Behavior
The program must be manually installed

The program reports false or exaggerated system security threats on the computer.





Installation
When the program is executed, it creates the following files:
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Start Menu\Programs\[DOUBLE-BYTE CHARACTERS].lnk
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Start Menu\Programs\[DOUBLE-BYTE CHARACTERS].lnk
C:\Program Files\ProtectOn\partner.ini
C:\Program Files\ProtectOn\ProtectOn.exe
C:\Program Files\ProtectOn\ProtectOnMtr.exe
C:\Program Files\ProtectOn\ProtectOnuck.exe
C:\Program Files\ProtectOn\Uninstall.exe

Next, the program creates the following registry entry/ies so that it executes whenever Windows starts:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\"ProtectOn" = "C:\Program Files\ProtectOn\ProtectOn.exe /run1"

The program also creates the following registry entries so that it can be uninstalled:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\ProtectOn\"DisplayName" = "[DOUBLE-BYTE CHARACTERS]"
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\ProtectOn\"UninstallString" = "C:\Program Files\ProtectOn\Uninstall.exe"
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\ProtectOn\"DisplayIcon" = "C:\Program Files\ProtectOn\Uninstall.exe"
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\ProtectOn\"DisplayVersion" = "1.000"
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\ProtectOn\"INSTDATE" = "20111215"

The program creates the following registry entries to register itself:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectOn\pid = "pron116"
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectOn\"Version" = "1.000"
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectOn\"UpdateVersion" = "1.000"
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectOn\"Install_Dir" = "C:\Program Files\ProtectOn"
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectOn\"Environment" = "11111111111111"

You may have arrived at this page either because you have been alerted by your Symantec product about this risk, or you are concerned that your computer has been affected by this risk.

Before proceeding further we recommend that you run a full system scan. If that does not resolve the problem you can try one of the options available below.



FOR NORTON USERS
If you are a Norton product user, we recommend you try the following resources to remove this risk.

Removal Tool

• Run Norton Power Eraser (NPE)
• Norton Power Eraser did not remove this risk

If you have an infected Windows system file, you may need to replace it using the Windows installation CD.


How to reduce the risk of infection
The following resources provide further information and best practices to help reduce the risk of infection.

• Operating system updates to fix vulnerabilities
• File sharing protection
• Disable Autorun (CD/USB)
• Best practices for instant messaging
• Best practices for browsing the Web
• Best practices for email

FOR BUSINESS USERS
If you are a Symantec business product user, we recommend you try the following resources to remove this risk.

Identifying and submitting suspect files
Submitting suspicious files to Symantec allows us to ensure that our protection capabilities keep up with the ever-changing threat landscape. Submitted files are analyzed by Symantec Security Response and, where necessary, updated definitions are immediately distributed through LiveUpdate™ to all Symantec end points. This ensures that other computers nearby are protected from attack. The following resources may help in identifying suspicious files for submission to Symantec.

• Locate a sample of a threat
• Submit a suspicious file to Symantec

Removal Tool

• Run the Symantec Power Eraser with the Symantec Endpoint Protection Support Tool
• Symantec Power Eraser Overview
• Symantec Power Eraser User Guide
  

If you have an infected Windows system file, you may need to replace it using the Windows installation CD.


How to reduce the risk of infection
The following resource provides further information and best practices to help reduce the risk of infection.
Protecting your business network



MANUAL REMOVAL
The following instructions pertain to all current Symantec antivirus products.

1. Performing a full system scan
How to run a full system scan using your Symantec product


2. Restoring settings in the registry
Many risks make modifications to the registry, which could impact the functionality or performance of the compromised computer. While many of these modifications can be restored through various Windows components, it may be necessary to edit the registry. See in the Technical Details of this writeup for information about which registry keys were created or modified. Delete registry subkeys and entries created by the risk and return all modified registry entries to their previous values.