Help: buffer overflow error

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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 3:20 am

I've been experiencing a "buffer overflow error" notification off and on for the past few weeks. I've been able to get around it by going back in time to a "system restore", but I can't keep treating the symptoms forever.

An initial bit of research finds this to be out there in several places. It's been described as a trojan that McAfee can't detect. Someone was saying that if they downloaded this cure (that I never heard of before) that it would go away, and me being the suspicious type can't help but wonder if that person was trying to get his own trojan out there.

I won't have time to discuss this with a Dell tech rep until Friday, and so what I'd like to do is throw this out there to see if there's some reliable way to fix this.

For what this is worth, I'm using IE7.

Thanks in advance!

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 3:43 am

If you can get a specific error code out of it a Google search might turn up the cause. It'll be something weird like 00XE84EBD or something like that. Try googling the error code and the word error and that may shed some light on things. Smile

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:03 am

It's either a virus or if you're trying to play a video file you don't have the right codec. Something like that.

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

What application are you getting the error in? Please post the entire text of the error and the title of the pop-up window it appears in.

Does this help?
http://forum.newsgator.com/Topic20199-1-1.aspx#bm40203

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 11:09 am

Have you tried running a scan with Malwarebytes yet?
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php, just download and install the free version, perform an update and do a full scan.

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 11:59 am

You could try spybot search & Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html

Firefox Wink

and ccleaner

http://www.ccleaner.com/download

They might help.

*you have to think about turning off system restore if you are running Windows Vista.

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 12:07 pm

I would suggest Kaspersky Lab's FREE online Virus scanner. Trend Micro Also has a very comprehensive online free virus scanner. I have some tools to help you out in the case of it being a virus. Just throw me a PM.

Kaspersky Labs
http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
Trend Micro - PC Cillin
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

I say these because if McAfee cannot detect it, there is a good chance one of these will.

Edited to add - Google Chrome is a great browser by the way, other than the Great ever omnipresent Mozilla Firefox.

Edited again to ask - Is this involving Microsoft Outlook? It is a server error in that case. If this is on your office PC, talk to your IT dept.

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:19 pm

^^^ It's on the home PC.

After reading all of the responses, I think I'll give Kapersky a try if I can ever get a get a free evening. Tonight and tomorrow night are booked.

Trophy Videos · Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 11:41 pm

Don't forget to turn off system restore before cleaning your system. Viruses and trojans will make copies in the system restore folder, and just jump back to life if they detect that the OS is not running them after cleaning them off in normal mode.

Other cleaners - SuperAntiSpyware www.superantispyware.com
Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php

I run SpywareBlaster www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
and a hosts file http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
in the background to help keep the nasties off as well as using FF and Opera, instead of IE7.

After you clean whatever it is off your system, this free spyware-free software will alert you if there are any security related software updates for all the programs on your system, such as adobe reader, apple quicktime, browsers, media players, etc. It give you links to the downloads of the manufacturer, and info on the security risks involved.
I recommend it highly. When I first ran it, I thought my system was pretty tight, as I try to keep up with updates, but I found out it was not.
There were lots of old insecure programs on my pc.
Secunia Software Inspector
http://secunia.com/software_inspector/

Good luck, and keep us updated. Smile

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:34 am

I tried downloading Kapersky but it wanted me to uninstall McAfee, which I don't want to do right now.

I did get a message that I had a corrupted file in the Temporary Internet Files folder. I deleted all temporary files.

Oh, and before all of that, the buffer overflow did come back, but not with a hex code for reference.

I'm not sure if I've fixed it or not. I guess I'll know tomorrow.

EDITED TO ADD: Now trying the Trend Micro House Call before calling it a night.

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 12:34 pm

Great advise Slaphappy, I would've gone there. But a buffer overflow error is a vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook, and as far as I'm aware I thought they patched the issue. I haven't heard anything about it in just less than 10 years. I did a little poking and It seems it could also be a vulnerability in McAfee. IF it is a Microsoft Outlook issue, try pinpointing which email is causing the problem (I think it's a problem with the headers being too big for the allotted amount of cache space). An overflow attack is very dangerous (ie. control of systems, resources and private data) Shocked

But again it's been at least 10 years since I've heard of it happening.

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 12:37 pm

When I first saw this thread I wondered what a "butter overflow error" was exactly... anyone else see that?

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 1:14 pm

@ Canadian 149

I believe you are right. I have not seen the "buffer" error in the same time frame. I have seen several examples of McAfee's causing bad software glitches.
It is not a virus, spyware or a rogue virus.

A "buffer overflow" occurs when a program tries to write more information to a buffer than it is capable of storing.

BTW, McAfee's can be a dog to uninstall.

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 1:46 pm

Afferbecklauder wrote:

BTW, McAfee's can be a dog to uninstall.

There's a special tool to remove McAfee products: McAfee Consumer Product Removal tool (MCPR.exe) it can be downloaded here:
http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?id=TS100507

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 1:55 pm

I wouldn't use McAfee anyway, but it causes LOADS of errors and processing problems. IF however you wish to keep that malfunctioning piece of virus scanning nonsense, I would uninstall it and try a reinstall. Your KEY file should be alright whether you have a legal program or otherwise. OR just uninstall it and get AVG Very Happy

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 2:19 pm

I ran Trend Micro House Call overnight (getting up from time to time to check up on things). It found 56 worms/spyware, all of which I cleaned off.

The buffer overflow only happens upon opening a window with IE. Not all the time; but once it happens I have to restore my system to an earlier checkpoint.

If the problem is still there, I should be finding out about it this evening or tomorrow. If it isn't, then it's likely that when my McAfee subscription expries next year that I'll switch over to something else.

This has been a great discussion. I almost want to ask a mod to sticky this, but it's not really related to baiting.

I'm glad the Eater is blessed with technical talent to supplement the baiting talent here.

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:10 pm

Wow, good for you, I still suggest using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. IE has TOO many vulnerabilities.

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:15 pm

I may be giving Google Chrome a try. I hope that they have an easy way to get Usenet access, like Netscape. Getting it using Microsoft isn't user-friendly and is always a fight.

Even though I no longer participate in Usenet discussions, I might want to get involved in rec.collection.coins again.

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:27 pm

Also remember to exercise general computer care, weekly defragmentation and disk clean activities go a long way. You should try for Spybot S&D it was mentioned before, if you found an abundance of spyware/malware it is a great program to use. But I gotta tell you, I'm very disappointed with McAfee. 50+ viruses shouldn't have been allowed in your system. BUT I guess all it took was one to "blind" your firewall and take control of your antivirus. oh well, live and learn. Wink

Trophy Videos · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:53 pm

Wow. 56 problems, eh? If the problem comes back, again make sure to turn off System Restore before cleaning, run all the cleaners, reboot, check that the problem is gone. Run all the antivirus and cleaners again, to make sure. When confident, then you can turn System restore back on. Hope we all got you working. Smile

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 2:33 pm

So far, so good. No recurrences of this problem.

I hope I haven't jinxed things by saying this.

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