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Black Screen Of Death Caused By Trojan:Win32/Daonol

I’ve seen a lot of reports that users are experiencing a black screen of death when some Windows updates are applied. Windows updates do NOT cause the black screen of death, however malware already present on the PC does, specifically Trojan:Win32/Daonol (which is an info stealer/redirector). The latest versions of Trojan:Win32/Daonol are very buggy and prevent Windows from starting or shutting down properly, thus a black screen is the only thing the user sees.

If you want to fix this infection a bootable anti-malware disc is needed.

Staying Malware Free on the Internet

This is the guide I’ll be using for the rest for ’09 for heavy internet users that need to stay malware free while on the internet. All software list below is what I’m currently using. This could change in the future.

For Windows XP 32 bit and Vista 32 bit users here’s a list of things you should be doing if your PC is connected to the internet:

1. Make sure you have a good signature based virus scanner. The one I like to use right now is

Kaspersky Internet Security (09 or 2010 ver) – easy to use interface, signatures download multiple times a day, automatically setup to deal with malicious files, built-in HIPS, firewall and lot’s of other stuff you can read about here. I mainly use KIS for clients that have children and thus demand more protection.
You could sub out KIS for Norton Internet Security since I’m loving both these days.

2. Browse the Internet with Sandboxie! Make sure you configure the default sandbox to automatically delete contents when you close your browser. If you use Sandboxie every time you access the internet your chances of getting infected are slim to none. The only thing you need to worry about at this point are USB drives (thumb drives) and P2P clients (if you use one).

3. Make sure you have a router. All routers have a built-in hardware firewall with NAT. This protects you from port scans on the internet (which check to see if your PC is a weak target suitable for malware installs).

4. Install ALL of your Windows Updates! This is SOOOOOO important. Open Internet Explorer, go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and check your PC for any missing patches. Windows updates are typically released every Tuesday.

For Vista 64 bit users you can follow the list above but ignore Sandboxie since it does not work with the 64 bit OS. ZoneAlarm ForceField would be the only application that I know of that Sandboxes your browser (either IE or Firefox) on a 64 bit OS (and yes, it works with your currently installed AV).

If you have something else that you do to stay safe on the internet be please leave a comment!

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