Proxy server, cannot remove

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,587
10,227
126
Ran across this today, working on a client's system that had some malware on it.

Conduit, and some friends.

Ran Malwarebytes, SAS, and FreeFixer and removed most all of it.

Oh yeah, since browsers didn't work because of the proxy crap, I used FTP.EXE to download a copy of Firefox off of their FTP server. It was bugged too, so I went to "about:config", and changed proxy type from 5 to 0. That worked, and I was able to get out on the internet.

Went to Internet Explorer, LAN settings, Proxy, and unchecked it. That didn't work. It stays checked, and there's a blurb under it about some setting may be configured by your administrator.

User account was an admin account. So I knew some sort of group policy setting was at work. I tried to launch gpedit.msc, but as I learned, that is not present in Win7 Home Prem.

I found a download that purported to install it into Home, but I couldn't get it to work.

Has anyone else run into this? Is there any easy fix, or a registry setting to check?

In my searches, I found that you could edit the registry manually to change group policy settings, and that someone had a similar problem, and it was caused by their anti-virus software. In that case, uninstalling it was the solution.

I didn't feel comfortable uninstalling their AV software, until I exhausted most or all of my other options.

Btw, does anyone know if Conduit "protects" the proxy setting like this? I recall removing conduit off of someone else's computer once, and all I had to do it "Reset" IE's settings to get rid of the proxy setting. That didn't work in this case.

Edit: I found a removal guide, and it doesn't mention removing a protected proxy server.
http://malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-conduit-apps-search-and-toolbar/

So either the malware is getting sneakier, or this may in fact have something to do with the AV software installed.

Edit: I left this on the system, because I didn't know what it was:
http://www.herdprotect.com/vntldr.exe-7ac6f7e3b4791f837d5caee5721052bd2ad1c59e.aspx

Edit: Here's a good guide for removing proxy servers:
http://www.plus.net/support/software/browsers/proxies.shtml#ie7

Unfortunately, it doesn't work, the LAN proxy setting in IE stays checked, because it was set by your administrator.

Edit: Found this page, which mentions the IE proxy settings in the registry:
http://www.2-viruses.com/remove-antivirus-net
Not sure where the "protection" GPO lives though.
 
Last edited:

inachu

Platinum Member
Aug 22, 2014
2,387
2
41
http://www.tweaklibrary.com/RegFiles/10224/Enable%20Proxy%20Changes%20(Default).reg


Download the above .reg file to enable proxy changes. Once changes have been made then download this:

http://www.tweaklibrary.com/RegFiles/10224/Disable Proxy Changes.reg



Now use this URL to help fix your other issues. I highly suggest you disable restore feature and uninstall the antivirus since it was not helpful in stopping the current malware/virus
http://www.techsupportall.com/file-association-fix-for-windows-7/

If your infection is unable to run certain programs you may need to use the following:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/fixexec/

Then reboot. If still issues then better to just backup the HD then reinstall windows.
 
Last edited:

inachu

Platinum Member
Aug 22, 2014
2,387
2
41
the protection could be messing up your repairs but you should also disable the restore feature lest the infection restores itself to use a proxy again.


------ been there. done that
 

PliotronX

Diamond Member
Oct 17, 1999
8,883
107
106
Just curious, have you uninstalled Java and Flash completely? I had a similar case where a very old version of Java was masquerading as the latest runtime and kept reinfecting the system until I removed Java as one of the last resorts before a reload of the OS. The uninstallation dialog revealed the true version of the JRE. After that and the last cleanup, no proxy and no reinfection.

Java needs to go away.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,587
10,227
126
Thanks for the help, next time I get to work on that machine (if I do), then I'll try those .reg files and fixes.