is there a virus disguised as HP Software Update utility? how do you remove / undo damage done? i have Vista?

Question

This is really long but bear with me. I can't find info on this anywhere and to really help me you'll prolly need all these details:
I was updating my computer, running Windows Update as well as HP update, when a new "HP Update" window popped up saying I should download the "HP Software Update Utility," with a description of what it does. I already have HP Update, as I was running it at the moment, so I thought maybe there was an updated version that I needed. I started to download it, but then thought better of it and cancelled after a second. Almost immediately, Norton 360 popped up saying it had detected and protected my computer from biteaca.tmp (suspicious.cloud.5) originating from http://ftp.hp.com/pub/diag/hpudate/client/5.002.008.001/hpusetup.exe with a downloaded file called biteaca.tmp It said "Auto-Protect blocked this heuristic virus."

I was backing up my computer to an external hard drive at the time and a few minutes later an error message popped up saying an error occured and the backup failed to complete, and stating "the process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process." I immediately unplugged the hard drive, but I'm afraid it might have been too late.

I clicked the "locate file" button on the Norton screen showing the virus details and it pointed to an empty file called "HPSUNW5I.JMG," one of 4 files in a "TEMP" file. Here's where it is exactly:
local disk (C:) > Users > Me > AppData > Local > Temp > HPSUNW5I.JMG
I scanned the offending file individually using Norton 360, as well as the "Temp" file and the "Local" file, and everything came up clean.

***MY CONCERN is that even though Norton popped up and said it had blocked the virus, a short while after, something went wrong with my backup to the external hard drive. Particularly scary is that the problem cited was that the file was being used by another process. Even though subsequent scans came up clean, I'm worried that damage has already been done. WHAT SHOULD I DO?****

Answer 1

Check on the HP website for your particular model of PC for updates to the HP Update Utility, this should give you a version number, check this with the version installed on your PC,

You can start it manually from the all programs menu.

This should tell you weather it was a genuine download or fake.

Some of these programs use techniques that may be classed as spyware or viruses especially as you are scanning in heuristic mode as heuristic mode scans for patterns of use not actual viruses.

So the detection might be a false positive.

If the HP Update is an older version you can download it directly from HP and update it manually.

You might have to disconnect from the net and disable your anti virus to install it.

When you have downloaded the update you could scan it manually,ie the single file that you download and if your anti virus says it is infected report it to Norton as it probably is a false positive.

Hope this helps.



Additional Details

Hi Meredith,

could you please give me the details of you PC, make, age and Model number and operating system so I can look on the HP web site at the software updates and history to see if there is some reason for this happening. After installing the latest software the updater should check for updates and then advise for necessary updates. It looks like HP have made a few mistakes with this one.

A lot of HP software is machine specific

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

Hp Update Utility

Answer 4

Hp Update Virus

Answer 5

try this Reboot PC and press the F8 key a couple of times before the Windows screen appears. Enter Safe Mode, or Safe Mode with Networking if you need network access) and download MalwareBytes from google ,Install it, update, and run a full system scan. Remove everything it finds. Next, run a full antivirus scan with something like Microsoft Security Essentials .Auslogics disk defrag and Auslogics registry cleaner are very good and fast to keep you clean and running good .all are free ,just google them

Answer 6

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Answer 7

one way around is turn computer off by BUTTON then go to safemode/with networking when on there IF YOU HAVE FILE SHEDDER AND SPYBOT USE THEM TO FIND AND SRED THEM PLUS YOU SHOULD ASLO SREDD U COOKIES TO MAKE COMPUTER FASTER