No replies to this topic

[Metallica]

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is Ad Skip Now?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that Ad Skip Now is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) that behaves like adware. These adware applications display advertisements not originating from the sites you are browsing.

How do I know if my computer is affected by Ad Skip Now?

You may see this entry in your list of installed Chrome extensions:



You may have noticed these warnings during install:







How did Ad Skip Now get on my computer?

Adware uses different methods for distributing themselves. This particular one was downloaded from the webstore:



after a redirect from their website:



How do I remove Ad Skip Now?

Our program Malwarebytes can detect and remove this adware program.

• Please download Malwarebytes for Windows to your desktop.
• Double-click MBSetup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
• When your Malwarebytes for Windows installation completes, the program opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen.
• Click on the Get started button.
• Click Scan to start a Threat Scan.
• When the scan is finished click Quarantine to remove the found threats.
• Reboot the system if prompted to complete the removal process.

Is there anything else I need to do to get rid of Ad Skip Now?

• No, Malwarebytes removes Ad Skip Now completely.

How would the full version of Malwarebytes help protect me?

We hope our application and this guide have helped you eradicate this adware.

As you can see below Malwarebytes Browser Guard, and the full version of Malwarebytes would have protected you against the Ad Skip Now hijacker. It would have blocked their website, giving you a chance to stop it before it became too late.

Technical details for experts

Possible signs in FRST logs:

CHR Extension: (Ad Skip Now) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod [2021-06-21]

Significant changes made by the installer:

File system details [View: All details] (Selection)
---------------------------------------------------
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\1.0.1_0
       Adds the file 128.png"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 2827 bytes, A
       Adds the file b.js"="5/13/2021 3:42 PM, 2099 bytes, A
       Adds the file c.js"="5/12/2021 12:15 PM, 781 bytes, A
       Adds the file manifest.json"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 6444 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\1.0.1_0\_locales\de
       Adds the file messages.json"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 134 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\1.0.1_0\_locales\en
       Adds the file messages.json"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 172 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\1.0.1_0\_locales\es
       Adds the file messages.json"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 194 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\1.0.1_0\_locales\fr
       Adds the file messages.json"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 153 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\1.0.1_0\_locales\it
       Adds the file messages.json"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 133 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\1.0.1_0\_locales\pt_BR
       Adds the file messages.json"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 133 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\1.0.1_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 225 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="5/16/2021 9:14 AM, 2371 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod
       Adds the file 000003.log"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file CURRENT"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 16 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOCK"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOG"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="6/21/2021 2:48 PM, 41 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod"="REG_SZ", "99E535EABF709C085DCF11AC3CE94D45F61DAA9A5FDA828463CD5D4B29B01EC9"

Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 6/22/21
Scan Time: 8:16 AM
Log File: 5a1c1eb6-d321-11eb-ae35-080027235d76.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.4.0.117
Components Version: 1.0.1344
Update Package Version: 1.0.42071
License: Premium

-System Information-
OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1
CPU: x64
File System: NTFS
User: {username}-PC\{username}

-Scan Summary-
Scan Type: Threat Scan
Scan Initiated By: Manual
Result: Completed
Objects Scanned: 257462
Threats Detected: 12
Threats Quarantined: 12
Time Elapsed: 1 min, 51 sec

-Scan Options-
Memory: Enabled
Startup: Enabled
Filesystem: Enabled
Archives: Enabled
Rootkits: Disabled
Heuristics: Enabled
PUP: Detect
PUM: Detect

-Scan Details-
Process: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Module: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Key: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Value: 1
PUP.Optional.AdSkipNow, HKCU\SOFTWARE\GOOGLE\CHROME\PREFERENCEMACS\Default\extensions.settings|ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod, Quarantined, 16633, 951715, , , , , , 

Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folder: 2
PUP.Optional.AdSkipNow, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Local Extension Settings\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod, Quarantined, 16633, 951715, , , , , , 
PUP.Optional.AdSkipNow, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\EJOPJCIMHEGOBOIKCAOHFEABAEABGGOD, Quarantined, 16633, 951715, 1.0.42071, , ame, , , 

File: 9
PUP.Optional.AdSkipNow, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 16633, 951715, , , , , 73F27C786919BB8FD6EE34878CE41E76, E1CF980169CB0ED24FB8872E7FF43427F4378763EAA201CE53822E6B7DDBDD97
PUP.Optional.AdSkipNow, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 16633, 951715, , , , , F78E5E4D08FF1ECA467A060CD85274EE, F0D38E8C03E6B04C27740C9B2622E099D4F8BDFF8C4123CE58141AF1ECC4A761
PUP.Optional.AdSkipNow, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\000003.log, Quarantined, 16633, 951715, , , , , FDF7A317ABA5B9FA471E66779F358A1A, 4CC15C4119F81FF163B23ED4AEECCC154307A0D62ACEBE916694E3C8C8BE6329
PUP.Optional.AdSkipNow, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\CURRENT, Quarantined, 16633, 951715, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443
PUP.Optional.AdSkipNow, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\LOCK, Quarantined, 16633, 951715, , , , , , 
PUP.Optional.AdSkipNow, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\LOG, Quarantined, 16633, 951715, , , , , 514FDB35578323295D308BC7B51B4F79, FC909599441638966E07A03A26B404990761E244DD234D3F888B805DDD7EB59C
PUP.Optional.AdSkipNow, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\LOG.old, Quarantined, 16633, 951715, , , , , BC836359773C8AAA8E901629E5E4AD49, D550050471A1BE7ECD02063C9A8D82E69C5CAB516524B47E842C47CF5FEADAAD
PUP.Optional.AdSkipNow, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ejopjcimhegoboikcaohfeabaeabggod\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 16633, 951715, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4
PUP.Optional.AdSkipNow, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\EJOPJCIMHEGOBOIKCAOHFEABAEABGGOD\1.0.1_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 16633, 951715, 1.0.42071, , ame, , CC1692623EED8DB566D6E3FD7759B243, 61C9E47ACCBC3A00E475D0F9640B03E4E419ECD79C3C4E14C34DD103E759DE09

Physical Sector: 0
(No malicious items detected)

WMI: 0
(No malicious items detected)


(end)

As mentioned before the full version of Malwarebytes 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

Save yourself the hassle and get protected.