Contebrew
Contebrew or more precisely Program:Win32/Contebrew.A!ml is a detection used by certain anti-malware security solutions, such as the Microsoft Defender Antivirus (formerly the Windows Defender) to mark an intrusive program. Contebrew could possess the functions of adware and browser hijackers, allowing it to perform numerous, annoying and unwanted actions while present on the computer. Typically, these applications also are classified as PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) due to the questionable tactics involved in their distribution. After all, the chances of users willingly downloading and installing such dubious applications are minimal.
Some of the consequences of having a PUP active on your system may include frequent redirects to unfamiliar Web addresses, as well as the appearance of various untrustworthy advertisements. Indeed, browser hijackers are typically tasked with generating artificial traffic towards a sponsored address, such as a fake search engine.
By establishing control over important browser settings - homepage, new tab page, default search engine, etc., the hijacker could send users to its promoted page every time they start the affected browsers, initiate a search via the URL bar, or simply open a new tab. On the other hand, adware is primarily focused on running intrusive ad campaigns. Affected users could be presented with various advertisements for dubious websites or software products.
PUPs also are infamous for often carrying data-collecting functionalities. These applications may silently track users' browsing activities and then upload the data to a server controlled by their operators. The obtained also may include device details, such as IP addresses, geolocation, ISP, device type, browser type and more.
Dealing with Contebrew (Program:Win32/Contebrew.A!ml) could be difficult, as some PUPs also may establish persistence mechanisms on the device. As a result, these PUPs guarantee their start at every system boot or that they will be restored from an incomplete removal.
