Why Malwarebytes Antimalware Detects PC Pitstop as Potentially Unwanted
At Malwarebytes, take great pleasure in the point that we’re defending clients – not just from viruses – but from an increasing and troublesome risk known as PUPs, or Possibly Undesirable Applications. We lately increased our PUP recognition requirements due to PUP providers becoming more competitive while at the same time using more refined frighten techniques to force clients into buying their items. One organization that we began analyzing was PC Pitstop. With visibility being essential to us at Malwarebytes, the purpose of this weblog is to make the information community.
PC Pitstop creates several items such as PC Matic, PC Magnum, Improve, Car owner Aware, and Hard drive MD. As of a couple of several weeks ago, we identify the items as PUP.Optional: the first part comprising a Possibly Undesirable System and the second your optionality, significance we believe it is unwanted by the most of clients and yet we want it to be obvious that it is your attention as a person to take it off.
PC Pitstop activated several of our PUP requirements, which I’ve involved below.
Claiming that registry cleaning is necessary
Some applications offer to clean or modify your computer’s computer registry. In basic terms, your Pc computer registry contains information and settings for applications and hardware installed on users operating-system.
According to Microsof company, computer registry washing solutions are not necessary. In fact, Microsof company itself does not recommend the use of computer registry washing solutions. Items that use computer registry washing and optimization as a feature to push revenue are considered Potentially Unwanted by Malwarebytes.
PC Pitstop’s Optimize & PC Matic products uses computer registry washing as one of its main features. They will show computer registry issues, even on a brand new computer. It states there are fourteen computer registry files which “may cause improper operation of some applications.” Based on standards from Microsof company, we believe this to be a hostile tactic to push revenue.
Figure 1: PC Pitstop’s Optimize showing problems on a brand new machine and prompting users to “Buy Now!” in order to “fix the problems identified.”
Figure 2: PC Matic registry cleaning recommendations.
2. Claiming that short-term information are problematic
Another one of our PUP detection criteria is flagging short-term information created by the os or Web internet browser as risky problems or immediate fixes for a non-savvy customer. Temporary information are normal artifacts of the os and internet browser and are in no way indications of a problem with your computer or an issue that is immediate. These detections are normally accompanied by a red dot or threat slider.
PC Pitsop’s PC Matic shows short-term information as immediate problems to the customer, even on a brand new computer.
Figure 3: PC Pitstop’s PC Matic showing temporary files, default Operating System settings and disk fragmentation as “issues with your PC” on a brand new machine and prompting users to buy in order to “Fix All.”
Declaring that biscuits are problematic
Browser biscuits are a vital part of how internet explorer work. For example, when you buy something online, the e-commerce application solution application is more likely than not motivated by web browser biscuits. Flagging web browser biscuits as an issue that requires immediate attention is a hostile technique used by many Possibly Undesirable Applications.
No operating trial
During research of PC Pitstop products, we were persuaded many times (after showing the above mentioned issues!) to buy the application. There is no operating test and the cost of the product was up to $150. High costs without the ability to test the application play a role to our requirements around Possibly Undesirable Applications.
Silent removal of necessary applications
One of the most surprising actions of PC Matic was the immediate to get rid of necessary programs such as Google Chrome’s updater, Java’s updater, and more. Eliminating these elements actually places the machine at risk as both mentioned are patching critical weaknesses.
Quietly limiting the Microsof company windows Defragmentation Service
As proven above in determine 2, PC Matic recognizes hard drive fragmentation on a brand new computer and encourages the user to purchase the product. We have found that during set up of PC Matic, one of the first activities it works is silently limiting the Microsof company windows Defragmentation Support. The problem is that Microsof company windows Defragmentation Support is no longer just a defragmenter is more of an every week low-level clean-up of the hard hard drive drive for things the os brings around. Microsof company highly indicates making this alone for Microsof company windows 8 and above. In fact, Microsof company says that avoiding a reverse phone lookup can do more damage than good.
Once the built-in Microsof company windows Defragmentation Support is impaired, PC Matic encourages its “SSD Optimization” function that reveals the Planned Defragmentation service as impaired.
Figure 9: PC Matic’s “SSD Optimization” consists of disabling the Microsoft defragment service which Microsoft advises against.
Quietly executing other very risky actions
There are other changes made to the machine operating PC Matic repairs that could be very risky, such as silently including an management customer.
Figure 10: PC Matic silently adding an administrative user account to the machine.
Risky protection vulnerabilities
On top of all of the actions mentioned, Malwarebytes discovered a number of crucial weaknesses in PC Pitstop’s items that can allow any enemy to assume control of your device. We recommend all PC Pitstop customers to instantly remove any and all PC Pitstop items from their computer systems until the weeknesses is settled. We have sent information of the weaknesses discovered to PC Pitstop so they can deal with them instantly.
We use our best verdict and a record of requirements we’ve seen misused in the previous to find out whether application should be flagged as Possibly Undesirable for our customers. No company and no application is best suited, Malwarebytes involved. We wish PC Pitstop requires activity to remediate problems mentioned, at which point we will instantly quit flagging their items for prospective elimination. We are humbled that our customers believe in us to keep them secure and we will strongly protect our position against the recognition of PC Pitstop’s items until that time.
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