@ tech people

Salix Babylonika

Windows Defender found something called Stallmonitz on my computer. It claims to have removed it but I googled it out of concern and all I can find are not exactly well-kept websites that nonetheless insist this thing will brick my computer and steal my identity. 

should I be worried? My computer hasn't really been acting weird (it was deathly slow for a while but that stopped once I ordered my new battery), but I did recently get my paypal info stolen so I thought the two might be connected. All anyone seems to know about the thing is that it's "bad" (Microsoft Security Database lists it as "Severe" but provides literally no other information at all). Here's the Defender readout

Salix Babylonika

Incidentally I did OK the auto-removal and the file it lists as the container isn't there anymore, but I don't know if that actually means it worked.

Sredni Vashtar

http://blog.removevirusnow.org/softwarebundler-win32-stallmonitz-removal/

Yo.

Salix Babylonika

That is literally the first thing that comes up if you Google it. I'm saying that there are like 40,000 sites like that all telling me to install some thing.

I want to know if Defender actually took care of it or not, because I'd rather not install twelve different antimalware programs of dubious use and even more dubious security themselves to get rid of a program that might not actually be here anymore.

Salix Babylonika

and I mean, you know, read that paragraph there

do you trust something written like this?

SoftwareBundler:Win32/Stallmonitz is categorized as a Trojan that has been found recently. It has been utilized by hackers to violate users’ sensitive information. Usually this threat exploits system bugs and gets inside. Your PC would be put in a mess once infected. SoftwareBundler:Win32/Stallmonitz navigates your browsing activities by making changes to default settings. Everything starts behaving strangely.

Crystal

I once had a similar freak out and WinDef handled it just fine once contained, and then removed. And I'm the type to reflexively check this stuff, and just keep looking as if looking will make it go away, at times. So I'm pretty sure it worked since WinDef is good about this stuff.

Klinotaxis

i see no reason to doubt windows defender.

Sredni Vashtar

I probably should have paid closer attention.

That said, the first method that they list requires no additional downloads or such nonsense, and going through one's registry files after dumping malware is always a good idea. This sort of Trojan horse file would also explain the info theft.

Sredni Vashtar

(And if you do find yourself wanting to install a no-funny-business malware scanner, there are actually quite a few free and reputable ones out there. Unfortunately, the last time I researched this was when my dad's HP laptop was working, so my memory on which is which is... fuzzy, to put it mildly.)

Crystal

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (Free) is still going strong for me.