No AdWare Net

Posts Tagged ‘infection’

Adwares have become a major problem as far as security is concerned. In fact, it has surpassed the Trojan horse, considered the most harmful computer threats around, as the top concern for computer security in regards to number of infections. And because of its unique properties that differ them from the usual virus or worms, adwares have been in the center of controversies having to do with their legality. Some adwares are mild but some can cause rather major damages on a system and its user. But generally, it has become a huge distraction because of annoying pop-up ads, as well as causing slow computer performance.

One of the most popular adware circulating the Internet today is called ClickSpring. Also known as PurityScan, this one is a more subtle adware program but with many questionable features. Security experts have branded ClickSpring as a PUP, or potentially unwanted program. Though still not considered as a malicious software, or malware, this type has already raised several concerns due to its functions.

ClickSpring, unlike most adwares, has no characteristics similar to a virus or a Trojan horse. But it too is frequently bundled with free softwares and can be downloaded and installed on a system without the user’s knowledge. When executed and installed, ClickSpring can create several BHO, or browser helper object, entries in the registry and inject a DLL file to Internet Explorer, enabling it to make slight modifications to the web browser including additional toolbars and buttons.

Designed as a direct-marketing program, ClickSpring can display advertisements in many different forms such as banners, pop-ups, pop-unders or links built within web pages or sections of the Windows interface. Some of the ads may also include test ads displayed with the ClickSpring application itself with search bars, side bars and search results. This adware can also do behavioral tracking based on your activities including websites you visited, enabling it to display targeted ads relevant to your preferences. It can do this because of the program’s ability to collect data and report back to a remote server. It gathers sensitive data such as cache, cookies, temp files, temporary Internet files and search history without the user’s consent.

While there have been no reports of major damages, it has been documented that ClickSpring uses security exploits and other potentially harmful software to install itself to a system. It has also been speculated that this adware can also install more adwares and spywares on a computer.

That is why it is important that ClickSpring be removed immediate from your computer before creating far more damages. Fortunately, it is not that hard to remove this adwares as compared to other types of adwares. It generally comes with an uninstall function that can be easily accessed using the “Add/Remove Programs” function of the system. In most cases, using this step will remove ClickSpring on the first attempt. But if it does not, it is possible that there are other adwares installed on the system and a more thorough clean up will be needed.

Adware.ClickSpring Adware
Virus description: Adware.ClickSpring Category:Adware Another names: [Kaspersky]AdWare.Win32.PurityScan.fn; [McAfee]Adware-ClickSpring; [Other]Win32/ClickSpring.EY,Adware.Purityscan,purityscan,Adware:Win32/ClickSpring.PuritySCAN …

what is wtta.exe? — wtta process info
wtta has been linked to the malware purityscan/clickspring adware, and should be cleaned as soon as possible. since viruses and legitimate files can have the same names, it is important that you backup your hard drive before removing …

Does MySpace install spyware or adware on computers?
Without you knowing it, your "… machine would silently download a Trojan horse program that installs junk software in the PurityScan/ClickSpring family of adware. This stuff bombards the user with pop-up ads and tracks their Web usage …

Technorati Tags: adware, ClickSpring, how to remove ClickSpring, infection, malwares, MySpace, spyware, virus