cnfg.montiera.com ?

[SeldomFixit]

As soon as I launch Firefox ( Google as homepage ) I check and find cnfg.montiera.com and/or cnfg.parsley.com cookies.
Malwarebytes - sypwareblaster - PC tools Internet security - Avast - Spybot S&D all saying there is nothing there yet the XP OS lappy is as slow as a wet week and occasionally freezes ( 2GB Ram )
Googling cnfg.montiera.com suggests the world is about to end if you have it.
Can any of the enlightened ones help me understand and if needs be - deal with this ?
Cheers and thanks
SF

[green granite]

Probably the easiest way to kill it:

Remove Cnfg.montiera.com (Removal Guide), How To Remove Cnfg.montiera.com | Cleanpcguide.com (http://www.cleanpcguide.com/remove-cnfg-montiera-com-removal-guide-how-to-remove-cnfg-montiera-com/)

Or if that fails, do it the hard way:

Google Keeps Being Redirecting to Cnfg.montiera.com? Cnfg.montiera.com Removal Instructions - Spyware - Zimbio (http://www.zimbio.com/Spyware/articles/LfLo6kFjZ8i/Google+Keeps+Being+Redirecting+Cnfg+montiera)

[SeldomFixit]

Thanks GG I looked at the first link previously and wasn't sure if I was being directed to a " pay for a removal tool " site. The removal steps look do-able enough.
All I get is cookies - I did previously have a Babylon tool bar which I seemed to remove or disable easily enough through CCleaner.
The slow response of my machine definitely indicated there is a nasty at work but other than cookies at browser launch I see nothing concrete.
I'll do the safe mode removal route and see what happens - thanks for the moral support.
Cheers
SF

[Milo Minderbinder]

I can't comment about that help site - I've never seen it before, but to me it looks too slick to be real!

If you follow the steps listed in this old thread you should be able to kill off that hijack


http://www.pprune.org/computer-internet-issues-troubleshooting/482590-what-searchnu-com-430-taken-over-chrome-browser.html

[Milo Minderbinder]

Just gone through the downloads suggested on that CleanupPC site

First one redirects to a reg file on the bleepingcomputers website. This ones a genuine file that resets the windows shell defaults. Looks like a useful tool to have, though Symantec have something very similar on their website

Second download is for a useless program called SpeedyPC Pro - supposedly published by SpeedyPCPro LLC which actually installs the ParetoLogic PC optimisation crapware. It doesn't work, slows the machine, introduces its own web hijacks - and you have to pay for it

Third download is for Spyhunter 4.
I installed this, and realised I've seen it before under another name. Another piece of crapware that scans the machine, finds malware and then tells you to pay to remove it. It wanted 37 euros. Looking in the small print of the T&Cs shows this is a six monthly recurring subscription - nothing visible when you pay about that!

So, Seldom's first gut feeling was right

Theres a whole great industry in useless malware removal software - its the modern day snake oil business


The second site - Zimbio.com - appears to give genuine information about resetting the registry, but fails to give any info about removing the actual infective files, so after following the instructions you would still need to scan with antimalware programs

[SeldomFixit]

Thanks Milo and Mike - licensed version of Malwarebytes, fully updated finds nothing.
Currently looking to work though the previous thread as suggested.
Cheers
SF