Help! I seem to have PSKILL.EXE

[sarah4]

I am running Windows XP with Avast (free) Home Edition anti-virus software which is up to date.   During a scan there were 2 Malware alerts  for  PSKILL.EXE.   Avast couldn't delete these I got error messages  "Error occurred during moving file to chest."

C:\WINDOWS\RESTORE.INS\C:\OEMCUST\TOOLS\WIN32\PSKILL.EXE   also
C:\WINDOWS\system\RESTORE.INS\C:\OEMCUST\TOOLS\WIN32\PSKILL.EXE

I have tried every which way to get rid of them without success.   Turned off System Restore, deleted all temp. files  re-booted but no success.  Ran Spybot and Adaware and also  I've run both  'ewido' and 'a-squared'  anti - malware  and they find nothing   "no suspect files detected during the scan"   -  but when I run Avast again they are still there!!

I've read about a logfile  -  is this the place to post it?   I'm on a steep learning curve here never done this before and I'm a newbie of the newbies!   Thanks for any help.

[SpyDie]

Hi, welcome to the LandzDown forum.

Those files are fine. PSKILL is a freeware commandline program that can kill processes. It is sometimes flagged by antivirus programs because it can be used by malicious programs (example: A virus could use it to stop antivirus programs running on your computer, therefore getting rid of any detection of it).

In this case, it is used by your computer if you were to restore it back to it's 'factory settings'. So it's just used in the restoration process :) Nothing to worry about.

The logfle you may have seen is called a HijackThis logfile. Go ahead and post it if you wish.

[sarah4]

Hi, thanks for your reply I'm still uneasy as I read somewhere, on the web I think, that hackers could use PSKILL to get to passwords and bank details etc  -  so if it's possible to remove I'd like to  -  but if removing makes something else not work properly then I guess it can stay!!   I'll try and post the log file here.

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 10:30:20, on 23/09/2006
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast4\ashDisp.exe
C:\Program Files\Ad Muncher\AdMunch.exe
C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zlclient.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\jusched.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
C:\Program Files\BandwidthMeter\BandwidthMeter.exe
C:\Program Files\WordWeb\wweb32.exe
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 3.0\PhotoshopElementsFileAgent.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\aswUpdSv.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashServ.exe
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 3.0\PhotoshopElementsDeviceConnect.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\slserv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\UStorSrv.exe
C:\Program Files\Virtual CD v4 SDK\system\vcssecs.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ZoneLabs\vsmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashMaiSv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Sarah Holdsworth\Desktop\HJT\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.google.co.uk/
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = file://C:\APPS\IE\offline\uk.htm
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://uk.red.clientapps.yahoo.com/customize/btyahoo/defaults/su/*http://uk.search.yahoo.com/
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://uk.red.clientapps.yahoo.com/customize/btyahoo/defaults/sb/*http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/info/bt_side.html
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://uk.red.clientapps.yahoo.com/customize/btyahoo/defaults/sp/*http://uk.search.yahoo.com/
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.google.co.uk
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page =
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Packard Bell
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: UberButton Class - {5BAB4B5B-68BC-4B02-94D6-2FC0DE4A7897} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common\yiesrvc.dll
O2 - BHO: YahooTaggedBM Class - {65D886A2-7CA7-479B-BB95-14D1EFB7946A} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common\YIeTagBm.dll
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {9AA2F14F-E956-44B8-8694-A5B615CDF341} - (no file)
O2 - BHO: EpsonToolBandKicker Class - {E99421FB-68DD-40F0-B4AC-B7027CAE2F1A} - C:\Program Files\EPSON\EPSON Web-To-Page\EPSON Web-To-Page.dll
O2 - BHO: SidebarAutoLaunch Class - {F2AA9440-6328-4933-B7C9-A6CCDF9CBF6D} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\browser\YSidebarIEBHO.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn0\yt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: EPSON Web-To-Page - {EE5D279F-081B-4404-994D-C6B60AAEBA6D} - C:\Program Files\EPSON\EPSON Web-To-Page\EPSON Web-To-Page.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [avast!] C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast4\ashDisp.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Ad Muncher] C:\Program Files\Ad Muncher\AdMunch.exe /bt
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Zone Labs Client] "C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zlclient.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\jusched.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [SpySweeper] "E:\SpySweeper\SpySweeper.exe" /0
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background
O4 - Startup: Bandwidth Meter.lnk = C:\Program Files\BandwidthMeter\BandwidthMeter.exe
O4 - Startup: WordWeb.lnk = C:\Program Files\WordWeb\wweb32.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: &WordWeb... - res://c:\WINDOWS\wweb32.dll/lookup.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://c:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~4\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra button: BT Yahoo! Services - {5BAB4B5B-68BC-4B02-94D6-2FC0DE4A7897} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common\yiesrvc.dll
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~4\OFFICE11\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: Real.com - {CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\Shdocvw.dll
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O14 - IERESET.INF: START_PAGE_URL=file://C:\APPS\IE\offline\uk.htm
O20 - Winlogon Notify: WgaLogon - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WgaLogon.dll
O23 - Service: Adobe Active File Monitor (AdobeActiveFileMonitor) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 3.0\PhotoshopElementsFileAgent.exe
O23 - Service: avast! iAVS4 Control Service (aswUpdSv) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\aswUpdSv.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Antivirus - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashServ.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Mail Scanner - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashMaiSv.exe" /service (file missing)
O23 - Service: avast! Web Scanner - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe" /service (file missing)
O23 - Service: Photoshop Elements Device Connect (PhotoshopElementsDeviceConnect) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 3.0\PhotoshopElementsDeviceConnect.exe
O23 - Service: Pml Driver HPZ12 - HP - C:\WINDOWS\system32\HPZipm12.exe
O23 - Service: SmartLinkService (SLService) -   - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\slserv.exe
O23 - Service: UStorage Server Service - OTi - C:\WINDOWS\system32\UStorSrv.exe
O23 - Service: Virtual CD v4 Security service (SDK - Version) (VCSSecS) - H+H Software GmbH - C:\Program Files\Virtual CD v4 SDK\system\vcssecs.exe
O23 - Service: TrueVector Internet Monitor (vsmon) - Zone Labs, LLC - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ZoneLabs\vsmon.exe
O23 - Service: YPCService - Yahoo! Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\YPCSER~1.EXE

Thanks for any help,   Sarah4

[SpyDie]

I'd highly recommend keeping it there, I have an old Packard Bell computer and the very same thing is flagged. If you remove it, it is highly possible it'll compromise the restore feature of your computer. Avast wouldn't remove it because that specfic folder has very restricted permissions on it.

The HijackThis logfile looks fine, nonetheless.

[sarah4]

Thanks and thanks again  -  My computer is a Packard Bell so that puts my mind at ease  -  really appreciate help that we get from Forums like this, where would we be without you all,   Sarah

[SpyDie]

No Problem, glad I could help. :)

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