Short bio
PUP.Optional.AdMax is Malwarebytes’ detection name for a family of browser extensions that are promoted in a misleading way.
Type and source of infection
The browser extensions in this family claim to be adblockers and they do have some, limited, functionality.
These extensions are promoted in misleading ways and by dubious methods. They are available in the webstore, and often return under another name if they are removed.
Protection
Malwarebytes protects users from PUP.Optional.AdMax by blocking the sites that promote them.
Malwarebytes blocks download-ready.net
Remediation
Malwarebytes can detect and remove PUP.Optional.AdMax without further user interaction.
- Please download Malwarebytes 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.
- Click Quarantine to remove the found threats.
- Reboot the system if prompted to complete the removal process.
Add an exclusion
Should users wish to keep this program and exclude it from being detected in future scans, they can add the program to the exclusions list. Here’s how to do it.
- Open Malwarebytes for Windows.
- Click the Detection History
- Click the Allow List
- To add an item to the Allow List, click Add.
- Select the exclusion type Allow a file or folder and use the Select a folder button to select the main folder for the software that you wish to keep.
- Repeat this for any secondary files or folder(s) that belong to the software.
If you want to allow the program to connect to the Internet, for example to fetch updates, also add an exclusion of the type Allow an application to connect to the internet and use the Browse button to select the file you wish to grant access.
Removal log
This is how a Malwarebytes removal log for PUP.Optional.AdMax may look:
Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com
-Log Details-
Scan Date: 9/16/22
Scan Time: 8:56 AM
Log File: a97795d4-358c-11ed-9fc2-080027235d76.json
-Software Information-
Version: 4.5.14.210
Components Version: 1.0.1751
Update Package Version: 1.0.60119
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: 230171
Threats Detected: 11
Threats Quarantined: 11
Time Elapsed: 1 min, 52 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.AdMax, HKCUSOFTWAREGOOGLECHROMEPREFERENCEMACSDefaultextensions.settings|ggdpplfehdighdpleoegjefnpefgpgfh, Quarantined, 2155, 1086568, , , , , ,
Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)
Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)
Folder: 2
PUP.Optional.AdMax, C:USERS{username}APPDATALOCALGOOGLECHROMEUSER DATADefaultLocal Extension Settingsggdpplfehdighdpleoegjefnpefgpgfh, Quarantined, 2155, 1086568, , , , , ,
PUP.Optional.AdMax, C:USERS{username}APPDATALOCALGOOGLECHROMEUSER DATADefaultEXTENSIONSggdpplfehdighdpleoegjefnpefgpgfh, Quarantined, 2155, 1086568, 1.0.60119, , ame, , ,
File: 8
PUP.Optional.AdMax, C:USERS{username}APPDATALOCALGOOGLECHROMEUSER DATADefaultSecure Preferences, Replaced, 2155, 1086568, , , , , A28D78DD38E9F6E2DEFEED856F6680AA, 30EE7454A338E78E63579F04411E2F8ED96E920904E88175569C9F75F13C5DB7
PUP.Optional.AdMax, C:USERS{username}APPDATALOCALGOOGLECHROMEUSER DATADefaultPreferences, Replaced, 2155, 1086568, , , , , 7DCFCB39F9B05EAA3580619B106918AD, DAD08898A81356D1BE99218A5E46336DF585F9BC718776F522121D8FE11B5695
PUP.Optional.AdMax, C:Users{username}AppDataLocalGoogleChromeUser DataDefaultLocal Extension Settingsggdpplfehdighdpleoegjefnpefgpgfh00004.log, Quarantined, 2155, 1086568, , , , , 7A78BF330C98F059D047955A429094E5, 7175104E0691970ADCDF18D367A6AEE6250068799E2D3BC91F9BBB983A81230A
PUP.Optional.AdMax, C:Users{username}AppDataLocalGoogleChromeUser DataDefaultLocal Extension Settingsggdpplfehdighdpleoegjefnpefgpgfh00005.ldb, Quarantined, 2155, 1086568, , , , , C0224F8F858BF614953343AA471552A3, 4E859DF8A7E28EDC2A8F6B0928BFB19C6164BB1C010A3F93C37FF38D8D52BEC5
PUP.Optional.AdMax, C:Users{username}AppDataLocalGoogleChromeUser DataDefaultLocal Extension SettingsggdpplfehdighdpleoegjefnpefgpgfhCURRENT, Quarantined, 2155, 1086568, , , , , 206702161F94C5CD39FADD03F4014D98, 1005A525006F148C86EFCBFB36C6EAC091B311532448010F70F7DE9A68007167
PUP.Optional.AdMax, C:Users{username}AppDataLocalGoogleChromeUser DataDefaultLocal Extension SettingsggdpplfehdighdpleoegjefnpefgpgfhLOCK, Quarantined, 2155, 1086568, , , , , ,
PUP.Optional.AdMax, C:Users{username}AppDataLocalGoogleChromeUser DataDefaultLocal Extension SettingsggdpplfehdighdpleoegjefnpefgpgfhLOG, Quarantined, 2155, 1086568, , , , , D4F4D3E1643B84E8802D484F7577A0EB, 9481C8AEE14ED54582F9DF2E0CD0A37B65738C7B02F1AC8CC4F643F61864DC65
PUP.Optional.AdMax, C:Users{username}AppDataLocalGoogleChromeUser DataDefaultLocal Extension SettingsggdpplfehdighdpleoegjefnpefgpgfhMANIFEST-000002, Quarantined, 2155, 1086568, , , , , 2A32CEB547DFBF27D567FA775B50DBDC, 0406FCE9C7D37D5A87AD5427D8232DBF339B81336D61C264D1BBFFEEB9912C09
Physical Sector: 0
(No malicious items detected)
WMI: 0
(No malicious items detected)
(end)Source: https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/detections/pup-optional-admax