Argh! viruses keep getting on my computer.

[Zero Plasma]

Happens about once a week, Norton finds a few of them, deletes them. No problems, but how do they get on my pc? I have Zone Alarm, I only use Mozilla for surfing.(I do use IE for pages Mozilla doesn't work with-Rarely) I'm very careful about what I download.(mostly just DL from good well known sites, scan files, and don't click on "Hey download this")
My virus definitions have been out of date for about five weeks, but it's been happing since I built the computer in early Nov,2004. No one uses the computer but me and no one has access to it.

How are they getting on it?

Please help.

 

[daniel49]

been having this same problem but if you read carefully norton says it may just be reporting a vulnerability more then a virus...I went to sun and updated my java hoping it would patch the vulnerability will report back if it was successful .

latest: Version 1.5.0 (build 1.5.0_02-b09)
http://www.java.com

 

[BespinReactorShaft]

Are you using XP? If so, which Service Pack?

 

[schdaddy]

like daniel49 said, update your java

 

[mechBgon]

1) the patch that makes your computer immune to this exploit came out back in 2003. It can be present in web pages, it can be detected by your antivirus, it can be sitting smack dab on your hard drive, but if your Windows patching is up-to-date, it isn't going to be able to do any harm.

2) if the malicious code is present in the web page, it doesn't matter what browser you use to view the page, the code's going to be detected.

3) your real-time scanner should be picking those off as you go, not detecting them after the fact. You're running your real-time protection, right?

4) time to get some new antivirus software. Looking at McAfee's latest DAT release, for example, they added 32 new virus detections and 80 enhanced/improved ones just since yesterday. Your safe habits are a plus, but if you're five weeks out on your protection, time to do something about that.

 

[daniel49]

ok, heres the deal its not the java update and I have been able to reproduce it half a dozen times in a row now.

On one machine I am running avg free and norton 2004 AV both they have been getting along fine except for this lil hitch.

when avg scans the norton folder it triggers a detect in Norton.
When I use Norton to scan its own folder it triggers a detect in avg

It is a class file inside of Nortons portal folder that is being detected.

So I am betting smoke that You are either running avg also or another freebie perhaps???

 

[Zero Plasma]

daniel, no I only have Norton

 

[Zero Plasma]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
1) the patch that makes your computer immune to this exploit came out back in 2003. It can be present in web pages, it can be detected by your antivirus, it can be sitting smack dab on your hard drive, but if your Windows patching is up-to-date, it isn't going to be able to do any harm.

2) if the malicious code is present in the web page, it doesn't matter what browser you use to view the page, the code's going to be detected.

3) your real-time scanner should be picking those off as you go, not detecting them after the fact. You're running your real-time protection, right?

4) time to get some new antivirus software. Looking at McAfee's latest DAT release, for example, they added 32 new virus detections and 80 enhanced/improved ones just since yesterday. Your safe habits are a plus, but if you're five weeks out on your protection, time to do something about that.

1. Auto-Updates turned on. Everything has been download when it teels me. "shrug"

3. I think it's on. Norton says Auto-Protect Enabled.

4. Yah, I know.

 

[daniel49]

Originally posted by: Smoke0
daniel, no I only have Norton

Just out of curiosity go to c/program files/norton antivirus/quarantine/portal folder and tell me if there is anything there

 

[Macros The Black]

Do you have this system setup for file sharing with a different system? I know I had a virus in the past that would migrate to the other system during a scan. It was extremely annoying. If you have any type of file sharing setup, unshare your folders and do a scan on each seperate machine.

Although I am not sure if you have it setup for filesharing.. do that.. if not.. then go play Half Life 2

 

[OmegaXero]

Download, update, and run Ad-Aware, SpyBot, and hijackthis. Also download a free copy of SpySweeper (30 day trial) update it, and run a scan with that as well.

 

[Zero Plasma]

No, it's empty.

 

[Zero Plasma]

Originally posted by: Macros The Black
Do you have this system setup for file sharing with a different system? I know I had a virus in the past that would migrate to the other system during a scan. It was extremely annoying. If you have any type of file sharing setup, unshare your folders and do a scan on each seperate machine.

Although I am not sure if you have it setup for filesharing.. do that.. if not.. then go play Half Life 2

No file sharing. Half-Life 2 very good.

 

[daniel49]

Originally posted by: Smoke0
No, it's empty.

ok, thats where I found mine hiding now I have to see if it can reinstall itself. It allowed me to delete it manually. It was a file with series of #'s.class and had actually set itself up in Nortons directory.
both Norton and avg detected. But didn't get rid of it.