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[Metallica]

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is Home Safety Essentials?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that Home Safety Essentials 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 Home Safety Essentials?

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



You will find these icons on your desktop and in your taskbar:



And see these warnings:





How did Home Safety Essentials get on my computer?

Rogue programs use different methods for spreading themselves. This particular one was installed by a trojan.

How do I remove Home Safety Essentials?

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

• Please download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware to your desktop.
• Double-click mbam-setup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
• At the end, be sure a check-mark is placed next to the following:
  
  
  • Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
  • Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
• Then click Finish.
• If an update is found, it will download and install the latest version.
• Once the program has loaded, select Perform quick scan, then click Scan.
• When the scan is complete, click OK, then Show Results to view the results.
• Be sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected. Reboot your computer if prompted.
• When completed, a log will open in Notepad. The rogue application should now be gone.

Is there anything else I need to do to get rid of Home Safety Essentials?

• The rogue replaces your hosts file, so you may have to restore the old one. You can find third-party hosts file alternatives at hpHosts or at mvps.org or you can simply reset the default hosts file as outlined here by Microsoft.

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 Home Safety Essentials 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:

C:\ProgramData\67f1f4\HS67f_231.exe

O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Home Safety Essentials] "C:\ProgramData\67f1f4\HS67f_231.exe" /s /d

Note: the folder and filename are random

Alterations made by the installer:

  File System
  ===============
    Adds the folder C:\ProgramData\67f1f4
      Adds the file HSE.ico"="11:22 21-08-11 4286 bytes
      Adds the file HS67f_231.exe"="11:21 21-08-11 3603968 bytes
    Adds the folder C:\ProgramData\67f1f4\HSESys
    Adds the folder C:\ProgramData\67f1f4\BackUp
      Adds the file HP Digital Imaging Monitor.lnk"="11:21 06-08-11 2069 bytes
    Adds the folder C:\ProgramData\67f1f4\Quarantine Items
    Adds the folder C:\ProgramData\HSBDPEE
      Adds the file HSSSGE.cfg"="11:22 21-08-11 21528 bytes
    Adds the folder C:\Users\All Users\67f1f4
      Adds the file HSE.ico"="11:22 21-08-11 4286 bytes
      Adds the file HS67f_231.exe"="11:21 21-08-11 3603968 bytes
    Adds the folder C:\Users\All Users\67f1f4\HSESys
    Adds the folder C:\Users\All Users\67f1f4\BackUp
    Adds the folder C:\Users\All Users\67f1f4\Quarantine Items
    Adds the folder C:\Users\All Users\HSBDPEE
      Adds the file HSSSGE.cfg"="11:22 21-08-11 21528 bytes
    In the existing folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Temp
      Adds the file 231.sys"="11:23 21-08-11 124928 bytes
      Adds the file 361D.tmp"="11:22 21-08-11 317440 bytes
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Home Safety Essentials
      Adds the file Instructions.ini"="11:22 21-08-11 2139 bytes
      Adds the file cookies.sqlite"="18:38 01-08-11 524288 bytes
    In the existing folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
      Adds the file Home Safety Essentials.lnk"="11:22 21-08-11 1636 bytes
    In the existing folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
      Adds the file Home Safety Essentials.lnk"="11:22 21-08-11 1636 bytes
    In the existing folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
      Adds the file Home Safety Essentials.lnk"="11:22 21-08-11 1642 bytes
    In the existing folder C:\Users\{username}\Desktop
      Adds the file Home Safety Essentials.lnk"="11:22 21-08-11 1610 bytes
    In the existing folder C:\Windows\System32
      Adds the file c_7265151.nls"="11:23 21-08-11 143876 bytes
    In the existing folder C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc
      Alters the file hosts

  Registry
  ===============
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Download]
      "RunInvalidSignatures"="1"
      "CheckExeSignatures"="no"
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
      "Home Safety Essentials"="'"C:\ProgramData\67f1f4\HS67f_231.exe" /s /d'"

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware log:

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.51.1.1800
www.malwarebytes.org

Database version: 7525

Windows 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1
Internet Explorer 9.0.8112.16421

21-8-2011 11:44:20
mbam-log-2011-08-21 (11-44-20).txt

Scan type: Quick scan
Objects scanned: 161608
Time elapsed: 7 minute(s), 21 second(s)

Memory Processes Infected: 1
Memory Modules Infected: 0
Registry Keys Infected: 0
Registry Values Infected: 1
Folders Infected: 1
Files Infected: 8

Memory Processes Infected:
c:\programdata\67f1f4\hs67f_231.exe (Rogue.HomeSafetyEssentials) -> 3756 -> Unloaded process successfully.

Memory Modules Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Values Infected:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Home Safety Essentials (Rogue.HomeSafetyEssentials) -> Value: Home Safety Essentials -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

Folders Infected:
c:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\home safety essentials (Rogue.HomeSafetyEssentials) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

Files Infected:
c:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Temp\361D.tmp (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\home safety essentials\cookies.sqlite (Rogue.HomeSafetyEssentials) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\home safety essentials\instructions.ini (Rogue.HomeSafetyEssentials) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\microsoft\internet explorer\quick launch\home safety essentials.lnk (Rogue.HomeSafetyEssentials) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\{username}\Desktop\home safety essentials.lnk (Rogue.HomeSafetyEssentials) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\microsoft\Windows\start menu\Programs\home safety essentials.lnk (Rogue.HomeSafetyEssentials) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\microsoft\Windows\start menu\home safety essentials.lnk (Rogue.HomeSafetyEssentials) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\programdata\67f1f4\hs67f_231.exe (Rogue.HomeSafetyEssentials) -> 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.