Antispyware Soft
April 27, 2010
What is Antispyware Soft?
Antispyware Soft is a Rogue Antispyware program which means that the program poses as legitimate antispyware software, when in fact, it is nothing more than spyware itself.
Recommended Removal Method:
Automatic Detection and Removal Using Spyware Doctor:
Screenshots:
Additional Information:
Methods of Infection:
Antispyware Soft is installed via a Trojan typically from questionable websites (i.e. pornography or gambling), but it has also been found on hijacked fake news websites and in torrent downloads.
Previous Versions:
Antispyware Soft comes from the family of rogues that is responsible for Antivirus Soft and Antivirus Suite among others.
What it Does:
Antispyware Soft will bombard your computer with numerous fake spyware alerts and scans in an attempt to lure you into purchasing the full version, which is nothing more than a hoax. Antispyware Soft is not legitimate software and is actually a spyare infection. Antispyware Soft also has the ability to hijack your web browser and redirect your search results to pages of its choosing and that will attempt to install the malware on your computer.
The larger threat that Antispyware Soft poses however, is that it can download and install keyloggers and other more severe malware that can log your keystrokes, websites visited, etc. and can send that information over the internet to a remote server where the hacker that created Antispyware Soft will then use that information in an attempt to gain access to your credit cards, bank accounts, and numerous other sensitive personal information – and may ultimately end up stealing your identity.
Optional Antispyware Soft Removal Method – Manual Deletion (Not Recommended)
***Please note we highly recommend not attempting manual removal of Antispyware Soft unless are a trained computer professional. Antispyware Soft is a highly complex and dynamic rogue spyware infection that can hide several random files throughout your computer’s registry and file system and makes manual removal almost impossible. In addition, deleting and modifying system files and your computer’s registry wihout proper knowledge and training can cause further issues and may even cause your computer to become inoperable. As such, proceeding with manual removal is done at your own risk and spyware-experts.com cannot be held responsible for any problems that may occur in doing so.***
If you need help performing any of these steps, please see our tutorials listed on the upper right hand side of this page.
1. Delete the Following Processes:
avsuite.exe
avs.exe
2. Delete Following Files and Directories:
%UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\<random>\
%UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\<random>\<random>
3. Delete the Following Registry Keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\avsoft
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\avsoft
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Download “RunInvalidSignatures” = “1″
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings “ProxyOverride” = ” HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings “ProxyServer” = “http=127.0.0.1:5555″
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Associations “LowRiskFileTypes” = “.exe”
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments “SaveZoneInformation” = “1″
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run “<random>”
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run “<random>”
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Download “CheckExeSignatures” = “no”
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings “ProxyEnable” = “1″
Note that even if you have followed all the above steps and performed the tasks correctly, it is highly probable that Antispyware Soft will remain on your computer and continue to cause problems. The reason for this is that the program is dynamic and can change the filenames, locations, etc. and can even add additional infected files while it is on your computer.
This is why we highly recommend an automatic detection and removal tool such as Spyware Doctor that can find these additional hidden files and ensure that Antispyware Soft is completely removed from your computer.
-
Editor’s Choice Winner
"Spyware Doctor also set a new record in the malware blocking test, scoring 9.7 out of 10 possible points"
-www.pcmag.com, October 15, 2009