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FBI sets July 9 deadline to clean DNSChanger malware

FBI delays shut down of malicious DNS servers.

The DNSChanger malware does what it says in its own title, it changes the DNS settings of infected computers to use malicious ones instead. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) took action against the malware last November, and originally set a March 8, 2012 deadline to shut down the DNS servers.



Unfortunately, four months later, there are still close to 500,000 infected computers using the malicious DNS servers. Clearly, the owners of the computers have not the slightest clue that anything is wrong.

Those responsible for the DNS servers were using them to block antivirus programs and operating system updates, while also redirecting users to rogue servers to be defrauded. The FBI, realizing that so many machines were using the malicious servers, replaced them with valid DNS servers and set a deadline for users to restore their original DNS settings.

The FBI hosts a PDF file with information on the DNSChanger malware and associated botnet, while also giving you instructions on how to check if you were infected and restore DNS settings if needed. The PDF can be gotten from FBI.gov.

If you are not interested in reading the PDF, you can use the Avira DNS repair tool, available from here.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 9 Mar 2012 14:33

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• 3 comments

• SmaryJerry (unverified)

  It is so easy to fall victim to malware, anti-viruse programs are useless. I recently realized I had a svchost.exe clone running in my background that was using up to 60% of my CPU and downloading/uploading to the internet constantly up to 5 MB/s. I reformatted and now svchost never takes more than 2% of my i7 CPU, and my internet browsing is noticeably faster. Not only that but it was redirecting my google search results so that whenever I clicked a link from the google search results it would go to a different site, which was usually some ad, maybe with some kind of DNS changer. This virus was undetected by current versions of AVG, Avira, or MSE. I only found out because I was sick of slow internet speeds and when I was looking at my network activity and svchost activity when I was performing no actions and I was like WTF. 10 system restarts and tons of debugging and antivirus tools later I decided screw I'll just reformat.

  9.3.2012 15:49 #1

• Hopium

  i noticed you only mentioned free apps and iOriginally posted by SmaryJerry: It is so easy to fall victim to malware, anti-viruse programs are useless. I recently realized I had a svchost.exe clone running in my background that was using up to 60% of my CPU and downloading/uploading to the internet constantly up to 5 MB/s. I reformatted and now svchost never takes more than 2% of my i7 CPU, and my internet browsing is noticeably faster. Not only that but it was redirecting my google search results so that whenever I clicked a link from the google search results it would go to a different site, which was usually some ad, maybe with some kind of DNS changer. This virus was undetected by current versions of AVG, Avira, or MSE. I only found out because I was sick of slow internet speeds and when I was looking at my network activity and svchost activity when I was performing no actions and I was like WTF. 10 system restarts and tons of debugging and antivirus tools later I decided screw I'll just reformat. i noticed you only mentioned freeware so i can only tell you.. you get what you pay for.

  9.3.2012 19:25 #2

• anonymous29a (unverified)

  What i Hate is how the media is saying that it is done by a group of hackers. Nope this is a corporation's doing Not no teens. Your tax $$$ at work. But F.B.I Are just as stupid as ever.

  21.4.2012 12:47 #3