ALIASES:

a variant of Win32/Toolbar.SearchSuite.D (ESET), Adware/SearchSuite.e.9 (Avira)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

 OVERALL RISK RATING:
 DAMAGE POTENTIAL:
 DISTRIBUTION POTENTIAL:
 REPORTED INFECTION:
 INFORMATION EXPOSURE:

  • Threat Type: Adware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

This adware may be manually installed by a user.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: Varies
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 20 Nov 2014

Arrival Details

This adware may be manually installed by a user.

Installation

This adware creates the following folders:

  • %All Users Profile%\Application Data\smdfmf

(Note: %All Users Profile% is the All Users folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\ProgramData on Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012.)

Other Details

This adware connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • http://www.{BLOCKED}project.com/app/
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}search.net/search?sid={sysid}&aid={appid}&itype={value}&ver={version}&tm={value}&src=404&p=
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}search.net/search?sid={sysid}&aid={appid}&itype={value}&ver={version}&tm={value}&src=bar
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}search.net/search?sid={sysid}&aid={appid}&itype={value}&ver={version}&tm={value}&src=derr&p=
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}search.net/search?sid={sysid}&aid={appid}&itype={value}&ver={version}&tm={value}&src=ds&p=
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}search.net?sid={sysid}&aid={appid}&itype={value}&ver={version}&tm={value}&src=bar
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}search.net?sid={sysid}&aid={appid}&itype={value}&ver={version}&tm={value}&src=ds&p=
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}search.net?sid={sysid}&aid={appid}&itype={value}&ver={version}&tm={value}&src=hmp
  • {BLOCKED}e.com
  • search.{BLOCKED}tigames.com
  • dts.{BLOCKED}results.com
  • www.{BLOCKED}rch.com
  • www.{BLOCKED}search.com
  • www.{BLOCKED}ch.com
  • www.{BLOCKED}supreme.com
  • www.{BLOCKED}rchtab.com
  • www.{BLOCKED}earch.com
  • www.{BLOCKED}sheet.com
  • www.{BLOCKED}qu.com
  • www.{BLOCKED}nu.com
  • www.{BLOCKED}core.net
  • search.{BLOCKED}t.net
  • search.{BLOCKED}t.com
  • search.{BLOCKED}zaweb.com
  • search.{BLOCKED}zaweb.net
  • search.{BLOCKED}are.net
  • search.{BLOCKED}are.com
  • search.{BLOCKED}h.com
  • search.{BLOCKED}h.net

NOTES:

This adware may download and install Linkey browser plugin for the following browsers:

  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Internet Explorer

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.700
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 11.272.05
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 12 Nov 2014
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 11.273.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 13 Nov 2014

Step 1

Before doing any scans, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 users must disable System Restore to allow full scanning of their computers.

Step 2

Note that not all files, folders, and registry keys and entries are installed on your computer during this malware's/spyware's/grayware's execution. This may be due to incomplete installation or other operating system conditions. If you do not find the same files/folders/registry information, please proceed to the next step.

Step 3

Remove ADW_SRCHSUITE.SM by using its own Uninstall option

[ Learn More ]
To uninstall the grayware process

Step 4

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as ADW_SRCHSUITE.SM If the detected files have already been cleaned, deleted, or quarantined by your Trend Micro product, no further step is required. You may opt to simply delete the quarantined files. Please check this Knowledge Base page for more information.


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