[OU] def71A.tmp.exe: possible malware when launching Opera

[Gary Krasner]

Friends,

I've been using Opera browser since version 7.  I just subscribed to this list hoping to resolve a nuisance:  A couple of times a week, while I'm on my computer, I would see a text popup from my tray icons on the lower left of my screen.  The text advertises epinions.com.

I do not have any other popup problems.  I use eDexter and I subscribe to a couple of good malware lists to update my hosts file every couple of months.  So I couldn't figure out where this popup was coming from.

But recently, I installed a program called Spy-the-Spy.  It's a great little program that monitors any specified folders or partitions and alerts you when files have been added or modified.

Sure enough, each time I launched Opera, Spy-the-Spy notifies me that this file:
def71A.tmp.exe
is deposited in this folder:
C:\doc&settings\admin.name\local\temp\

I believe this file is the cause of the epinions popups.  I no longer get the popups, since I've used spy-the-spy, and its ability to remove the offending file (at the user's option).  But I would also like to stop Opera from triggering this event in the first place.  But I don't know the mechanism how this happens, nor would I necessarily know how to stop it.

That's my question for anyone kind enough to respond.  And yes, I did google this problem.  The few hits were not helpful.  def71A.tmp.exe was not even identified as malware.  Which makes me wonder whether or not this is the source of the problem.  In other words, I could be wrong about the suspect file.

thanks, GLK