What is Plain Savings?
The Malwarebytes research team has determined that Plain Savings is a browser hijacker. These so-called "hijackers" manipulate your browser(s), for example to change your startpage or searchscopes, so that the affected browser visits their site or one of their choice. This one also displays advertisements.
How do I know if my computer is effected by Plain Savings?
This is how the first screen of the installer looks:
And you may see this Firefox add-on (although this PUP is able to hijack Chrome and IE as well) :
or this entry in your list of installed programs:
How did Plain Savings get on my computer?
Browser hijackers use different methods for distributing themselves. This particular one was bundled with other software.
How do I remove Plain Savings?
Our program Malwarebytes Anti-Malware can detect and remove this potentially unwanted application.
- Please download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to your desktop.
- Double-click mbam-setup-version.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
- At the end, be sure a check-mark is placed next to the following:
- Enable free trial of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium
- Launch Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
- Then click Finish.
- If an update is found, you will be prompted to download and install the latest version.
- Once the program has loaded, select Scan Now. Or select the Threat Scan from the Scan menu.
- When the scan is complete, make sure that all Threats are selected, and click Remove Selected.
- Restart your computer when prompted to do so.
- No, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware removes Plain Savings completely.
We hope our application and this guide have helped you eradicate this hijacker.
As you can see below the full version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware would have protected you against the Plain Savings hijacker. It would have warned you before the application could install itself, giving you a chance to stop it before it became too late.
Technical details for experts
Possible signs in FRST logs:
FF Extension: Plain Savings 1.0.1 - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{profile}.default\Extensions\[email protected] [2015-08-12]
C:\Program Files (x86)\Plain Savings
Plain Savings (HKLM\...\Plain Savings) (Version: 2015.05.06.075229 - Plain Savings) <==== ATTENTIONAlterations made by the installer:File system details
---------------------------------------------------
Adds the folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Plain Savings
Adds the file [email protected]"="5/6/2015 10:17 AM, 6815 bytes, A
Adds the file PlainSavings.ico"="5/6/2015 10:17 AM, 1150 bytes, A
Adds the file PlainSavingsBHO.dll"="5/6/2015 10:17 AM, 269048 bytes, A
Adds the file PlainSavingsUninstall.exe"="5/6/2015 10:17 AM, 247464 bytes, A
Registry details
------------------------------------------------
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{4AA46D49-459F-4358-B4D1-169048547C23}]
"(Default)"="REG_SZ", "2F0F0EC6-2707-46F8-A8D3-8681E1C87382"
"id"="REG_SZ", "351"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{4AA46D49-459F-4358-B4D1-169048547C23}]
"(Default)"="REG_SZ", "2F0F0EC6-2707-46F8-A8D3-8681E1C87382"
"id"="REG_SZ", "351"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Plain Savings]
"DisplayIcon"="REG_SZ", "C:\Program Files (x86)\Plain Savings\PlainSavings.ico"
"DisplayName"="REG_SZ", "Plain Savings"
"DisplayVersion"="REG_SZ", "2015.05.06.075229"
"EstimatedSize"="REG_DWORD", 270
"HelpLink"="REG_SZ", "mailto:[email protected]"
"InstallLocation"="REG_SZ", "C:\Program Files (x86)\Plain Savings"
"InstallTime"="REG_SZ", "2015-08-12 10:43:45"
"NoModify"="REG_DWORD", 1
"NoRepair"="REG_DWORD", 1
"Publisher"="REG_SZ", "Plain Savings"
"QuietUninstallString"="REG_SZ", "C:\Program Files (x86)\Plain Savings\PlainSavingsuninstall.exe /S"
"UninstallString"="REG_SZ", "C:\Program Files (x86)\Plain Savings\PlainSavingsuninstall.exe"
"URLInfoAbout"="REG_SZ", "http://plainsavingscenter.com/support"
"URLUpdateInfo"="REG_SZ", "http://plainsavingscenter.com"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Plain Savings]
"iid"="REG_SZ", "org_PlainSavings"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Plain Savings\Chrome]
"sgc"="REG_SZ", "true"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Plain Savings\Firefox]
"sff"="REG_SZ", "false"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Plain Savings\Internet Explorer]
"sie"="REG_SZ", "false"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Plain Savings]
"id"="REG_SZ", "2015-08-12 10:43:45"
"iid"="REG_SZ", "org_PlainSavings"
"is"="REG_SZ", "org_PlainSavings"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Plain Savings\Chrome]
"ug"="REG_SZ", "02C8D73F-0F1E-40DF-BD89-B3B7569048B5"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Plain Savings\Firefox]
"ug"="REG_SZ", "6FEE929D-F897-4998-8CD0-4B4F3B6411D9"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Plain Savings\Internet Explorer]
"ug"="REG_SZ", "AC589101-2506-4ADC-A219-F0056C2A793C"
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware log:Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
www.malwarebytes.org
Scan Date: 8/12/2015
Scan Time: 10:52 AM
Logfile: mbamPlainSavings.txt
Administrator: Yes
Version: 2.1.8.1057
Malware Database: v2015.08.12.02
Rootkit Database: v2015.08.06.01
License: Premium
Malware Protection: Disabled
Malicious Website Protection: Disabled
Self-protection: Disabled
OS: Windows 8.1
CPU: x64
File System: NTFS
User: {username}
Scan Type: Threat Scan
Result: Completed
Objects Scanned: 345446
Time Elapsed: 33 min, 6 sec
Memory: Enabled
Startup: Enabled
Filesystem: Enabled
Archives: Enabled
Rootkits: Enabled
Heuristics: Enabled
PUP: Enabled
PUM: Enabled
Processes: 0
(No malicious items detected)
Modules: 0
(No malicious items detected)
Registry Keys: 6
PUP.Optional.BrowseFox.A, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\CLSID\{4AA46D49-459F-4358-B4D1-169048547C23}, Quarantined, [eb0709fe2d5ebe785cdbc00d7b87a65a],
PUP.Optional.BrowseFox.A, HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\CLASSES\CLSID\{4AA46D49-459F-4358-B4D1-169048547C23}, Quarantined, [eb0709fe2d5ebe785cdbc00d7b87a65a],
PUP.Optional.BrowseFox.A, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\WOW6432NODE\CLSID\{4AA46D49-459F-4358-B4D1-169048547C23}, Quarantined, [eb0709fe2d5ebe785cdbc00d7b87a65a],
PUP.Optional.PlainSavings.A, HKLM\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\CURRENTVERSION\UNINSTALL\Plain Savings, Quarantined, [51a160a70c7f61d592e7b6cd2fd6d927],
PUP.Optional.PlainSavings.A, HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\Plain Savings, Quarantined, [bc36ce39a7e4ab8bb125069628dc946c],
PUP.Optional.PlainSavings.A, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Plain Savings, Quarantined, [ef03d3342c5f0a2c676d8a12d133f60a],
Registry Values: 0
(No malicious items detected)
Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)
Folders: 1
PUP.Optional.PlainSavings.A, C:\Program Files (x86)\Plain Savings, Quarantined, [fbf7af5894f70234370dfb135da68878],
Files: 7
PUP.Optional.PlainSavings.A, C:\Users\{username}\Desktop\setup.exe, Quarantined, [945ee5224d3ec6702f4ab4cf41c4f10f],
PUP.Optional.PlainSavings.A, C:\Program Files (x86)\Plain Savings\PlainSavingsBHO.dll, Quarantined, [e60cb255f7948da9c1b88300689d46ba],
PUP.Optional.PlainSavings.A, C:\Program Files (x86)\Plain Savings\PlainSavingsUninstall.exe, Quarantined, [51a160a70c7f61d592e7b6cd2fd6d927],
PUP.Optional.BrowseFox, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Temp\nsuD6E9.tmp\NSISEncrypt.dll, Quarantined, [797942c5c0cb231395d20b9a966b60a0],
PUP.Optional.PlainSavings.A, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{profile}.default\extensions\[email protected], Quarantined, [648ee522d6b5c5715b77a2fab05452ae],
PUP.Optional.PlainSavings.A, C:\Program Files (x86)\Plain Savings\[email protected], Quarantined, [fbf7af5894f70234370dfb135da68878],
PUP.Optional.PlainSavings.A, C:\Program Files (x86)\Plain Savings\PlainSavings.ico, Quarantined, [fbf7af5894f70234370dfb135da68878],
Physical Sectors: 0
(No malicious items detected)
(end)As mentioned before the full version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware could have protected your computer against this threat.We use different ways of protecting your computer(s):
- Dynamically Blocks Malware Sites & Servers
- Malware Execution Prevention
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