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#4015036 - 09/27/14 11:22 AM My PC is infected with a virus,help!  
Joined: Apr 2008
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Chucky Offline
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Chucky  Offline
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UK
Damn! I just got a call from a lady from 'Microsoft Support' saying my PC is infected with a virus.

No problem,let me just boot up my laptop and we can resolve this. Pressing 'start+r' wasn't giving her the desired effect so after 5 mins of trying to figure it out she put me through to another technician. After a further few frustrating minutes she asked me to click on the Windows start menu button. No I said,I'm not running Windows,I'm running Linux. Short pause then click.How rude biggrin

The funny thing was,I was composing a post on another forum (yes,they do exist) about the benefits of Linux over Windows when the phone rang. Perfect timing I thought.


EV's are the Devils matchbox.
Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#4015037 - 09/27/14 11:24 AM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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Gopher Offline
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Just make sure you patch bash wink

#4015071 - 09/27/14 12:44 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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Murphy Offline
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Murphy  Offline
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Northern Michigan, USA
I heard on TV news that Linux was having problems.
Someone actually hacked into it, very unusual.
Didn't pay much attention....but maybe I should have.......


"Murphy's Law"
#4015079 - 09/27/14 01:06 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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Gopher Offline
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It's not so much that anyone hacked into it, but that there was an oversight in the way it was coded a while back, and people have already jumped onto the bug and are seeking to take advantage of it.

My take on it (which may actually be completely wrong, so that is my disclaimer) is that when you tell it to set an environmental variable, you can get it to follow on from that command to execute "something else", which is where your malicious payload comes in.

It's actually really easy to test for, which is partly why it's so critical. The other thing is that for a lot of linux distributions, the affected program is heavily used.

Here is the BBC news of the bug;

Here is a bit more information on the bug and its "implementation"(Fedora Magazine) ;

Here is the NIST CVE bug report summary.

Basically, patch bash. It has already been patched (further patching will also probably be needed later on), although as I understand it, Apple is still working on a fix.

#4015093 - 09/27/14 01:40 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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Chucky Offline
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I won't profess to being entirely comfortable in and around Linux just yet.As a recent convert I'm still very much feeling my way around it and the many distro's on offer,however I did look upon a system running Linux as the perfect option for on-line banking etc.

I'm a little concerned now,I assume bash in an integral part of Linux? Would I have to manually update it or just rely on the updater?

*edit* I just booted to Linux and found an update for bash yep

Last edited by Chucky; 09/27/14 01:48 PM. Reason: extra info

EV's are the Devils matchbox.
#4015103 - 09/27/14 02:22 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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xthor Offline
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Did the "Microsoft Support" lady happen to have an Indian accent? wink

I've also been getting phone calls from them - they're running a CLSID Scam. I keep telling them that I don't want their "service" and not to call me again. But after a month or two they'd call again - very frustrating.

#4015148 - 09/27/14 05:09 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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bonchie Offline
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I own a computer repair company.

It never ceases to amaze me the scams people will fall for.

#4015158 - 09/27/14 05:36 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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KeyCat Offline
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Originally Posted By: Chucky
...After a further few frustrating minutes she asked me to click on the Windows start menu button. No I said,I'm not running Windows,I'm running Linux. Short pause then click.How rude biggrin


rofl - Good one!

As said before the only thing MS managed to do with the "8.x debacle" was to move more people to Linux/Mac.

/KC


>> It's all about teamwork! <<
#4015170 - 09/27/14 06:25 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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kludger Offline
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Yeah, we've been getting a flurry of calls from "Microsoft Support" and "iWindows Support" with that scam to trick you into installing a remote control takeover app since the Target security breach.

I'm glad my wife is savvy enough about things to not fall for it and handed the phone to me the first time, but I bet it works for them to scam less computer savvy people.


i7-7700k@4.5ghz, GTX1080Ti,BenQ XL2420G-g-sync,Oculus Rift
#4015253 - 09/27/14 09:37 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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Gopher Offline
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Do you guys get that on mobiles too? I leave my landline unplugged to avoid all that crap (I've had around 10 calls in through it - all but one were spam).

It's annoying that in the UK, TPS (the phone opt-out service) can only work with national calls - scammers get around it by phoning from offshore (e.g. India), which the TPS are unable to regulate.

#4015256 - 09/27/14 09:46 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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DaBBQ Offline
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This is SimHQ virus reporting, please delete all your porn and call IT department for a ham sandwich.

Thanks.

#4015445 - 09/28/14 08:40 AM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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PV1 Offline
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I happened to be home for a call just the other day,
so I guess it was on a weekend. I asked the guy how he
thought his karma was doing, working for a criminal
organization that specialized in defrauding little old
ladies. He seemed to get rather vocally disturbed before
I hung up on him.

#4015461 - 09/28/14 10:33 AM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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Chucky Offline
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Chucky  Offline
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PV1,in my experience some of them have no problem getting a little insulting,still it makes the call more fun.

Gopher,I'm registered with the TPS but that hasn't stopped a few calls to me from within the UK. Just recently I got called 2 or 3 times asking if I was getting a certain leaflet put through my door. Also a company that was based in my home town also rang trying to sell something.

I nearly always play these guys up,I just accept that the phone is just another source of entertainment in my house biggrin


EV's are the Devils matchbox.
#4015835 - 09/29/14 12:56 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 49,716
Jedi Master Offline
Entil'zha
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Entil'zha
Sierra Hotel

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I like to speak in an incomprehensible accent, like an incensed Scot or a drunk Southerner or perhaps a Wookiee. Even a little Huttese now and then. They get quite confused.



The Jedi Master


The anteater is wearing the bagel because he's a reindeer princess. -- my 4 yr old daughter
#4015931 - 09/29/14 06:25 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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Ojokoltsa Offline
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Originally Posted By: Chucky
Damn! I just got a call from a lady from 'Microsoft Support' saying my PC is infected with a virus.

No problem,let me just boot up my laptop and we can resolve this. Pressing 'start+r' wasn't giving her the desired effect so after 5 mins of trying to figure it out she put me through to another technician. After a further few frustrating minutes she asked me to click on the Windows start menu button. No I said,I'm not running Windows,I'm running Linux. Short pause then click.How rude biggrin

The funny thing was,I was composing a post on another forum (yes,they do exist) about the benefits of Linux over Windows when the phone rang. Perfect timing I thought.


Nice one! :-D

Originally Posted By: kludger
I'm glad my wife is savvy enough about things to not fall for it and handed the phone to me the first time, but I bet it works for them to scam less computer savvy people.


Unfortunately, yes. :-(

http://SimHQ.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3670408/Microsoft_Scam_Call_%28no_fun%29#Post3670408


MoBo: MSI P67A-GD65 (B3) | CPU: Intel Core i7 2600K 4x3.40GHz | RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 CL8 8GB Kit | GPU: MSI N560GTX Twin Frozr II/OC 1GB DDR5 | SND: AuzenTech X-Meridian 7.1 2G | PSU: be quiet! Dark Power Pro 550W | SSD: OCZ Agility 3 60GB – ArchLinux | HDD: WD Caviar Green 1000GB (Data) | DVD-RW: Pioneer DVR-218L | Sony Optiarc AD-7240S
#4015964 - 09/29/14 08:10 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Jedi Master]  
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U-96 Offline
%!#Stack Overflow#!%
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Originally Posted By: Jedi Master
I like to speak in an incomprehensible accent, like an incensed Scot or a drunk Southerner or perhaps a Wookiee. Even a little Huttese now and then. They get quite confused.



The Jedi Master


hey me too! although I usually answer as the visa department of the Bulgarian Embassy biggrin

#4016334 - 09/30/14 05:11 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: Chucky]  
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Gopher Offline
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I usually just load up this youtube video, turn up the volume, and play it down the line - loud.

Uh, don't click on that, by the way.

#4016359 - 09/30/14 05:39 PM Re: My PC is infected with a virus,help! [Re: U-96]  
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Jedi Master Offline
Entil'zha
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Entil'zha
Sierra Hotel

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Space Coast, USA
Originally Posted By: U-96
Originally Posted By: Jedi Master
I like to speak in an incomprehensible accent, like an incensed Scot or a drunk Southerner or perhaps a Wookiee. Even a little Huttese now and then. They get quite confused.



The Jedi Master


hey me too! although I usually answer as the visa department of the Bulgarian Embassy biggrin


Hello. My hovercraft is full of eels.



The Jedi Master


The anteater is wearing the bagel because he's a reindeer princess. -- my 4 yr old daughter

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