ASKTHECREW.NET VIRUS/ iPad and iPhone (IOS) Virus

Norton Security | Norton Internet Security
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My post is also a long one.  I hope I can help other's.  When Norton rep's realized the severity of the virus THEIR product failed to protect me from, they refused to help me further unless I paid them another $99 on top of the $80 I had already paid for their product.  I'm a longtime customer, never let my protection lapse!

 

My laptop just got this virus/malware today.  I was looking at 'funny amusement park photo's" & on "superbooyah" website right before my computer got infected.  I didn't download anything, no apps, programs etc...just looking at websites linked to the original website's. Then I decided to do some online shopping, but everytime I typed in a search, it redirected to ASKTHECREW.NET, HAPPILI, ONLINE CONTEST etc websites.  It wanted me to type in more info, and to obtain my email address.

 

The scary part is it won't let you use any search tools to find a fix.  It knows right away you're trying to get info about it and directs you to more malicious sites that try to get info/email address from you, or wants you to download a fake "fix".  This is to get more access into your computer!  I had to go onto another non-infected computer to even find more about the virus. 

 

As Norton can't tell me anything about the virus, how it damages the system or moves within my home network I would suggest:

 

**IF YOU SEE THE WEBSITES "askthecrew.net"  "HAPPILI" or something asking for your email address, or redirecting your browser...STOP!  DON'T GO FURTHER.  ALSO DISABLE THE  WIFI/INTERNET CONNECTION ON THE INFECTED COMPUTER/DEVICE UNTIL YOU GET IT REMOVED TO AVOID IT SPREADING TO OTHER CONNECTED DEVICES. 

 

My entire network is connected: TV's, Wii, Phones, blu-ray, computers, etc.

 

I was upset as Norton's $80 full protection 360 product did not detect/prevent or remove the virus, it couldn't see it at all.  It must be deeply imbedded somewhere.  Even Norton's OK SAFE SITES status of a green check mark directed my browser right back into the bad sites or said the link was broken.  The Norton Rep's told me to run the Norton Eraser Tool which did nothing.  Then they told me to download and run a Norton Bootable Recovery Tool disk during setup.  It's been running for an hour and still not detecting anything. 

 

The reps also sent me canned responses basically saying they're not responsible, their product can't protect against everything blah, blah but if I pay $99 they will try to get someone in tech support to remove it, and if I buy even more "protection" maybe next time this won't happen. So frustrating, and was identical to trying to call DELL for help.  Somehow I just assumed a company like Norton would be concerned about this virus. It was their product that failed to do it's job and put me in this position.  Yes, I know nothing is 100% fail safe but stand behind your product and follow through.

 

...and they disconnected me when I asked for a supervisor.

 

Proceed with extreme caution if someone other than a Norton employee posts a FIX in this forum. 

 

I will continue to post follow up's until it's fixed.  Hope no one else gets this virus.  It's ruined my evening.

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TIP:  forget about the ASKTHECREW.NET and trying to target the redirect look probably deeper. (for the PC's)

 

Quads

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Sorry about your infection but you just told us:

 

 <<  I was looking at 'funny amusement park photo's" & on "superbooyah" website right before my computer got infected.  >>

 

That's almost certainly when you invited the infection in even if you did not think you were doing so. Do you remember how VISTA used to ask you every few seconds "Do you really know what you are doing?" and how angry everyone was ..... that's the problem that all security applications have to try and deal with.

 

If they try to protect everyone from what they tell their computer to do then everyone will complain about nagging -- as they do when Norton reminds them to renew their subscription before it expires and leaves them unprotected.

 

I'm sorry if you found the Norton Staff unhelpful but there are limits to what they can do in cases like this -- if you were talking with a genuine Norton site then I'm surprised they would not connect you to a supervisor. We have plenty of reports of them doing this.

 

Now if you wish let's see what can be done to help you clean up, if that is what you want.

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You've obviously had a different experience than I.  Some of us get left in the weeds by Norton.

 

and YES, I understand nothing is failsafe, but I expected Norton to help me without asking for $99 after I just gave them $80.

 

It was funny amusement parks photo's , so?  Why is that a red flag that i'd 'certainly invite an infection', especially when Norton SAFE SITE said exactly that...it was SAFE!

 

Anyway, i've already vented in my previous post and just want some help, or at least more info on this virus. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

Norton set up these forums to provide free help for users from users and from Norton Staff (names in red)

 

Although you are using Norton 360 on a normal PC and not using an apple device like the original poster we might as well continue here.

 

Quads knows an enormous amount about rootkits and other nasties like that so consider what he said above:

 

<< TIP:  forget about the ASKTHECREW.NET and trying to target the redirect look probably deeper. (for the PC's) >>

 

Meanwhile would you provide some basic information about your system  -- I presume you are using a different device to come here.? Here's my boilerplate on this:

What version of Windows are you using including Service Packs and whether 32 bit or 64 bit as well as the Version ID of the Norton product that you are using -- Help or Support / About is where that is, in the format of nn.nn.nn.nnn where n is a number.


If you have the COMCAST version of Norton 360 / Security Suite and not the normal commercial version please be sure to tell us.


If you get any error messages please give the exact wording of them as well as any other background that could be helpful.

 

Please also say what internet browser you are using -- name and version number ...

 

There is a specific Forum for N360 on PCs so I'll ask for your message and the others replying to it to be moved over there for better exposure. You won't lose sight of it because a link will be left here.

6

The system I am running is Windows 7 Home on a PC / 64 BIT

Norton Version 360 6.0 (non-comcast version) 

Mozilla Firefox 4.0.1.

IE 9

_______________________________

After running the Norton Bootable Recovery disk, it found no infections but the redirect issue remained. So I uninstalled Norton completely on the infected PC which is why I don't know the format #'s you asked for.  But no time did the coverage lapse as it was automatically renewed.

 

I have PC Tools Internet Security on another PC and what the hell...  I installed it and ran a deep scan on the infected PC which took several HOURS!  Lo and behold it found several infections, two of which were heur zero day and a cloud 7.L .   It cleaned everything and says no infections are detected.

 

The PC Tools rep also wanted me to run pcSpec.exe, take screen shots, etc to get more info on my particular issue.  They also emailed me direct links on how to remove specific viruses etc.  I ran the GMER program and also the PC Tools HIT scan, both of which came up clean.  I ran them on the assumption I had a Google redirect virus.

 

The infected system seems to be running fine, but is slow to boot up now.  Not sure if it’s because I’m having PC Tools scan it at every start up?  Each time it seems to run a bit faster so maybe it’s just working some bugs out.. I also ran PC Tools Internet Security on my other computer and found 77 infections, of which a dozen were severe.  Norton didn’t catch ANY of them and was happily running in the background all these years! 

 

My browsers (both Firefox and IE) are working fine and not being redirected now.  I hope never to catch this virus again!


This was the protocol I followed to clean my machine. 

 

http://www.pctools.com/forum/showthread.php?69108-Remove-Google-Redirect

 

If anyone can suggest other measures I can take to be ensure my system is clean, I welcome all advice!

7

Welcome to the norton community needhelp234. I see that you are using firefox 4.0.1 which norton 360 and nis2012 no longer support. you should update to at least firefox 9.0 which is supported i am using firefox 11.0 with no problems. norton droped support for all firefox versions before firefox9

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I am using the following:

 

Windows 7 Home on a PC / 64 BIT

Norton Version ?? (purchased jan 2012) (non-comcast version….I assume)

[Norton Antivirus BB 82 EN]

Service pack 1

IE 9.0.8112.16421

 

I finally figured out that Happili is a serious problem.  Most of my searches are transferred to this dead end page.  I just made the mistake of filling out their form with my email address in order to figure out how to remove them....I got a message that the letter wasn't sent because I didn't copy their code right so I don't know if it was sent or not.

I found a fix on the internet www.uninstallvirus.com/download but thought I should come here first to see what Norton had to say about this.

It looks to me like this is what I should use.  If this program works would it be a safe bet that this program would be better than Norton Antivirus and that I should then replace Norton Antivirus with this program, or is uninstallvirus more like an add-on to be used with Norton?