the 360, what looked like a solution was actually the problem." Suzanne, Kentucky
• "One of our business computers had anti-virus 360. Scott was outstanding in fixing our computer and explaining everything that he did." Jennifer, North Carolina
• "I was on my computer when I got this pop-up telling me that I was infected with a virus. It advised me that I should download Antivirus360 (at a cost of about $150.00 U.S.) to solve the problem. It looked legitimate so I downloaded it. It basically took over my computer. Keith at support.com solved my problem. He was very knowledgeable. Very nice person to deal with." Denise, Florida
• "I had an antivirus 360 pop up on my desk top, unsure how it got there. I was unable to use my computer properly, the antivirus 360 blocked my access to internet on/off. The antivirus pop ups were annoying and I was unable to freely use my computer. support.com engineer, Troy, was so patient with me during the process and he was very knowledgeable about my problem and was able to solve it readily." Janice, Nevada

support.com Can Rid your Computer of Conficker.B Infections

support.com Solutions Engineers are experts in fixing all sorts of computer problems. Every day, thousands of customers use us to get support for a variety of problems, like Conficker.B infections. Getting help from us is simple, just call!

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