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[Metallica]

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is Flow?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that Flow is a potentially unwanted program that behaves like adware. These adware applications display advertisements not originating from the sites you are browsing.
This particular one adds extra search results to Google searches.



How do I know if my computer is affected by Flow?

You may see these warnings during install:







and this entry in your list of installed Chrome extensions:



How did Flow get on my computer?

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



after a redirect from their website:



How do I remove Flow?

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 Flow?

• No, Malwarebytes removes Flow 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 Flow 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: (Flow) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh [2020-09-08]

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\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\3.5.14_0
       Adds the file 128.png"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 13620 bytes, A
       Adds the file background.js"="7/30/2020 1:57 AM, 5190 bytes, A
       Adds the file features.js"="7/17/2020 7:39 AM, 8566 bytes, A
       Adds the file manifest.json"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 6332 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\3.5.14_0\_locales\da
       Adds the file messages.json"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 181 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\3.5.14_0\_locales\de
       Adds the file messages.json"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 199 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\3.5.14_0\_locales\en
       Adds the file messages.json"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 181 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\3.5.14_0\_locales\es
       Adds the file messages.json"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 197 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\3.5.14_0\_locales\fi
       Adds the file messages.json"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 170 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\3.5.14_0\_locales\fr
       Adds the file messages.json"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 171 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\3.5.14_0\_locales\it
       Adds the file messages.json"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 195 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\3.5.14_0\_locales\no
       Adds the file messages.json"="7/17/2020 2:04 AM, 167 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\3.5.14_0\_locales\pt_BR
       Adds the file messages.json"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 194 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\3.5.14_0\_locales\sv
       Adds the file messages.json"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 185 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\3.5.14_0\_locales\zh_TW
       Adds the file messages.json"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 172 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\3.5.14_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 501 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="7/30/2020 1:58 AM, 3031 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh
       Adds the file 000003.log"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 97 bytes, A
       Adds the file CURRENT"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 16 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOCK"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOG"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 183 bytes, A
       Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="9/8/2020 8:21 AM, 41 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh"="REG_SZ", "6934ACB2940A6547E88A24FD9DAD29E7C09963D681D3B3C70BF3B03622007E08"

Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 9/8/20
Scan Time: 8:31 AM
Log File: fe0af86a-f19c-11ea-b9ca-00ffdcc6fdfc.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.2.0.82
Components Version: 1.0.1036
Update Package Version: 1.0.29597
License: Premium

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

-Scan Summary-
Scan Type: Threat Scan
Scan Initiated By: Manual
Result: Completed
Objects Scanned: 231424
Threats Detected: 10
Threats Quarantined: 10
Time Elapsed: 5 min, 53 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.MySearchFlow, HKCU\SOFTWARE\GOOGLE\CHROME\PREFERENCEMACS\Default\extensions.settings|bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh, Quarantined, 2201, 850742, , , , , , 

Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folder: 2
PUP.Optional.MySearchFlow, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh, Quarantined, 2201, 850742, , , , , , 
PUP.Optional.MySearchFlow, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\EXTENSIONS\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh, Quarantined, 2201, 850742, 1.0.29597, , ame, , , 

File: 7
PUP.Optional.MySearchFlow, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 2201, 850742, , , , , 980E1951121453EAF97E4DDD43033DE0, 48BE9CD68464DA9A51427F5951BB8EBB7BE5459DC7DAA762DE5D9357767859C8
PUP.Optional.MySearchFlow, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 2201, 850742, , , , , B3815747BBDDF19561760669EC378A93, 261B38E9D58F6ADB7FAB934B75E074520DEE8AF2B62E1523A8E2EEA9F795F74E
PUP.Optional.MySearchFlow, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\000003.log, Quarantined, 2201, 850742, , , , , 4A4BA8139F23293869BED302F827EE83, 3944D11EDDCB31DA485CFD16E58E2CA01E7C30D705DC728797D7EC4D975BD095
PUP.Optional.MySearchFlow, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\CURRENT, Quarantined, 2201, 850742, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443
PUP.Optional.MySearchFlow, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\LOCK, Quarantined, 2201, 850742, , , , , , 
PUP.Optional.MySearchFlow, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\LOG, Quarantined, 2201, 850742, , , , , 60D77428F9E192ED66100251648A1E56, C2BE515CC43E9FB49D7C40A489F47CFF77B145153DEBD35207B1D6231D3B8731
PUP.Optional.MySearchFlow, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bapoeoceggfnnoomenaapjkofjlpmbeh\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 2201, 850742, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4

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.