Beware of Antivirus 2009, 2010, etc
Other Names: Antivirus XP, Antivirus 2008, Antivirus 2009, Antivirus 2010
We have had more service calls in recent months than ever before regarding virus activity, most of which isn't being caught by your Antivirus program, most of which are curable but cause our customers no end of headache. To combat this, we are educating our customers on what to look out for and how to remove the virus yourself.
What is Antivirus 2009, 2010?
Antivirus 2010 and its counterparts are considered fake anti-malware applications. In simple terms this program is telling you that you have a virus and that it can clean it out, when in actuality running its "cleaner" actually infects you with the virus and other variants of itself.
What does it look like?
Below, is a screenshot of one variant of the virus. If you've seen this screen on your computer, chances are you're infected.
I already have antivirus software, so I'm ok, right?
First, you need to know that your antivirus program will most likely NOT stop this from infecting your system. It's not a failing in your antivirus program, but instead is due to the fact that this isn't a "virus" in the normal sense. Rather AV2010 and its variants are a trojan, specifically the zlob and vundo trojans, both of which are immune to normal antivirus heuristics. This is a complex way of saying it's immune to your antivirus program. Currentnly NO "antivirus" program will detect or remove this trojan.
How do I get rid of it?
Fortunately for everyone this trojan isn't too difficult to remove and you can remove it yourself if you feel comfortable doing so, though we would always recommend having a professional solutions provider handle it in case you run into other issues during removal.
If you choose to try to remove it yourself, here's the tool you need:
MalwareBytes Anti Malware is a proven solution for getting rid of this particular virus. You can download the program for free at: http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Once you download the program, the saved file will be called "mbam-setup.exe."
The instructions for removal are:
- Double-click mbam-setup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
- At the end, be sure a checkmark is placed next to the following:
- Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
- Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
- Then click Finish.
If an update is found, it will download and install the latest version. Once the program has loaded, select Perform quick scan, then click Scan. When the scan is complete, click OK, then Show Results to view the results.
Be sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected. When completed, a log will open in Notepad. The rogue application should now be gone. Finally, reboot your computer.
Will this always get rid of it?
Unfortunately it has been our experience that some computers have been infected for a long time or with multiple strains of the same virus and require a more manual approach to removal. Twisted Networx would be happy to remove the virus for you, either on-site, in our offices, or through a remote internet session. Contact us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or via telephone at 252-321-8974 with quesions about this or any other computer problem, 24 hours a day!
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