How to remove wsnpoema.exe

wsnpoema.exe

Monday, 01 February 2010 09:49

The file name wsnpoema.exe has appeared in an virus analysis report. You can see it on this link

Threatexpert identifies this as a variant of Zbot banking trojan virus and a keylogger

It may allow remote access to hackers to the infected computer.
It may be used to install additional trojans or other forms of malicious software.
It can capture all user keystrokes (including confidential details such username, password, credit card number, etc.) and sends this data to the virus maker
It opens several TCP ports, and connects to several remote hosts and downloads more files from the internet. A good firewall can detect harmful activities and prevent them. Some good freeware are ZoneAlarm Free Firewall, and Comodo Internet Security Free Edition (you can choose to install just the firewall from their security suite)

The virus installer is about 127 kb in size. It creates the files wsnpoema.exe on the infected computer that you need to search and delete. You should end running processes named wsnpoema.exe from Task Manager. And also remove the file's entries from windows startup.

Statutory Warning: It is possible that some legitimate application may be using the same name as that of the virus. Use Windows Defender or SysInternal Process Explorer to differentiate between them.

Using System Restore

If you know the duration since your computer is infected, you can try to restore your computer at a prior date, that will be an easy way to undo the changes done by the virus

Using System Restore in windows XP

Using System Restore in windows Vista

Boot in safe mode

Sometimes you can not delete a file. You should boot in safe mode and then try to delete it.

How to boot in safe in windows XP

How to boot in safe mode in windows Vista

View Hidden Files

You need to enable to view hidden files and folders before searching.

How to Enable to View Hidden Files and Folders in Windows XP
- How to Enable to View Hidden Files and Folders in Windows Vista

Remove Processes from Task Manager

Press Ctrl Shift Esc to open Task Manager. See in the list of the processes for wsnpoema.exe Select and press End Process button, Confirm to terminate the process and Close Task Manager.

You can find out if a process in Task Manager is good or bad by using Windows Defender. It shows the path of a process and its publisher. Harmful processes may be shown under Unknown Publisher in Windows Defender.

How to use Windows Defender in windows XP

How to use Windows Defender in windows Vista

Or you can use Sysinternal's Process Explorer.

How to use Sysinternal's Process Explorer

Removing entry from windows startup

The system configuration can be started in xp and in vista by typing msconfig in the run box/ start menu search box. In xp by clicking on Start > run . The windows startup is reversible. You can check / uncheck any entry from windows start-up any number of times.

Open system configuration window. Click on the Startup tab. You will see a list all the programs that are scheduled to start with windows. Expand the middle column using your mouse pointer. That will show you the full path of the program. Locate and un-check the boxes in front of these names "wsnpoema.exe" (also look for any other suspicious names) Press Apply , Press Close/Ok , Select "restart" at the next prompt.

Deleting files

The computer will restart now. Delete the following files and folders. Boot in safe mode or boot in the dos prompt if needed. You can use windows search utility to search for wsnpoema.exe and find out if there are any other instances of this file present elsewhere in the computer.

Creates the following files

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\wsnpoem.sys
C:\Windows\System32\wsnpoema\audio.dll
C:\Windows\System32\wsnpoema\video.dll
C:\Windows\System32\wsnpoema.exe [file and pathname of the sample #1] Folder C:\Windows\System32\wsnpoema( We do not know the name or location of sample #1, it could be on the desktop or in the Temp folder. The files and folders in the Temp folder can be automatically removed, if you use a freeware temp files/ registry cleaner software like CCleaner)

Modified File

The virus modifies a file
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Connections\Pbk\rasphone.pbk(See if you can replace this file with a good copy)

Registry Keys

Some of the registry keys created by this virus will be automatically removed if you run Registry menu of CCleaner. You can find the registry keys creates by this virus in the report mentioned in the beginning of this article.

Using CCleaner

You can easily remove the files in the temp folder by running freeware CCleaner. You can set CCleaner to run automatically each time the computer starts.

Do not forget to run CCleaner > Registry menu to remove the obsolete registry entries.