Microsoft confirms rootkit caused Windows XP blue screens

When malware writers fail to generate clean, reliable code, just who can you trust? On the heels of many Windows XP 32-bit users facing blue screen of death errors and unwanted reboots, Microsoft is now confirming that there's a little bit of malicious code sitting at the root of it all. A rootkit, to be specific, one called Alureon that compromises the atapi.sys file and others. This rootkit makes a system call via an address that, after the update, no longer corresponds to the particular call Alureon is trying to make. This is apparently the cause of the BSODs, not the update itself, and so those suffering from similar issues can resolve them by simply replacing corrupted system files via the recovery console. It won't be as much fun as using Microsoft's more popular console, but should at least cure what ails you.

[mars231 Posted Feb 19th 2010 3:20PM]

it took Microsoft this long to finally realize this?

[JeremyBenthem Posted Feb 19th 2010 3:28PM]

I had Aulorean from a different place. Thing is really tough to remove. BSODs within minutes so you don't get much time to work. Took me hours but I eventually found a solution. Get MalwareByte's Anti-Malware. RENAME the installer, it seems to be able to detect the installation of it. After it installs, rename the EXE also. Update will probably fail since the thing knocks out the network connection. Did a quick scan, eventually it found it along with a bunch of other crap it came with. Good luck

[crazytuga Posted Feb 19th 2010 3:28PM]

microsoft is launching this bugs in the top of their worms pc, for the dum consumer buy the w7.

get a mac insted...it just works.

in my mac is has been more than 4 months i dont need to turn of the mac or even reeboot, havent seen a single crash , and is a daily use mac....

[nomadewolf Posted Feb 19th 2010 7:40PM]

M$ software causing blue screens??? That's a new...

[sideways8 Posted Feb 19th 2010 8:12PM]

@nomadewolf
Not what the article is saying. A system call in a rootkit is causing the BSOD.

[Trowa Posted Feb 20th 2010 12:13AM]

I've been seeing this happening for a while, especially for laptops. The rootkit attaches itself to IaStor.sys, the Intel AHCI driver and blue screens the machine, at least its a simple replacement of the driver and all is well again (pending a scan for anything else the user still has lingering)