Do not trust the e.tre456_worm_Windows virus alert

What is "e.tre456_worm_Windows"?

Virtually identical to "e.tre456_worm_osx Trojan", "e.tre456_worm_Windows" is the name of a fake trojan virus that is 'detected' by a deceptive website. Many scam websites are designed to trick visitors into believing that their computers are infected with viruses, malware, and so on.

Typically, the main purpose of these pages is to advertise dubious software that supposedly removes the viruses.

At the time of research, this particular site promoted MyCleanID. We advise against installing software that is downloaded from unofficial, deceptive pages. Note that people generally arrive at these pages due to potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) already installed on their browsers or operating systems.

Visitors are encouraged to remove the aforementioned (e.tre456_worm_Windows) virus as soon as possible. The message in the pop-up, which is displayed after clicking "OK" in the first one, states that the Windows operating system is outdated and corrupted.

To avoid loss of system files, visitors must supposedly follow the instructions provided. The background page states that the system is infected with three viruses: two classified as malware and one as phishing/spyware. It is mentioned that these viruses put visitors' banking and personal information at risk, and can cause loss of apps, photos, and other files.

Visitors are encouraged to scan their systems by clicking the "Scan Now" button, which performs a fake system scan and leads to a download page of the aforementioned MyCleanID program. In fact, this scam page might also lead to download pages of other rogue software.

In any case, no software that is promoted through deceptive, unofficial web pages should be trusted or downloaded/installed. Furthermore, this particular website is disguised as an official Microsoft site, however, Microsoft has nothing to do with this or any other scam websites.

We recommend that you ignore the statements and close this website immediately. If it cannot be closed normally, end the browser process through Task Manager. Note that restoring the closed session will reopen this web page, so do not select this option.

As we mentioned, websites of this kind are often opened by PUAs, which are usually are designed to serve advertisements and gather data. They deliver intrusive ads such as pop-ups, coupons, banners, surveys, and so on. If clicked, these cause redirects to dubious pages or they execute scripts designed to download or install PUAs, or even malware.

While installed, PUAs collect information such as IP addresses, search queries, URLs of visited websites, geolocations, and so on.

Developers share the details with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse them to generate revenue. The data might also contain personal, sensitive information. PUAs can thus lead to problems relating to browsing safety, privacy, and cause installation of malware or even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	"e.tre456_worm_Windows" virus
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud.
Detection Names (0fficial[.]online)	ESET (Suspicious), Kaspersky (Malware), Full List (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (0fficial[.]online)	51.159.16.122
Fake Claim	This page claims that the visitor's computer is infected with e.tre456_worm_Windows and other viruses.
Distributed Unwanted Apps	MyCleanID, this page could also be used to promote other unwanted software.
Symptoms	Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan.
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Typically, scammers use these sites to trick people into downloading and installing rogue software. They display fake notifications about 'detected viruses' and encourage visitors to download programs that will supposedly remove them.

Some examples of other scam pages are "VIRAL ALARM OF MICROSOFT", "Windows is not activated", and "This computer is blocked". PUAs responsible for redirects to these pages are generally very similar: they open untrustworthy pages, gather data, and feed users with unwanted ads. Typically, these apps are useless and designed only to generate revenue for the developers.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Frequently, people download and/or install PUAs inadvertently by clicking deceptive ads (that should not be trusted) or when software developers distribute unwanted software using the "bundling" method. This method is used to trick people into downloading and installing PUAs together with other, regular software.

Developers include PUAs into the download or installation set-ups as additional offers, and place related information in "Custom" or "Advanced" settings. Many people download and install software without checking or changing these settings, thereby inadvertently allowing unwanted programs to be downloaded and/or installed by default.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Do not download or install software from untrustworthy websites, using third party software downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks such as torrent clients, eMule, etc. Use only official websites and direct download links. Opt-out of offers to download or install unwanted software before completing the download or installation procedure.

Typically, these offers can be found in the aforementioned "Advanced, "Custom", and other similar settings. Avoid clicking intrusive ads, especially those on dubious web pages. These ads often redirect people to potentially malicious sites or cause download/installation of dubious software.

Remove any unknown, unwanted extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins installed on the browser immediately. The same applies to software of this kind installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Text presented in "e.tre456_worm_Windows" initial pop-up:

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED

We have detected a trojan virus (e.tre456_worm_Windows) on your PC.

Press OK to begin the repair process.

Screenshot of the second pop-up displayed after clicking "OK":

Text in the second pop-up:

System has detected that your Windows is currently out of date and corrupted.

This causes automatic deletion of your system files.

Follow the instructions immediately to resolve this problem and make sure your system stays up to date.

Text in the background page:

Your system is infected with 3 viruses
Friday, November 15, 2019 2:52 PM
Your PC is infected with 3 viruses. Our security check found traces of 2 malware and  1 phishing/spyware. System damage: 28.1% - Immediate removal required!

The immediate removal of the viruses is required to prevent further system damage, loss of Apps, Photos or other files.
Traces of 1 phishing/spyware were found on your PC with Windows.

Personal and banking information is at risk.

To avoid more damage click on 'Scan Now' immediately. Our deep scan will provide help immediately!
3 minute and 45 seconds remaining before damage is permanent.

The appearance of "e.tre456_worm_Windows" pop-up (GIF):

Download page of the MyCleanID program:

MyCleanID installer:

MyCleanID program:

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is "e.tre456_worm_Windows"?
• STEP 1. Uninstall deceptive applications using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove adware from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove rogue extensions from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Removal of potentially unwanted applications:

Windows 11 users:

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

In the uninstall programs window, look for any suspicious/recently-installed applications, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted application, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Remove rogue extensions from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:

Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently-installed suspicious browser extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the "e.tre456_worm_windows" virus, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.

Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.

In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.

Click the Reset button.

Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and remove them.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the "e.tre456_worm_windows" virus, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions", in the opened window remove all recently-installed suspicious browser plug-ins.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with "e.tre456_worm_windows" virus removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.

Select Troubleshooting Information.

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Make sure your Safari browser is active, click Safari menu, and select Preferences....

In the opened window click Extensions, locate any recently installed suspicious extension, select it and click Uninstall.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and click "Remove" below their names.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the "e.tre456_worm_windows" virus, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

• If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

Commonly, adware or potentially unwanted applications infiltrate Internet browsers through free software downloads. Note that the safest source for downloading free software is via developers' websites only. To avoid installation of adware, be very attentive when downloading and installing free software. When installing previously-downloaded free programs, choose the custom or advanced installation options – this step will reveal any potentially unwanted applications listed for installation together with your chosen free program.

Removal assistance:
If you are experiencing problems while trying to remove "e.tre456_worm_windows" virus from your computer, please ask for assistance in our malware support forum.

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