Virus Encyclopedia
Welcome to the Virus Encyclopedia of Panda Security.
Searchmeup | |
Threat Level DamageDistribution |
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| Common name: | Searchmeup |
| Technical name: | Adware/CWS.Searchmeup |
| Threat level: | Low |
| Type: | Spyware |
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Subtype:
| Adware |
| Effects: | It changes the home page of Internet Explorer and its default search options. The web page that is put as home page uses several exploits in order to download malware to the computer. |
| Affected platforms:
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Windows 2003/XP/2000/NT/ME/98/95/3.X |
| First detected on: | Jan. 11, 2005 |
| Detection updated on: | Jan. 7, 2008 |
| Statistics | No |
Proactive protection: | Yes, using TruPrevent Technologies
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Brief Description | |
Searchmeup is an adware program that changes the home page of the browser Internet Explorer and its default search options. The web page that Searchmeup changes the home page to uses several exploits, such as LoadImage, ByteVerify and MhtRedir.gen, in order to download malware to the computer: Tofger.AT, which is a password stealer type Trojan; Dialer.BB and Dialer.NO, which are dialers; TopConvert, which is another adware, etc. Searchmeup is downloaded to the computer when the user accesses certain web pages that contain references to that malicious page. Notes: - Once the computer is affected by Searchmeup, a 'blue screen of death' could be display whenever it is started, thus not working properly. If so, it should be necessary to restore the latest valid configuration (or Last Known Good Configuration).
- On the other hand, sometimes an error is caused on the file SERVICES.EXE, and the computer is then restarted in a minute. However, on this occasion, the system recovers its normal functioning.
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Visible Symptoms | |
Searchmeup is easy to recognize once it has affected the computer, as it changes the home page of Internet Explorer to the following: 
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