Beware of WinFixer 2005

Despite several layers of anti-spyware protection and my best efforts at good Internet hygiene, my home PC has been infected by an insidious type of malware that hijacks my web browser--(opening new browser windows with ads in them.) But here's the twist...

This trojan horse offers to remove itself...for money. The malware (and the offered solution) is called WinFixer 2005. First it infects your computer in ways that prove to be extraordinarily hard to cure. Then it incessantly pushes a pop-up at you that offers to have WinFixer 2005 scan and remove the problem, for only $39.95.

A brief scan of a Google search seems to indicate that many people have fallen for this extortion scam. And often, after they've paid, the problem still doesn't go away!

Now here's the really troubling part...

This thing is hijacking my Firefox browser as well as MS Internet Explorer. (I'll pause while that sinks in...)

As far as I know, this is the first malware app that affects both Explorer AND Firefox. (I guess this is the price Firefox is paying for it's success. The installed-base is becoming large enough to attract vandals.)

From what I read on the tech sites. I'm going to need to set aside two or three hours (which I don't have) to get rid of this spawn of hell. (Yet a search of Symantec's site suggests they haven't even heard of this thing. No wonder Norton Antivirus didnt' touch it.)

If there is any justice in this world, one day soon I'll meet the writer of this app in a dark alley and I'll just happen to be carrying my five iron.