Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Internet Security : still problems :-(

Well I think Microsoft folks did a pretty good job with the Service Pack but I am disappointed by Internet Explorer security.

Microsoft claims that the new pack block everything (or eventually ask you). Wrong, wrong and wrong :-(

After successfully installed the pack, activate all the required new securities, and blocking all the popups, I believed like many, thanks god, I can now work without too much hassle.

Wrong. A nasty spyware working as an exploit code, not only found a way in my computer, installed a nasty toolbar, created dozens of shortcut on my desktop, but the best installed itself as allowed sites in the popup blocker !!

And SP2 didn't moved at all, not a single alert, nada.

Thanks to some registry hacks, I found a way to at least dialled the toolbar, but I know the infamous code is still dormant somewhere, ready to attack again.

Crap.

 

3 Comments

  • I had this nasty one as well. My problem was that, if any trace of it existed on your machine, it will re-install itself. It had been installed (and I thought removed) several times before I installed XP SP2, but after the SP2 install it re-installed itself again. It would have caught it if the install had been attempted during web browsing at the point of the orrigional infection (I've seen it blocked now), but this one lingers on a system. :-(

  • Josh do you know a way to definitely remove Search 2000 ? I tried every anti spyware stuff but it's still there.

  • Paschal,

    The way I read this in your comments, it means your system was still 'infected' by this evil-ware when you applied SP2? If so, you should contact your anti-virus vendor and demand that they offer up a solution for you to clean your system from this(heck, that why you pay them for not?).



    And yes, SP2 will not clean a system, it will only (try to) prevent a new infection. But beware, once the infection is on the machine, this still pretty much stay the same as before. Stuff installed on your system, just happens to have a lot of privileges.



    oh, btw most of these evil programs are not geniuses, just very creative evil minds. I can not imagine how a developer of this stuff can go home and sleep with a clear conscience.

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