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Published Jul 25, 2004 | Updated Sep 15, 2017

Worm:Win32/Korgo.W

Detected by Microsoft Defender Antivirus

Aliases: W32.Korgo.G (Symantec)

Summary

Win32/Korgo.W.worm is a network worm that targets computers running Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 2000 that do not have Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-011 installed. The worm monitors TCP ports and opens a backdoor to allow unauthorized access to infected computers. A computer infected with this worm may crash and reboot unexpectedly.
To manually recover from infection by Win32/Korgo.W.worm, perform the following steps:
  1. Stop the computer from restarting.
  2. Disconnect from the Internet.
  3. End the worm process.
  4. Delete the worm files from the computer.
  5. Delete the worm registry entry.
  6. Restart your computer.
  7. Take steps to prevent re-infection.

Stop the computer from restarting

Prevent the computer from spontaneously rebooting by disabling system shutdown.
To disable system shutdown
  1. Click Start, and then click Run.
  2. In the Open field, type shutdown -a
  3. Press Enter.

Disconnect from the Internet

To help ensure that your computer is not actively infecting other computers, disconnect it from the Internet before proceeding. Print this Web page or save a copy on your computer; then unplug your network cable and disable your wireless connection. You can reconnect to the Internet after completing these steps.

End the worm process

Ending the worm process will help stop your computer from infecting other computers as well as resolve the crashing, rebooting, and performance degradation issues caused by the worm.
To end the worm process
  1. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL once and click Task Manager.
  2. Click Processes and click Image Name to sort the running processes by name.
  3. Select process <random>.exe, and click End Process. The random part of the file name contains 5 to 8 arbitrary lowercase alphabetic characters.

Delete the worm files from the computer

To delete the worm files from the computer
  1. Click Start, and then click Run.
  2. In the Open field, type %System%
  3. Press Enter.
  4. Click Name to sort files by name.
  5. If file <random>.exe is in the list, delete it. The random part of the file name contains 5 to 8 arbitrary lowercase alphabetic characters. 

Delete the worm registry entry

Win32/Korgo.W.worm creates an entry in the Windows registry that attempts to run the worm every time your computer restarts. This entry should be deleted.
To delete the worm registry entry
  1. On the Start menu, click Run.
  2. In the Open field, type regedit and click OK.
  3. In the left pane, navigate to the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    In the right pane, right-click the value WinUpdate.
  4. Click Delete and click Yes to delete the value.
  5. Close the Registry Editor.

Restart your computer

To restart your computer
  1. On the Start menu, click Shut Down.
  2. Select Restart from the drop-down list and click OK.

Take steps to prevent re-infection

Do not reconnect your computer to the Internet until the computer is protected from re-infection. See the "Preventing Infection" section for more information.
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