New NASTY variant of CoolWWWSearch

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2004-01-22 07:09am

CoolWWWSearch.SmartKiller (v1 and v2) is a new, real ugly variant of CoolWWWSearch. When running, it will close every browser window you use to visit a large list of anti-spyware-sites, and even will close Spybot-S&D and some other anti-spyware applications as well.

So if your copy of Spybot-S&D (or the anti-spyware application of your choice) closes a few seconds after starting, or your browser closes whenever you try to visit an anti-spyware site, check our CWS.SmartKiller removal utility on this page.

Up we go! - Phong

Super-Gagme · Post by **Super-Gagme** » 2004-01-22 08:16am

Is this shit considered a virus and ergo illegal? Or is it just another sleezey spyware that gets away with it?

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2004-01-22 09:01am

Super-Gagme wrote:Is this shit considered a virus and ergo illegal? Or is it just another sleezey spyware that gets away with it?

Yep it's spyware somwhere you click yes an the question, Do you vant to install.. whatever..

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-01-22 09:07am

Sounds more like a virus to me, anything that compromises my system like that is evil, consenting to it or not.

But then viruses are just about the most successful parasites in nature, why would online software versions be any different...

Mad · Post by **Mad** » 2004-01-22 10:42am

Well, a virus spreads by causing the infected computers to infect itself and infect others. This doesn't do that, so it's not a virus. It's still malware, though.

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2004-01-22 12:52pm

Some viruses (well, more technically, trojans) can spread by using websites to do their dirty work for them. This could be classified as a virus that way.

Again, best thing to do is to not even bother with IE anymore. I don't think the CWS people are smart enough to block mozilla.org...

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2004-01-22 01:19pm

Crayz9000 wrote:Some viruses (well, more technically, trojans) can spread by using websites to do their dirty work for them. This could be classified as a virus that way.

Again, best thing to do is to not even bother with IE anymore. I don't think the CWS people are smart enough to block mozilla.org...

Actually that's trivial.

127.0.0.1 www.mozilla.org

Then CWS can make a webserver process that sets up its own scum/porn/get-rich-quick/etc site on your own computer (content controlled by them via SSL link, natch), then when someone tries going to Mozzy Land, they get the Scumlord site instead. Pair this with the old 'multiply-redundant EXEs in RAM which reinstall the whole shebang each time any one is End-Tasked' trick which they've been known to do, and we have ourselves a candidate for 'Worst Malware Ever'. Well, until they come up with the next iteration after Merijn the Great White Wizard of the East whacks the stuffing outta this one...