Hi All,

Can somebody please tell me what to do. I get this message onmy monitor: Isass.exe has generated geneted error and will be closed by windows.

You will need to restart the programm.

The computer then restarts after this message no matter what .

I have done a scan with Avast antivirus and discovered vbs malware as wll as win 2 trojan and agent. OS running is windows 2000.

please what is the cause of this problem and how can I resolve it.

Thanks

The problem you are having is a WORM infection of your system. You must have picked it up from the internet.
I've had a similar problem before on my desktop which runs Window XP.
Solution: You will need to download updates for the Window 2000 you are running. Recent Security Patches will stop the WORM infection.
There was another solution which I picked up from the internet when I hard the problem. But unfortunately, it is lying in my 40GB Maxtor hard disk which has refused to be recognised.
However, if I come across the solution while on internet. I will not fail to post it here for you.
But the fastest solution is for you to GOOGLE. You will see several solutions being proffered. Because the problem has been around for more than a year now.
Cheers

Scribe is correct. download the apprioorate patch for the worm infection. I once has the problem i just went to microsoft centre and got the patch( i am using win2000).

Let this 13 year old tell you exactly what is wrong with your system - it's infected with a worm called Brontok.

Officially (by them antivirus guys) it's called

W32.Rontokbro.D@mm
WORM_RONTOKBRO.C
Win32.Brontok.a

I just got rid of this worm from my computer yesternite. Go to softpedia.com and search for "Brontok Washer"
Also google "NOD32 Antivirus". I've forgotten the url of the website. However, the NOD32 gives you a 30 day trial, so make sure you use it immediately you download it.

Also, if you've been seeing
csrss.exe
inetinfo.exe
services.exe
smss.exe
winlogon.exe
eksplorasi.pif
bronstab.exe

you've got the brontok worm.
it does some funny things to the registry. too much to mention. but try the two things i mentioned above (together) and your computer will be free indeed.

i'll really feel sorry for u if u remove winlogon.exe from ur computer. its a genuine system program that gets infected with bits of brontok, jst like any .exe file is vulnerable to the worm. as for brontok washer it only disables brontok from running processes and reverting its changes to registry, but it doesnt completely purge it from the system. the only solution i know of is a complete format particularly if u no longer have access to ur folder options as brontok makes its payload hidden in innocent-looking folders.

We've been through this on this forum before. You must have noticed by now that you never get this error when the system isn't connected to a network, that tells you that the network you are on is infected.

If you don't have sensitive data, format all the systems. If you can't afford a format, use Zone Alarm. Trust me on this one.

@chxta
thats one reason i hate nairaland: concurrent threads(couldnt resist) on a single issue.

as for brontok, well it creeps into ur system via mail attachments and STAY RESIDENT, even when online. but it really doesnt do much besides infecting .exe files and messing up installers and restarting the box whenever u click on almost anything that says .exe or if u have an open browser window with names of popular antivirus vendors. mine was brontokq, but mostly i purge my executables and simply get on without bothering much. i find it convenient to disable my antivirus package so i dont get useless pop ups telling me "GASP! brontok" found after the fact.

Neoteny, forget viruses, switch to Linux.

@chxta
just ordered ubuntu through shippit, but wots with the near-religious zeal u recommend it? every other post of urs is peppered with"switch to linux". heck, i still dig windows cos its so darn easy to hack stuff.

just get ur system upgraded to winxp sp2

SP2 won't make a difference
All the computers in my school have SP2 and they're all prone to Brontok. In fact, a good number of them have it.

@ajiboyet
I'm willing to bet you 100 to 1, that ALL those computers

1. Browse the Web with Internet Explorer 6.0 or earlier (7.0 is pretty safe - relatively)
2. Operate the computer with Administrator accounts
3. Have unsecured network shares
4. Use microsoft outlook or outlook express to read mail
5. Probably have an Antivirus but the virus definitions are not updated regularly or the autoupdate feature has expired

A combination of these five factors is enough to invite viruses into your system. As much as i prefer using Linux, i have to say that I have been using windows for like 6 years now, and the only time i got hit by a virus was when i was experimenting with a DOS 6.22 dual-boot and i got a boot sector virus from 1987.

Just follow the UNIX/Linux school of thought: no matter who you are, login and operate the system with a regular account; and only use the global admin account when you have to do maintenance or installation. By logging in with admin rights, almost all executables can launch in your name, with your security privileges. THAT is how Brontok can get to start messing with Group Policies and the Registry in general.

Okay, let me tell you something,

Some of them browse with IE7
Students have user accounts based on their class. Only Computer Staff have Administrator account, and students don't get to use that.
I don't know what you mean by unsecured network shares, so no comment
And as far as I know, I'm the only one who has a POP3 account in the whole school - which includes students and staff.
We have an antivirus. and we update it regularly.

Okay, i guess i made a generalisation (most users dont practice secure computing). But somebody on that network gave the virus access by logging on as an admin. Somehow.