Removal instructions for Advanced Defender

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is Advanced Defender?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that Advanced Defender is a fake anti-malware application. These so-called "rogues" use intentional false positives to convince users that their systems have been compromised. Then they try to sell you their software, claiming it will remove these threats. In extreme cases the false threats are actually the very trojans that advertise or even directly install the rogue. You are strongly advised to follow our removal instructions below.

How do I know if I am infected with Advanced Defender?

This is how the main screen of the rogue application looks:



The infection will hide the background and icons on your desktop and show this one in your taskbar:



And you will see these warnings:







How did Advanced Defender get on my computer?

Rogue programs use different methods for spreading themselves. This particular one uses a fake online scanner.

How do I remove Advanced Defender?

Our program Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware can detect and remove this rogue application.

• Please download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware from here
  If you are unable to do this from the infected computer diurectly, transfer the file from another computer.
• Download the mbam-setup.exe to your desktop.
• Now make sure extensions are shown. To do this, please look here
• Then rename the mbam-setup.exe: to explorer.exe:
• Then launch explorer.exe in order to install Malwarebytes' Anti-malware
• Once Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is installed, navigate to your Program Files\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware folder and locate the mbam.exe in there:
  
  
  
  rename it to firefox.exe:
  
  
  
  
• Now doubleclick firefox.exe to launch Malwarebytes' Anti-malware.
• Click the "Update" tab and click the "Check For updates" button.
• Once the program has loaded and updates were downloaded, select "Perform Quick Scan", then click Scan.
• The scan may take some time to finish,so please be patient.
• When the scan is complete, click OK, then Show Results to view the results.
• Make sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected.
• When disinfection is completed, a log will open in Notepad and you may be prompted to Restart, so please allow MBAM to restart.
• The log is automatically saved by MBAM and can be viewed by clicking the Logs tab in MBAM.

Is there anything else I need to do to get rid of Advanced Defender?

• No, Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware removes Advanced Defender completely.

How would the full version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware help protect me?

We hope our application has helped you eradicate this malicious software. If your current security solution let this infection through, you might please consider purchasing the FULL version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware for additional protection.

As you can see below the full version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware would have protected you against the Advanced Defender rogue. It would have warned you before the rogue could install itself, giving you a chance to stop it before it became too late.



Technical details for experts

Signs in a HijackThis log:

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [advanceddefender] C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender\advanceddefender.exe

Alterations made by the installer:

File System
  ===============
	Adds the folder C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Microsoft PData
	  Adds the file track.wid"="10:40 14/02/10 5 bytes
	In the existing folder C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Desktop
	  Adds the file Advanced Defender.lnk"="10:40 14/02/10 893 bytes
	Adds the folder C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Start Menu\Programs\Advanced Defender
	  Adds the file Advanced Defender.lnk"="10:40 14/02/10 905 bytes
	Adds the folder C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender
	  Adds the file queue.wdb"="10:40 14/02/10 117642 bytes
	  Adds the file quarant.wdb"="10:40 14/02/10 0 bytes
	  Adds the file conf.wcf"="10:40 14/02/10 291 bytes
	  Adds the file baseadd.wdb"="10:40 14/02/10 4784 bytes
	  Adds the file base.wdb"="10:40 14/02/10 1517 bytes
	  Adds the file advanceddefender.exe"="10:57 10/02/10 1232389 bytes
	Adds the folder C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender\q
	In the existing folder C:\WINDOWS
	  Adds the file certofsystem.exe"="10:40 14/02/10 47872 bytes
	  Adds the file explorers.exe"="10:40 14/02/10 33149 bytes
	  Adds the file microsoftdefend.dll"="10:40 14/02/10 18941 bytes
	  Adds the file regp.exe"="10:40 14/02/10 38352 bytes
	  Adds the file secureit.com"="10:40 14/02/10 28320 bytes
	  Adds the file spoos.exe"="10:40 14/02/10 51197 bytes
	In the existing folder C:\WINDOWS\system32
	  Adds the file winscent.exe"="10:40 14/02/10 0 bytes

  Registry
  ===============
	[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Advanced Defender\Soft]
	  "sKey"="'47F7A276B89BEFD992E01D3685570CE4'"
	[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
	  "advanceddefender"="'C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender\advanceddefender.exe'"
	[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Advanced Defender]
	  "InstallDate"="'1011766546'"
	  "UninstallString"="'C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender\advanceddefender.exe /uninstall'"
	  "DisplayName"="'Advanced Defender'"
	[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\WebView\BarricadedFolders]
	  "shell:ProgramFiles"="0"
	  "shell:SystemDriveRootFolder"="0"
	[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
	  "DisableTaskMgr"="'1'"

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware log:

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.44
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.44
Database version: 3737
Windows 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2
Internet Explorer 6.0.2900.2180

2/14/2010 10:24:17 AM
mbam-log-2010-02-14 (10-24-17).txt

Scan type: Quick Scan
Objects scanned: 100837
Time elapsed: 2 minute(s), 21 second(s)

Memory Processes Infected: 1
Memory Modules Infected: 0
Registry Keys Infected: 2
Registry Values Infected: 1
Registry Data Items Infected: 1
Folders Infected: 3
Files Infected: 16

Memory Processes Infected:
C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender\advanceddefender.exe (Rogue.Multiple) -> Unloaded process successfully.

Memory Modules Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Infected:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Advanced Defender (Rogue.AdvancedDefender) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Advanced Defender (Rogue.AdvancedDefender) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

Registry Values Infected:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\advanceddefender (Rogue.Multiple) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

Registry Data Items Infected:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\DisableTaskMgr (Hijack.TaskManager) -> Bad: (1) Good: (0) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

Folders Infected:
C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Start Menu\Programs\Advanced Defender (Rogue.AdvancedDefender) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender (Rogue.AdvancedDefender) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender\q (Rogue.AdvancedDefender) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

Files Infected:
C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender\advanceddefender.exe (Rogue.Multiple) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Start Menu\Programs\Advanced Defender\Advanced Defender.lnk (Rogue.AdvancedDefender) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender\base.wdb (Rogue.AdvancedDefender) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender\baseadd.wdb (Rogue.AdvancedDefender) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender\conf.wcf (Rogue.AdvancedDefender) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender\quarant.wdb (Rogue.AdvancedDefender) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\Program Files\Advanced Defender\queue.wdb (Rogue.AdvancedDefender) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Desktop\Advanced Defender.LNK (Rogue.AdvancedDefender) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winscent.exe (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\WINDOWS\certofSystem.exe (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\WINDOWS\Explorers.exe (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoftdefend.dll (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\WINDOWS\regp.exe (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\WINDOWS\secureit.com (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\WINDOWS\spoos.exe (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Microsoft PData\track.wid (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

As mentioned before the full version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware could have protected your computer against this threat.
We use different ways of protecting your computer(s):

• Dynamically Blocks Malware Sites & Servers
• Malware Execution Prevention

Save yourself the hassle and get protected.