Messenger Plus Toolbar
Threat Scorecard
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecard
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards are assessment reports for different malware threats which have been collected and analyzed by our research team. EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards evaluate and rank threats using several metrics including real-world and potential risk factors, trends, frequency, prevalence, and persistence. EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards are updated regularly based on our research data and metrics and are useful for a wide range of computer users, from end users seeking solutions to remove malware from their systems to security experts analyzing threats.
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards display a variety of useful information, including:
Ranking: The ranking of a particular threat in EnigmaSoft’s Threat Database.
Severity Level: The determined severity level of an object, represented numerically, based on our risk modeling process and research, as explained in our Threat Assessment Criteria.
Infected Computers: The number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular threat detected on infected computers as reported by SpyHunter.
See also Threat Assessment Criteria.
| Ranking: | 8,602 |
| Threat Level: | 10 % (Normal) |
| Infected Computers: | 3,124 |
| First Seen: | September 5, 2013 |
| Last Seen: | September 17, 2023 |
| OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
The Messenger Plus Toolbar is one of the many PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) associated with Conduit, a low quality search engine known for delivering unreliable, sponsored results. The Messenger Plus Toolbar is commonly bundled with freeware software. Once the Messenger Plus Toolbar is installed, the Messenger Plus Toolbar changes the infected computer's Web browsers settings. One common change is modifying the affected browser's default search engine to Conduit. The Conduit search engine has been linked to several browser hijackers which often take the form of Web browser toolbars or extensions. If the Messenger Plus Toolbar is installed on your computer, ESG security researchers recommend using a reliable anti-malware application to ensure that your computer is not exposed to more dangerous threats as a result of redirects and pop-ups associated with this PUP.
The Messenger Plus Toolbar's Bad Connections
The Messenger Plus Toolbar can be responsible for pop-up windows and advertisements as well as redirects involving the Conduit search engine and affiliated websites. This is because the Messenger Plus Toolbar is associated with marketers that use black hat SEO tactics to increase Web traffic to specific websites and profit from advertising. Although computers affected by the Messenger Plus Toolbar exhibit symptoms commonly associated with malware, the Messenger Plus Toolbar is not technically a malware infection. The Messenger Plus Toolbar is usually classified as a PUP, a type of component that is not entirely malicious but that may have some suspicious characteristics.
The Messenger Plus Toolbar May Enter Your PC Through an Innocent Looking Freeware
Most of the time, the Messenger Plus Toolbar is installed as a result of installing freeware that has been bundled with this or other PUPs. This is a technique that is often used to generate revenue for the free software's developers or distributors. Although it is possible to opt out of installing the Messenger Plus Toolbar, the option to opt out is often hard to find, resulting in many computer users installing this toolbar without being aware of what they are doing. It is because of this that ESG security researchers recommend installing freeware software making use of the custom installation option to detect any unwanted programs that may also be installed. As a general recommendation, ESG malware researchers strongly advise avoiding Web browser toolbars such as the Messenger Plus Toolbar and browser extensions that offer many of the same features.
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