Questions tagged [virus]

A software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer.

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469 votes
18 answers
327k views

How can I remove malicious spyware, malware, adware, viruses, trojans or rootkits from my PC?

What should I do if my Windows computer seems to be infected with a virus or malware? What are the symptoms of an infection? What should I do after noticing an infection? What can I do to get rid of ...
124 votes
5 answers
23k views

Why does anti-virus software not delete the viruses, malware, etc., but instead quarantine them?

Why does anti-virus software not completely delete the viruses, malware, etc., but instead quarantine them? Is it not better to completely get rid of them? Why? And how can I manually remove them?
Sardar_Usama's user avatar
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104 votes
16 answers
101k views

Can AVI files contain a virus?

I'm downloading an AVI file via a torrent, but my anti-virus detects something. Is it possible that the AVI file contains a virus? It is quite weird since the torrent has many positive reviews.
IMB's user avatar
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104 votes
5 answers
4k views

Why the heck does NTFS allow invisible executables?

You can hide any file inside of another file just by typing: type sol.exe > container.txt:sol.exe and to run the file hidden file just use: start c:\hide\container.txt:sol.exe But the crazy ...
Kredns's user avatar
  • 3,007
103 votes
23 answers
17k views

How can I make a Windows PC bullet-proof for home users? [closed]

I realize that virus-proof on a Windows PC is far fetched, but in the interest of keeping time spent as the "family-tech-support" to a minimum, I am looking for ideas to lock a computer down to the ...
60 votes
7 answers
25k views

My webcam just came on "out of the blue"

I have a Microsoft LifeCam HD sitting atop my monitor. Today, completely out of the blue, its light came on -- I was simply browsing the web (in Chrome) when it happened. After about 5 minutes the ...
AngryHacker's user avatar
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58 votes
4 answers
205k views

Is my host machine completely isolated from a virus-infected virtual machine?

If I am running a Windows 7 virtual machine on a Windows 7 host using VMWare or VirtualBox (or anything else) and the virtual machine is completely overloaded with viruses and other malicious software,...
Diogo's user avatar
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55 votes
8 answers
145k views

Can a virus from a VirtualBox VM affect the host computer?

Can a virus from a VirtualBox VM affect the host computer?
user3183's user avatar
  • 3,327
39 votes
1 answer
15k views

Avast on macOS High Sierra claims it has caught the Windows-Only “Cryptonight” virus

Yesterday I ran a full system scan using my Avast antivirus software and it found a infection file. The file's location is : /private/var/db/uuidtext/7B/BC8EE8D09234D99DD8B85A99E46C64 Avast ...
Lonely Twinky's user avatar
36 votes
6 answers
14k views

Do all programs running in a computer show up in the processes tab in Task Manager? [duplicate]

The reason I am asking this is because I am curious if there can exist a virus in the computer without me ever being able to know it exists. To be more specific, a virus that emits no signs of any ...
itzjustricky's user avatar
28 votes
4 answers
31k views

CMD prompt window pops up and instantly disappears periodically

Windows 10 - Every 10 minutes or so, a command line window flashes on my computer. I'm afraid I may have been infected by something. I've been staring at the Task Manager (and process explorer) for ...
boscher50's user avatar
  • 601
28 votes
4 answers
33k views

Console window keeps popping up

I keep seeing a console window pop up for a fraction of a second every couple of hours. Seems random, I can't pin it to any one particular event. Is there any way I can trap the window and see what it'...
Absinthe's user avatar
  • 524
27 votes
4 answers
7k views

Can a Chromebook be infected by a computer virus through a malicious website?

I am wondering if a Chromebook can receive a virus through a malicious website. I recently have heard they are immune to any sort of virus, but I am not sure that's true. Does somebody know if ...
Compositr's user avatar
  • 480
27 votes
12 answers
5k views

How can I explain what a computer virus is to people who are not familiar with computers and programming?

I have to teach a group of non-CS students what computer viruses are. The course material contains only definitions and some details about what those viruses do. But those things are known to everyone ...
nixnotwin's user avatar
  • 451
25 votes
5 answers
42k views

Strange output from terminal `exit` command is this a virus?

I don't think that I have seen this before, but whenever I run exit in terminal I get a very strange output. This is what it looks like: logout Saving session... ...copying shared history... ......
iProgram's user avatar
  • 653
24 votes
8 answers
15k views

Virtual Machine and Virus

I have a requirement for which I have to get online without protection (firewall, anti-virus). At the same time, I don't want to risk getting infected with viruses. If I install a virtual machine (...
user avatar
24 votes
4 answers
110k views

How can I view command prompt history after the window is closed on Windows 10?

I saw in the morning a command prompt window for just one second. After the command finished the window was closed. I would like to see, what command was run before it closed. Is it possible? I know,...
user3545446's user avatar
23 votes
4 answers
6k views

What are ways to prevent files with the Right-to-Left Override (RLO) Unicode character in their filenames (malware spoofing method) from being run?

How the RLO unicode character is used by malware: [...] This virus's file name is crafted in a way that PC users take it for a benign file from its appearance (mainly the file extension) and open it. ...
galacticninja's user avatar
19 votes
2 answers
30k views

Strange, similar services running on my PC: are they viruses?

there are a couple of services from UnistackSvcGroup, BcastDVRUserService and others running on my Windows 10 machine with a weird name. I did some research on the web about services from these groups ...
Momergil's user avatar
  • 679
19 votes
2 answers
232k views

Where can you intentionally download computer virus online for testing purpose? [closed]

I want to run Computer virus on virtual machine to see how they behave, is there any online repository or database which store computer virus. Both old and new?
bran's user avatar
  • 333
17 votes
4 answers
26k views

How to be certain you don't have a virus when anti-virus scanners find nothing malicious? (Windows 7)

I recently spent many hours troubleshooting a laptop that could not connect to the internet. The laptop exhibited no other unnatural behavior, and so my first thoughts were to try connecting to other ...
JonathonG's user avatar
  • 359
17 votes
6 answers
9k views

How can visiting a webpage infect your computer?

My mother's computer recently became infected with some sort of rootkit. It began when she received an email from a close friend asking her to check out some sort of webpage. I never saw it, but my ...
16 votes
4 answers
3k views

Is it safe to download and burn a disc image on an infected PC?

My PC is infected. If I download and burn linuxmint.iso on the infected PC, will the CD become infected also?
3456's user avatar
  • 187
16 votes
8 answers
15k views

Can a virus melt the CPU?

I was just wondering if a virus could melt a CPU by altering te voltage in the bios. :) (and no, I'm not planning on making that kind of a virus...)
kajdehoop's user avatar
  • 343
16 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why shouldn't we open an image in an email?

Most email clients do not display an image by default in the content of an email. But I don't understand this yet. How can displaying image job attack the computer?
Benjamin's user avatar
  • 2,289
16 votes
7 answers
100k views

Can system restore remove virus from the computer?

Can a system restore to a past time remove the virus from the computer?
user avatar
15 votes
5 answers
26k views

Unreasonable RAM usage in Windows 7

I have a fresh install of Windows 7, and my RAM in normal startup goes up to 2.5GB. I looked at Task Manager, and there's at least 1.5GB missing from there and in Resource Monitor as well. There's no ...
Not Amused's user avatar
15 votes
3 answers
19k views

Why can I get a virus or trojan from visiting a website?

I have seen these a lot lately. You click the link, and instant trojan. No need to download or anything. How is this possible? Is there a way I can scan the links before visiting to make sure I won'...
Rob's user avatar
  • 747
14 votes
3 answers
6k views

How to know if your computer is hit by a dnschanger virus?

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is on the final stage of its Operation Ghost Click, which strikes against the menace of the DNSChanger virus and trojan. Infected PCs running the ...
kira's user avatar
  • 287
14 votes
3 answers
47k views

How to determine what is running in DLLHOST.EXE that's missing /ProcessID switch?

I have multiple dllhost.exe processes running on my Windows 7 computer: Every one of these image's command line is missing (what I am thinking is) the requisite /ProcessID:{000000000-0000-0000-0000-...
I say Reinstate Monica's user avatar
12 votes
6 answers
21k views

Unknown linux process with random command

I have a unknown process when I run top: When I kill the process it is coming again with another random name. when I check the rc.d levels and init.d there are many random name similar like this one ...
user1424059's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
2k views

What does this entry in hosts-file mean: 192.168.3.2 NPI2A54EA

I took over a Windows 7 PC from a developer and in the hosts file there was this entry: 192.168.3.2 NPI2A54EB Does anybody know why this would be entered there and if this could be a virus or would ...
ManOnAMission's user avatar
12 votes
5 answers
21k views

A virusproof (ransomware...) strategy for backup on a NAS?

I bought a NAS to share files and as backup solution. Recently my netbook got infected by a ransomware. All files on the netbook and most of the file on the NAS were destroyed (the virus shuffles the ...
Plouff's user avatar
  • 242
12 votes
6 answers
41k views

Is it possible to detect a virus with taskmanager?

If I would have a running virus on my system, would I be able to see the process in taskmanager? I mean, would it be possible for a running virus to circumvent the taskmanager so the process doesn't ...
user1344545's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
88k views

Files names in pen drive turned into gibberish text

Recently my uncle gave me his memory card from his phone telling me something is wrong with it.When i tried to check the contents of memory card this is what i found(take a look at screenshot). I ...
simplyblue's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
6k views

Can an ISO file damage—or infect—the machine it's being burned on?

I'm wondering if an ISO file can do damage—or infect the system— that it's being burned on. Something like the Zip Slip Vulnerability or similar. I really want to burn an ISO to a disc, but I can’t ...
mekb's user avatar
  • 333
11 votes
2 answers
8k views

Gmail "Message left on the server", how to automatically delete them? [closed]

In the last few weeks, I've been receiving many alerts from Gmail while reading emails from another account. The warnings, for example, read Message left on the server: "Thank you for setting the ...
Strae's user avatar
  • 316
11 votes
4 answers
2k views

Am I attacked or just stupid?

I run a server using Debian Squeeze with several OpenVZ containers. The containers run mostly Squeeze, some Lenny, and some already updated to Wheezy. The host doesn't do that much beyond iptables and ...
Lars Hanke's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
73k views

usb flash drive contents replaced with a single shortcut

I was confused when I opened my flash drive all I saw was a shortcut with its target as C:\Windows\system32\rundll32.exe ~$WO.FAT32,_ldr@16 desktop.ini RET TLS " " You may refer to the images I ...
kapitanluffy's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
79k views

Why pirate / crack software often detected "is containing virus"?

Sometime you have been told to whitelist the file to run the crack, it is false positive. Why some AV is detecting such virus "is containing virus"? I know some of the crack is a fake file to crash ...
Bilo's user avatar
  • 1,524
10 votes
4 answers
1k views

Is it possible to safely contain a virus - not letting it spread?

I need to run a program, but I don't trust the author. I think it is infected with spyware, viruses, or malicious files. I scanned it and didn't find anything, but I'm still not feeling good about it. ...
Lynob's user avatar
  • 5,390
10 votes
6 answers
30k views

Can a virus infect an ISO file?

I feel that it's going to be very difficult for a virus to infect an ISO file. What's your experience? Have you seen it happening ever? Is it not nearly unlikely? I ask because I've just found that ...
Frederick's user avatar
  • 759
10 votes
6 answers
24k views

What is gen_204?

What is gen_204? I saw it downloading earlier today only to find another copy of it in my downloads and deleted both. It just downloaded again. It was a small file with no extension. I searched ...
Ryan's user avatar
  • 247
10 votes
5 answers
20k views

can a virus execute by itself?

is there any type of viruses can execute by itself after download then on the HDD without clicking on it?? if there is ..... can you refer me to any sites about them?
user avatar
10 votes
9 answers
10k views

UAC being turned off once a day on Windows 7

I have strange problem on my HP laptop. This began to happen recently. Whenever I start my machine, Windows 7 Action Center displays the following warning: You need to restart your computer for ...
9 votes
4 answers
34k views

How can you find out if xlsx and docx files are safe to open?

I have received an email from a not entirely trustworthy source, it might be legit but I'm not really sure. It contains, among other things, information on a .docx Microsoft Word file and a .xlsx ...
fightermagethief's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
7k views

Edit Windows startup applications from Linux

I'm dealing with a Windows 7 that has got a virus that starts immediately on startup, locking the screen. It also runs in safemode (even with command prompt only). Only option is to switch the ...
Shahbaz's user avatar
  • 192
9 votes
4 answers
3k views

Can a computer be infected by malware through web browser?

Can a computer be infected when it accesses a malicious web page? Why is not a web browser 100% safe? What web resources, such as Java Script, Flash or a HTTP connection, can infect a computer?
Squall's user avatar
  • 999
9 votes
5 answers
84k views

Download Virus/Malware Purposefully

Where can I download a virus, work, trojan, etc. for analysis? Yes, I'm actually hunting for malware, rather than keeping it at bay and hiding behind antivirus software and firewalls. I plan to ...
Matt Hanson's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

Why do scan results of hacked/hacker applications always indicate infection? [closed]

Whenever I scan a patch, keygen or a hacked application (using an online scanner service which scans with 20+ different antivirus software) the results always say that the file is infected. Do hackers ...
hkBattousai's user avatar
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