MS Antivirus (malware)
| Developer(s) | Bakasoftware, Innovative Marketing, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Type | Rogue software |
MS Antivirus (also known as Spyware Protect 2009) is a scareware rogue anti-virus which purports to remove virus infections found on a computer running Microsoft Windows. It attempts to scam the user into purchasing a "full version" of the software.
Many clones of MS Antivirus that include slight variations have been distributed throughout the web. They are known as XP Antivirus, Vitae Antivirus, Windows Antivirus, Win Antivirus, Antivirus Action, Antivirus Pro 2009, 2010, 2017 or simply just Antivirus Pro, Antivirus 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 360, AntiMalware GO, Internet Antivirus Plus, System Antivirus, Spyware Guard 2008 and 2009, Spyware Protect 2009, Winweb Security 2008, System Security, Malware Defender 2009, Ultimate Antivirus2008, Vista Antivirus, General Antivirus, AntiSpywareMaster, Antispyware 2008, XP AntiSpyware 2008, 2009 and 2010, Antivirus Vista 2010, Real Antivirus, WinPCDefender, Antivirus XP Pro, Anti-Virus-1, Antivirus Soft, Vista Antispyware 2012, Antispyware Soft, Antivirus System PRO, Antivirus Live, Vista Anti Malware 2010, Internet Security 2010, XP Antivirus Pro, Security Tool, VSCAN7, Total Security, PC Defender Plus, Disk Antivirus Professional, AVASoft Professional Antivirus, System Care Antivirus, and System Doctor 2014. Another MS Antivirus clone is named ANG Antivirus. This name is used to confuse the user of the software into thinking that it is the legitimate AVG Antivirus before downloading it.
Each variant has its own way of downloading and installing itself onto a computer. MS Antivirus is made to look functional to fool a computer user into thinking that it is a real anti-virus system in order to convince the user to "purchase" it. In a typical installation, MS Antivirus runs a scan on the computer and gives a false spyware report claiming that the computer is infected with spyware. Once the scan is completed, a warning message appears that lists the spyware ‘found’ and the user either has to click on a link or a button to remove it. Regardless of which button is clicked -- "Next" or "Cancel"—a download box will still pop up. This deceptive tactic is an attempt to scare the Internet user into clicking on the link or button to purchase MS Antivirus. If the user decides not to purchase the program, then they will constantly receive pop-ups stating that the program has found infections and that they should register it in order to fix them. This type of behavior can cause a computer to operate more slowly than normal.
MS Antivirus will also occasionally display fake pop-up alerts on an infected computer. These alerts pretend to be a detection of an attack on that computer and the alert prompts the user to activate, or purchase, the software in order to stop the attack. More seriously it can paste a fake picture of a Blue Screen of Death over the screen and then display a fake startup image telling the user to buy the software. The malware may also block certain Windows programs that allow the user to modify or remove it. Programs such as Regedit can be blocked by this malware. The registry is also modified so the software runs at system startup. The following files may be downloaded to an infected computer:
...
Wikipedia