What is FreeForms?
The Malwarebytes research team has determined that FreeForms 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.
FreeForms is a member of the Spigot family as described in the blogpost Spigot browser hijackers.
How do I know if my computer is affected by FreeForms?
You may see this Firefox add-on:
and this new default search provider:
You may see this entry in your list of installed software:
these warnings during install:
and this new startpage in the affected browser(s):
How did FreeForms get on my computer?
Browser hijackers use different methods for distributing themselves. This particular one was downloaded from their site.
How do I remove FreeForms?
Our program Malwarebytes can detect and remove this potentially unwanted program.
- Please download Malwarebytes to your desktop.
- Double-click mb3-setup-consumer-{version}.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
- Then click Finish.
- Once the program has fully updated, select Scan Now on the Dashboard. Or select the Threat Scan from the Scan menu.
- If another update of the definitions is available, it will be implemented before the rest of the scanning procedure.
- 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 removes FreeForms completely.
- If your browsers have been hijacked, you should read our Restore Browser page. You can read there how to fix additional browser redirect methods.
We hope our application and this guide have helped you eradicate this hijacker.
As you can see below the full version of Malwarebytes would have protected you against the FreeForms hijacker. It would have warned you before the hijacker could install itself, giving you a chance to stop it before it became too late.
and it blocks traffic to their domains.
Technical details for experts
Possible signs in a FRST log:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = hxxp://search.hfreeforms.co/?ap=appfocus1&i_id=forms_spt__1.30&uc=20180612&source={source-id}
SearchScopes: HKCU -> DefaultScope {3BA6366D-96C9-451C-A641-A3C681E326A8} URL = hxxp://search.hfreeforms.co/s?ap=appfocus1&i_id=forms_spt__1.30&uc=20180612&source={source-id}&query={searchTerms}
SearchScopes: HKCU -> {3BA6366D-96C9-451C-A641-A3C681E326A8} URL = hxxp://search.hfreeforms.co/s?ap=appfocus1&i_id=forms_spt__1.30&uc=20180612&source={source-id}&query={searchTerms}
FF Extension: No Name - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{profile}.default\Extensions\[email protected] [2018-06-12]
C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\{28e56cfb-e30e-4f66-85d8-339885b726b8}
Free Forms (HKCU\...\{28e56cfb-e30e-4f66-85d8-339885b726b8}) (Version: 4.4.0.3 - SpringTech Ltd.)Changes made by the installers:File system details [View: All details] (Selection)
---------------------------------------------------
Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\{28e56cfb-e30e-4f66-85d8-339885b726b8}
Adds the file Uninstall.exe"="6/12/2018 11:53 AM, 320256 bytes, A
Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{profile}.default\browser-extension-data\web@Forms
Adds the file storage.js"="6/12/2018 11:49 AM, 320 bytes, A
Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{profile}.default\extensions
Adds the file [email protected]"="6/12/2018 11:49 AM, 9398 bytes, A
Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Start Page" = REG_SZ, "http://search.hfreeforms.co/?ap=appfocus1&i_id=forms_spt__1.30&uc=20180612&source={source-id}"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes]
"DefaultScope" = REG_SZ, "{3BA6366D-96C9-451C-A641-A3C681E326A8}"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{3BA6366D-96C9-451C-A641-A3C681E326A8}]
"DisplayName"="REG_SZ", "Free Forms - Powered by Yahoo!"
"SuggestionsURL"="REG_SZ", "https://ie.search.yahoo.com/os?appid=ie8&command={searchTerms}"
"URL"="REG_SZ", "http://search.hfreeforms.co/s?ap=appfocus1&i_id=forms_spt__1.30&uc=20180612&source={source-id}&query={searchTerms}"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{28e56cfb-e30e-4f66-85d8-339885b726b8}]
"DisplayName"="REG_SZ", "Free Forms"
"DisplayVersion"="REG_SZ", "4.4.0.3"
"InstallLocation"="REG_SZ", "C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\{28e56cfb-e30e-4f66-85d8-339885b726b8}\"
"Publisher"="REG_SZ", "SpringTech Ltd."
"UninstallDialog"="REG_DWORD", 2
"UninstallEngineID"="REG_SZ", "{3BA6366D-96C9-451C-A641-A3C681E326A8}"
"UninstallHomepage"="REG_SZ", "http://search.hfreeforms.co/?ap=appfocus1&i_id=forms_spt__1.30&uc=20180612&source={source-id}"
"UninstallImpression"="REG_SZ", "http://www.springdwnld2.com/impression.do?domain=hfreeforms.co&implementation_id=forms_spt__1.30&offer_id=_iei_&source={source}&sub_id=20180612&traffic_source=appfocus1&user_id={user-id}&useragent=Mozilla%2F5.0+(Windows+NT+6.1%3B+WOW64%3B+Trident%2F7.0%3B+rv%3A11.0)+like+Gecko&ts=1528796599&sgn=10cfe64824d0d4bf9a06f9337e638e5e792f1673&subid2=11.0.9600.19002&event={exEvent}"
"UninstallString"="REG_SZ", ""C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\{28e56cfb-e30e-4f66-85d8-339885b726b8}\Uninstall.exe" /uninstall"
Malwarebytes scan log:Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com
-Log Details-
Scan Date: 6/12/18
Scan Time: 12:02 PM
Log File: b388d550-6e27-11e8-9c44-080027235d76.json
Administrator: Yes
-Software Information-
Version: 3.3.1.2183
Components Version: 1.0.262
Update Package Version: 1.0.5448
License: Premium
-System Information-
OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1
CPU: x64
File System: NTFS
User: {computername}\{username}
-Scan Summary-
Scan Type: Threat Scan
Result: Completed
Objects Scanned: 238620
Threats Detected: 8
Threats Quarantined: 8
Time Elapsed: 4 min, 13 sec
-Scan Options-
Memory: Enabled
Startup: Enabled
Filesystem: Enabled
Archives: Enabled
Rootkits: Enabled
Heuristics: Enabled
PUP: Detect
PUM: Detect
-Scan Details-
Process: 0
(No malicious items detected)
Module: 0
(No malicious items detected)
Registry Key: 1
PUP.Optional.Spigot, HKCU\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\CURRENTVERSION\UNINSTALL\{28e56cfb-e30e-4f66-85d8-339885b726b8}, Quarantined, [172], [373879],1.0.5448
Registry Value: 0
(No malicious items detected)
Registry Data: 1
PUP.Optional.Spigot.Generic, HKCU\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\INTERNET EXPLORER\MAIN|START PAGE, Replaced, [225], [530202],1.0.5448
Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)
Folder: 2
PUP.Optional.Spigot, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\ROAMING\{28E56CFB-E30E-4F66-85D8-339885B726B8}, Quarantined, [172], [373878],1.0.5448
PUP.Optional.PolarityTech.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\ROAMING\MOZILLA\FIREFOX\PROFILES\{profile}.default\BROWSER-EXTENSION-DATA\WEB@FORMS, Quarantined, [1682], [508613],1.0.5448
File: 4
PUP.Optional.PolarityTech.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\ROAMING\MOZILLA\FIREFOX\PROFILES\{profile}.default\EXTENSIONS\[email protected], Quarantined, [1682], [511643],1.0.5448
PUP.Optional.Spigot, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\{28e56cfb-e30e-4f66-85d8-339885b726b8}\Uninstall.exe, Quarantined, [172], [373878],1.0.5448
PUP.Optional.PolarityTech.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\ROAMING\MOZILLA\FIREFOX\PROFILES\{profile}.default\BROWSER-EXTENSION-DATA\WEB@FORMS\STORAGE.JS, Quarantined, [1682], [508613],1.0.5448
PUP.Optional.Spigot, C:\USERS\{username}\DESKTOP\FREEFORMS-73519.EXE, Quarantined, [172], [490686],1.0.5448
Physical Sector: 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
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