Linux Computer locked with a virus

[tman801]

I just opened Ubuntu 22.04 on one of my computers and opened Facebook and opened what I thought was a good site. Don't remember what it was now. However a screen popped up saying my computer is locked and to call Windows Defender Security System at 1-833-798-2936 and a technician will help solve the problem. I cannot remove this and I am not going to call. I know this is a scam even though it says Microsoft or should I post in the Ubuntu board?

How do I get back control of my computer? Can I just wipe the Hard drive and reinstall from a cloned drive?

Thanks for any advice.

[tman801]

OK I tried a hard restart twice like I have done before and it still came up locked. That was why I was concerned.

I then tried crtl+alt+delete and restart. Since I dual boot both W10 and Ubuntu 22.04 on that computer I opened W10 first and it was fine.
I then restarted and opened Ubuntu and it was fine.
The so called trojan was called Ads.fiancetrack(2).dll. I know it was a scam to get someone to call and let them place a trojan on your computer.

[Night Wing]

Your first hint it was a scam was when you booted into Ubuntu 22.04 and then when on Facebook, a window popped up with a notice telling you it was from Windows Defender (Security Team).

Windows Defender cannot be installed on the Ubuntu 22.04 distro. Windows Defender is only installed on a Windows operating system and is the default on all Windows operating systems since it comes with Windows.

[tman801]

Night Wing----Yes that was a dead give away. Always before a reboot took care of the problem. But for it to stay locked after rebooting twice gave me a little concern. But the way I did it the third time solved the problem.
Maybe this will help someone who is new and has it happen to them.
Never Ever call the number if it does happen.

Once I went to a reputable auto site I had used many time before and got the FBI Warning that I was trying to access a very bad site(AKA Porn). Rebooting took care of it.
But I thought how could auto parts be considered porn. Now however the prices I am paying make me feel like I am being--you know what.lol

[Pentium4User]

Is it really a linux virus or a push notification in your browser?

[leothetechguy]

Just reinstall. If that doesn't work then your Router might be hacked.

[andyprough]

We have a great extension on Pale Moon called μMatrix that should stop any of this nonsense from ever happening: https://addons.palemoon.org/addon/ematrix/

The μMatrix defaults are very sane, I would highly recommend anyone learn how to use this as their number one privacy/security tool.

[vannilla]

The μMatrix defaults are very sane, I would highly recommend anyone learn how to use this as their number one privacy/security tool.

Keep in mind that it has an initial steep curve of learning, so it might be a very frustrating process.

[Moonchild]

These windows defender popups are fake to trick you into calling. There's no actual infection except for the one they would try to push to you when you call.
They are scammers from India that will try and get you to give access to your system remotely and trick you into believing you are infected with viruses (by doing fake command-line stuff and pulling up netstat etc. claiming "bad connections") and trick victims into sending them money. They focus on Windows users but their popup scam ads are indiscriminate. They are also vindictive assholes that will abuse the remote connection to lock you out of your own system if you don't pay.

Never call these numbers.

[andyprough]

The μMatrix defaults are very sane, I would highly recommend anyone learn how to use this as their number one privacy/security tool.

Keep in mind that it has an initial steep curve of learning, so it might be a very frustrating process.

Well worth it. If you can learn uBlock advanced mode, you can learn μMatrix. In fact, I'd say that learning to use μMatrix is easier than learning to use uBlock advanced mode, which is quite cryptic.

[gepus]

If you can learn uBlock advanced mode, you can learn μMatrix. In fact, I'd say that learning to use μMatrix is easier than learning to use uBlock advanced mode, which is quite cryptic.

There is a huge difference though.
One doesn't need to fiddle with uBlock. It's reliably out of the box.
Besides, one can make his own block-rules without knowing anything about its syntax.

[Moonchild]

One doesn't need to fiddle with uBlock. It's reliably out of the box.

Until it isn't.

Besides, one can make his own block-rules without knowing anything about its syntax.

One of the main advantages of μMatrix/ηMatrix has always been that you don't even have to know about rules. You use the (visual) matrix to block/allow things. So in fact that would actually be a better match in that case.

[back2themoon]

How do I get back control of my computer? Can I just wipe the Hard drive and reinstall from a cloned drive?

Frequent backups and eventual restore is always the best solution. Just make sure you always have clean backups. I maintain both "File" and full OS/image backups. All issues I had when a restore was required, came from Windows itself and not viruses but that's another story.

The μMatrix defaults are very sane, I would highly recommend anyone learn how to use this as their number one privacy/security tool.

What would be the advantage of μMatrix vs. a carefully selected uBO filterlist selection? I don't mean "enable all possible lists" here, just a good and effective selection. I've tried uBO advanced mode/uMatrix in the past and finally gave up to the constant tweaking required. Seemed to me it's easy to lose control with all that configuration and actually reduce privacy/security eventually. You REALLY need to know what you are doing, all the time.

[vannilla]

You REALLY need to know what you are doing, all the time.

You do, which is why the add-on's description and various posts of mine in this forum contains multiple warnings about being careful and really thinking through before actually using the extension.
It's also one of the reason why the "recipes" feature was never ported from uMatrix and it will never be added: using a pre-made list for a tool that is inherently difficult to use will only cause damage to users, especially since it's a tool to stop unwanted requests.
Compared to that, uBlock's focus on page elements is simpler and you actually want to use curated lists of must-block elements in the sites you usually visit.

Anyway there shouldn't be a competition between the two extensions: originally they were even made to work together and nobody gets money from having more users than the other (I don't, at least.)
Use what you feel most comfortable with; those who want to act on the actual requests, either blocking the entire domain or just a specific request from a specific site, and don't mind having to tweak things a lot can use eMatrix, those that want to have a more traditional ad-blocking experience can use uBlock.

[pubpub]

Windows Defender cannot be installed on the Ubuntu 22.04 distro. Windows Defender is only installed on a Windows operating system and is the default on all Windows operating systems since it comes with Windows.

This is not true, since like 2020 there's this microsoft defender thingie for GNU/Linux
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/micros ... oint-linux
And it supports

• RHEL 7.2+
• CentOS Linux 7.2+
• Ubuntu 16 LTS, or higher LTS
• SLES 12+
• Debian 9+
• Oracle Linux 7.2

So Ubuntu 22.04 is well supported for it.
Of course, this post is not meant to be a serious correction, since no GNU/Linux user would want to run this software in the first place, but the possibility to do so exists!

[Night Wing]

So Ubuntu 22.04 is well supported for it.
Of course, this post is not meant to be a serious correction, since no GNU/Linux user would want to run this software in the first place, but the possibility to do so exists!

So it looks like Microsoft is trying to get linux users to use it's AV for linux. Might work on the novices just getting started out in Linux and who are coming over from Windows to Linux.

After seeing the POS Windows 8 operating system which Microsoft was touting as the next coming of Jesus for security and was released in (I think) October of 2012, it was then I wanted no part of any Windows operating system from then on. I gravitated immediately to linux by playing around with different linux distros (Debian, Solyd X, Linux Lite, Chalet OS, Mint) in late November and December of 2012.

To make a long story short, I settled on linux Mint 14 Xfce in January of 2013 and haven't looked back at Windows. When it comes to Windows, I burned my bridges, all of them, behind me.

On the Mint forums in January of 2013, I was told Mint didn't need any AV program if you know what you're doing and I was a quick learner. Since I've been using Mint from January of 2013 which includes up to the present, I've never ran into any problems using Mint without an AV program.

Speaking just for myself, after seeing all the problems from those error filled so called security updates from Windows 8, 8.1 and all the different versions for 10 (and now from Windows 11), I wonder how anyone would want to trust Microsoft to build an AV program for linux.

If you register and become a member on the linux Mint forums site, those members there who have been using Mint much longer than I have, do not recommend installing any AV program for Mint and that includes me.

[Mæstro]

I sometimes run Wine executables, and I like to scan them with ClamTk as a precaution. I have never felt the need to set up automatic scans of the kind that Windows would need.