PUP.Optional.bProtector.A, Latest PUP.Optional.bProtector.A Removal Tips

Outline

Definition: PUP stands for potentially unwanted program and PUP.Optional.bProtector.A manages to display pop-up ads even all scripts are blocked.

Risk Factor Exponent: Severe for several reasons

Hardest hit: United States

OS being attacked: Windows

Tips for prevention: Follow good PC practice

Removal method: Manual method
 

About PUP.Optional.bProtector.A

PUP.Optional.bProtector.A stems from PUP family that mainly refers to items that give away pop ups such as Scorpion Saver that used as a tool to obtain high click rate to help gain a profitable return and promote products aggressively. Due to the commercial purpose, merchants deny the term as virus and much prefer the term as potentially unwanted programs since advertisements do impose undesirable effect to some groups.

PUP.Optional.bProtector.A acts much like Trojan, being a core supporting software to operate to its satisfactory. Usually, PUP.Optional.bProtector.A is caught right after its supported items being installed along with the software a target was installing. Since most PC users are used to continuously clicking on “Next” button when installing a program without checking on incident software that sponsors the host program, pup.optional.bprotector.a has settled on many computers in U.S.A. with drive-by download method as shown by the data extracted from the observation launched by VilmaTech Research Lab so far.
The data also indicates the fact that PUP.Optional.bProtector.A affection confine to Windows. For more information on the PUP, especially on the dangers it imposed and the method to remove it, it is suggested to keep on reading this article. Should there be any severe situation happens such as BSOD, live chat with one of the computer experts certified by VilmaTech to be equipped with rich experience and sophisticated technique and get instant help from her.

 

Reasons to Remove PUP.Optional.bProtector.A

The most obvious symptom after picking pup.optional.bprotector.a is endless pop ups including coupons that increase in frequency, leading to poor surfing experience. The overall PC performance is degraded gradually along the process.

As a matter of fact, there are some dangers people don’t know that makes the removal a real urgency. Nowadays, people have reported the scenario when pop-up ads show on computers regardless of popup blocker and non-script setting. It implies the fact that some rogue techniques have been adopted by pup.optional.bprotector.a to implement the following conducts:

1. Modify JavaScript: exploiting loopholes on script/ open source code/ banner, pup.optional.bprotector.a manages to configure JavaScript to be vulnerable to XSS (cross-site scripting attacks).
2. Modify Registry Entries: numerating and affecting drivers on a target machine, PUP.Optional.bProtector.A manages to modify registry entries without interference and collect in-stored information.

The consequence of the only two conducts can be disasters. XSS would arouse search redirect issues, registry entries modification would form backdoor and information collection would result in a more dangerous surfing environment. Due to modifications on both JavaScript and Registry Entries, vulnerability and backdoor can be found on web as well as computer, which gives a great opportunity to other infections concealed in Internet and promoted by random ads. That’s why CPU becomes tense even when only one program is running in the background.

Be noted that PUP.Optional.bProtector.A aims at money, it is not funny at all to create a powerful item with sophisticated techniques just to ruin other computers. By reselling the collected information to other spammers, pup.optional.bprotector.a manages to generate profitable revenue since spammers need the information to help get to know which the most visited web sites are so that they will be able to locate sites and study how to inject vicious codes on for broader affection. The consequence can be easily imagined as famous sites like CNET, Facebook were once attacked to make PC users suffered.

Whatever the reason is to drive you in removing PUP.Optional.bProtector.A, the potentially unwanted program should be removed to at least retrieve peace. But to remove pup.optional.bprotector.a completely, manual way is recommended given the fact that modifications in Registry Entries cannot be automatically rectified by anti-virus programs. The latest instruction is offered by VilmaTech Online Support. Stick to the steps to help yourself out only if you are well-equipped with computer skills since some of the steps can be sophisticated and additional vicious items might confuse the removal to result in failure; otherwise, get professional assistance by clicking on the live chat button here.

 

Latest Instruction to Remove PUP.Optional.bProtector.A

Step One
Access Registry Editor (databases containing settings)to remove and rectify the keys and values generated/modified by PUP.Optional.bProtector.A.

• Press on Win key and R key at once to initiate a text box.
• Put “Regedit” in the text box and hit Enter key to activate Registry Editor (Database, where gives away orders as how a computer performs properly).                          
• Navigate to the following listed entries one by one and remove them from the Database:

HKLM\Software\IB Updater
HKLM\Software\ImInstaller
HKLM\Software\Web Assistant
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions {random numbers}
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\Extensions\random letters
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Extension.ExtensionHelperObject.1
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\AppID\{random numbers}
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{random numbers}
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{random numbers}
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\{random numbers}
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{random numbers}
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{random numbers}_is1

 
Step Two 
Uncover virulent files and folders related to PUP.Optional.bProtector.A and remove them from the computer.

Right after all hidden items emerge to surface, navigate to the following listed directories and remove related items:

C:\Program Files\Web Assistant
C:\Program Files\Common Files\[name – the program that brought in by PUP.Optional.bProtector.A]
C:\Users\AppData\Local\[names – the program that brought in by PUP.Optional.bProtector.A]
C:\Users\AppData\Local\PackageAware
C:\Users\AppData\LocalLow\[names – the program that brought in by PUP.Optional.bProtector.A]
C:\Users\AppData\Roaming\[browsers you use]\Profiles\[random letters and numbers].default\Extensions\webbooster@[the popup name triggered by PUP.Optional.bProtector.A].com.xpi

Windows 8

• Search for Windows Explorer on the Start Screen and click open it.
• Tap View tab thereafter to tick ‘File name extensions’ and ‘Hidden items’ options.
• Hit “OK” button to uncover hidden items.      

 
Windows 7/Vista/XP

• Find and get into Control Panel from Start menu.
• When in, double click ‘Folder Options’ to access its window.
• Tap View tab to tick ‘Show hidden files and folders and non-tick Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)’.                                                                                         
• Press ‘OK’ button uncover all hidden items.

 
Step Three
End the service of adware (the adware can be random and different from computers) supported by PUP.Optional.bProtector.A in the Service function.

Windows 8

• Access Windows Explorer again with the same process as depicted above.
• Choose Administrative tools there to double click on Services icon.
• When in, remove/disable the service of adware supported by PUP.Optional.bProtector.A.

 
Windows7/vista/XP

• Press Win key and R key at once to type “services.msc” in the pop-up text box.
• Hit Enter key to enable the services window.
• Remove/disable the service of adware supported by PUP.Optional.bProtector.A.

 
Step Four
Reset browsers to restore default browser settings without the indication of adware supported by PUP.Optional.bProtector.A.

Internet Explorer

• Click on IE’s Tools menu and select Internet Options in the drop-down list.
• When in, tap Advanced tab to press “Restore Defaults”/”Reset” button.
• Finally click “OK” button to reset IE.                                                                   

 
Mozilla Firefox

• Unfold Firefox menu and place the mouse on Help option to get an option list.
• Select Troubleshooting information then to bring up a new window containing ‘Reset Firefox’ button on the left uppers corner.
• Hit ‘Reset Firefox’ button to reset Firefox.          

 
Google Chrome

• Unfold ‘Customize and Control Google Chrome’ menu and choose ‘Options’.
• Hit ‘Under the Hood’ tab thereafter to hit ‘Reset to Defaults’ button to reset Chrome.

 
Opera

• Uncover hidden files and folders with the steps offered above, then navigate to “C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Roaming\Opera\Opera\”.
• Remove Operapref.ini file to reset Opera.    

 
Step Five – Activate Popup blocker to help block various popup ads supported by PUP.Optional.bProtector.A.

Internet Explorer

• Access Tools window and click Options to hit Privacy tab.
• Check “Block pop-ups” option and activate IE popup blocker.                                                                                                          

 
Mozilla Firefox

• Unfold menu to click on Tools option.
• Hit Web features button on the left hand side and select the adware supported by PUP.Optional.bProtector.A as the item to be blocked.                                                                  

 
Google Chrome

• Unfold its tool menu and access Options.
• Tap “Under the Hood” tab and hit “Content Settings” button.
• When in, choose “Pop-ups” option on the left pane and access “Exceptions” on the right pane to make sure that the adware supported by PUP.Optional.bProtector.A is in the wanted list blocked by the blocker.

 
Opera

• Unfold Opera menu and place the mouse on “settings” option to select “Preference” in the option list.
• Hit General tab and choose “Block Unwanted Pop-ups”.
• Hit “OK” button to block the adware supported by PUP.Optional.bProtector.A.

 
Step Six
Run full scan to remove any possible items.

 

Tips:

If the intention is persevered not to be affected by pup.optional.bprotector.a again, good PC practice should be followed all the time. Here are some potent security restrictions and tips to help with prevention:

• Set each PC’s software management tools to prevent pup.optional.bprotector.a and other suspect programs from accessing certain critical directories.
• Set the computer’s Group Policy Objects to restrict registry keys used by pup.optional.bprotector.a.
• Restrict vulnerability in IIS (Internet Information Services).
• Impose restrictions on Apache HTTP Server to prevent pup.optional.bprotector.a from reading all information stored on the machine.
• Disable WebDAV to assure that pup.optional.bprotector.a cannot modify files to upload vicious codes since the access to HTTP is broken thereafter.
• Disable Directory index to prevent pup.optional.bprotector.a from copying and making use of the computer’s Directory to help with its infiltration.
• Install website monitor, Firewall to help filter junk sites and sites with sensitive content so as to decrease the possibility to be attacked by pup.optional.bprotector.a.
• Download the up-to-date patches for installed browsers and apply them into use to make sure that no vulnerability can be found.
• Do not click open any attachments in an Email sent by strangers.

If you don’t know how to perform the security restriction, or you fail to remove PUP.Optional.bProtector.A in the end due to omission of vicious items that you don’t recognize, you are welcome to consult professionals at VilmaTech Online Support who will give away efficient solution according to your concrete situation.

Published & last updated on January 7, 2014 by Erik V. Miller