A new malware threat has been detected spreading on the web. Currently being refered to as Codec-C, it removes a user’s start programs as well as all of their shortcuts on the desktop. However, unlike its predecessor, it does not leave them where they can be restored from a folder in a user’s temp folder. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has been the first to address this latest threat and remove it, referring to it as PUP.CodecC. Unfortunately, there is as yet no easy fix for restoring the start menu and desktop icons but Tweaking.com Windows Repair might just do that. The previous version of this threat could be fixed using UnHide. But this threat seems to permanently remove those items, forcing the user to copy their programs exe files back into their startup folder and to re-create the desktop icons.

The Malware team at MajorGeeks first encountered the threat a few days ago. We expect that this virus will continue to spread and evolve over the coming weeks.