What is Cloud AV 2012?
The Malwarebytes research team has determined that Cloud AV 2012 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 Cloud AV 2012?
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 Cloud AV 2012 get on my computer?
Rogue programs use different methods for spreading themselves. This particular one was installed by a trojan.
How do I remove Cloud AV 2012?
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 directly, 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 iexplore.exe - Then launch iexplore.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 iexplore.exe
- Now doubleclick iexplore.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 Cloud AV 2012?
- 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 Cloud AV 2012 rogue. It would have warned you before the rogue could install itself, giving you a chance to stop it before it became too late.
Signs in a HijackThis log:
C:\DOCUME~1\{username}1\LOCALS~1\Temp\dwme.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Cloud AV 2012v121.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\A48D8\FE252.exe
C:\Program Files\D83BB\lvvm.exe
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 yahoo.com
O1 - Hosts: 212.124.122.156 google.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 myspace.com
O1 - Hosts: 212.124.122.156 msn.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 ebay.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 amazon.com
O1 - Hosts: 212.124.122.156 youtube.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 craigslist.org
O1 - Hosts: 212.124.122.156 wikipedia.org
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.110 cnn.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 facebook.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.110 go.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 live.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 blogger.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.110 aol.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 microsoft.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.110 comcast.net
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 imdb.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 digg.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 flickr.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 Expedia.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 Monster.com
O1 - Hosts: 212.124.122.156 Paypal.com
O1 - Hosts: 46.4.179.84 Weather.com
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [wUJ1wvU1sY0aGpF8234A] C:\WINDOWS\system32\Cloud AV 2012v121.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [YfbIKedU1s] C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\dwme.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [027.exe] C:\Program Files\LP\52EA\027.exe
Note: some of the startup-, folder- and file-names are random
Alterations made by the installer:
File System
===============
In the existing folder C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data
Adds the file ahst.lni"="11:44 26/11/11 1213 bytes
Adds the file dwme.exe"="11:44 26/11/11 286208 bytes
Adds the folder C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\A48D8
Adds the file FE252.exe"="11:44 26/11/11 172032 bytes
Adds the file 83BB.48D"="11:47 26/11/11 2136 bytes
Adds the folder C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\gH0qaTG9zF8
Adds the file Cloud AV 2012.ico"="11:44 26/11/11 12878 bytes
Adds the folder C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\GyhmP4tnLrbKdJs
Adds the folder C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\KscYHqaTNpRBlVk
Adds the folder C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\uDV7iWS6jA5hZgL
In the existing folder C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Desktop
Adds the file Cloud AV 2012.lnk"="11:44 26/11/11 1727 bytes
In the existing folder C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Local Settings\Temp
Adds the file dwme.exe"="11:44 26/11/11 286208 bytes
Adds the folder C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Start Menu\Programs\Cloud AV 2012
Adds the file Cloud AV 2012.lnk"="11:44 26/11/11 1739 bytes
Adds the folder C:\Program Files\D83BB
Adds the file lvvm.exe"="11:45 26/11/11 188416 bytes
Adds the folder C:\Program Files\LP
Adds the folder C:\Program Files\LP\52EA
Adds the file 4.tmp"="11:45 26/11/11 0 bytes
Adds the file 3.tmp"="11:44 26/11/11 101888 bytes
Adds the file 2.tmp"="11:44 26/11/11 0 bytes
Adds the file 027.exe"="11:44 26/11/11 286208 bytes
In the existing folder C:\WINDOWS\system32
Adds the file Cloud AV 2012v121.exe"="11:44 26/11/11 1940480 bytes
In the existing folder C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc
Alters the file hosts
13:00 28/02/06 734 bytes ==> 11:44 26/11/11 1355 bytes
Registry
===============
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"027.exe"="'C:\Program Files\LP\52EA\027.exe'"
"wUJ1wvU1sY0aGpF8234A"="'C:\WINDOWS\system32\Cloud AV 2012v121.exe'"
"YfbIKedU1s"="'C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\dwme.exe'"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
"Shell"="'explorer.exe,C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\A48D8\FE252.exe'"
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware log:
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.51.2.1300
www.malwarebytes.org
Database version: 8245
Windows 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3
Internet Explorer 8.0.6001.18702
11/26/2011 12:00:11 PM
mbam-log-2011-11-26 (12-00-11).txt
Scan type: Quick scan
Objects scanned: 141207
Time elapsed: 1 minute(s), 7 second(s)
Memory Processes Infected: 3
Memory Modules Infected: 0
Registry Keys Infected: 0
Registry Values Infected: 4
Registry Data Items Infected: 0
Folders Infected: 1
Files Infected: 9
Memory Processes Infected:
c:\WINDOWS\system32\cloud av 2012v121.exe (Malware.Packer) -> 2016 -> Unloaded process successfully.
c:\documents and settings\{username}\application data\A48D8\FE252.exe (Malware.Packer) -> 1756 -> Unloaded process successfully.
c:\program files\D83BB\lvvm.exe (Malware.Packer) -> 896 -> Unloaded process successfully.
Memory Modules Infected:
(No malicious items detected)
Registry Keys Infected:
(No malicious items detected)
Registry Values Infected:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\wUJ1wvU1sY0aGpF8234A (Malware.Packer) -> Value: wUJ1wvU1sY0aGpF8234A -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\YfbIKedU1s (Malware.Packer) -> Value: YfbIKedU1s -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\027.exe (Malware.Packer) -> Value: 027.exe -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Shell (Hijack.Shell.Gen) -> Value: Shell -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
Registry Data Items Infected:
(No malicious items detected)
Folders Infected:
c:\documents and settings\{username}\start menu\Programs\cloud av 2012 (Rogue.CloudAV2012) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
Files Infected:
c:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Local Settings\Temp\dwme.exe (Malware.Packer) -> Delete on reboot.
c:\WINDOWS\system32\cloud av 2012v121.exe (Malware.Packer) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\documents and settings\{username}\application data\A48D8\FE252.exe (Malware.Packer) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\program files\D83BB\lvvm.exe (Malware.Packer) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\documents and settings\{username}\application data\dwme.exe (Malware.Packer) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\program files\LP\52EA\027.exe (Malware.Packer) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\documents and settings\{username}\application data\ahst.lni (Malware.Trace) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\documents and settings\{username}\Desktop\cloud av 2012.lnk (Rogue.CloudAV2012) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
c:\documents and settings\{username}\start menu\Programs\cloud av 2012\cloud av 2012.lnk (Rogue.CloudAV2012) -> 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
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