RelevantKnowledge

Threat Scorecard

Ranking: 86
Threat Level: 20 % (Normal)
Infected Computers: 1,413,459
First Seen: July 24, 2009
Last Seen: March 19, 2024
OS(es) Affected: Windows

RelevantKnowledge Image

RelevantKnowledge is software that exists in a moral grey area. RelevantKnowledge is widely considered spyware, because RelevantKnowledge will collect huge amounts of information about your Internet usage, and then use that information to put together even more information about you. That information is then sold, anonymously, either individually or as part of aggregate data. Given the way that RelevantKnowledge is installed on most computers, it is unlikely that most of those users are fully aware of the facts about RelevantKnowledge.

What RelevantKnowledge is, and Where it Comes From

RelevantKnowledge is a product of the company MarketScore, formerly called Netsetter. MarketScore developed and uses RelevantKnowledge in order to gather data about Internet usage, and sell that data, for the purposes of Internet development, commerce, and development, as well as for the purposes of economic analysis, predictions, and investing. MarketScore has a history of offering a per-user sign-up bounty to websites that run advertisements for RelevantKnowledge.

In order to entice users to install RelevantKnowledge, MarketScore has always offered some kind of incentive. Initially, they offered an Internet "Accelerator," which was supposedly capable of improving Internet connection speed. After security holes had been revealed in this "Accelerator," which allowed malware to download to the computer it was installed on, and after studies had showed that the software did not improve Internet speeds, MarketScore stopped offering that as an incentive. For a while, they moved to a partnership with Symantec to offer free anti-virus software, but Symantec terminated that relationship when it was revealed that RelevantKnowledge was being intentionally installed through browser security holes onto people's PC's without their knowledge or consent. MarketScore now "offers" freeware as an incentive, although the much more common scenario is for RelevantKnowledge to be bundled along with a software download that has given no outward indication of being associated with MarketScore. Consequently, many people who find RelevantKnowledge on their computers do not know why it is there

The Information that RelevantKnowledge Collects

RelevantKnowledge collects a huge amount of information on the user or users of the computer on which it is installed. It literally monitors all Internet traffic, of all kinds, including traffic to secure sites where the user maintains or enters private or sensitive personal information. MarketScore only guarantees that they will use "commercially viable efforts" to protect the sensitive information that they collect, which basically translates to, "whatever we feel like doing". Furthermore, in its End User License Agreement for RelevantKnowledge – which may not even be provided to everyone who has RelevantKnowledge installed on their PC – MarketScore explicitly states that they will work to create a comprehensive profile of you, linking up your prescription records and credit history to your online activity. The activity that MarketScore monitors is not just which websites are visited, but how often sites are visited, how many clicks are entered and which things are clicked on, what you type into the sites, and even the headers of the emails that you send and receive. RelevantKnowledge collects this information in order to sell it, and MarketScore will sell it. Your information may be sold as an individual, comprehensive anonymous profile to an interested company; or your information may be part of an aggregate. MarketScore does not limit its business to aggregate data.

In addition to the extreme level of Internet monitoring that RelevantKnowledge engages in, it will sometimes cause pop-up surveys and advertisement to appear on the affected computer. MarketScore says in the RelevantKnowledge EULA that these surveys are optional extras for users who want to help out and provide more information, and there may or may not be sweepstakes involved. If advertisements appear at the PC because of RelevantKnowledge, they are targeted based on the user's Internet history and usage.

Current Distribution of RelevantKnowledge

Because RelevantKnowledge is distributed almost exclusively through freeware downloads of other software, and only really mentioned in the middle of the installation process, there may be a disincentive for the user to read the EULA. For example, suppose you're trying to install MKV Player to listen to some audio files. You download the software, which is only described as an audio player, and halfway through the installation process you get a screen asking if you agree to install RelevantKnowledge. If you are only installing the software to begin with because you really want the audio player, the RelevantKnowledge screen is a step that you're likely to click past without paying much attention to it. Also, if that screen comes with a huge long End User License Agreement, how likely is the average person to take the fifteen minutes to read that giant chunk of legalistic text? If you're installing software voluntarily, and it is software that you want or need to use, you might just have a good disincentive to spend the time reading that agreement. Then, the scope of what RelevantKnowledge monitors and stores is immense – all because of a little screen in the middle of a setup wizard for something else.

Removing RelevantKnowledge

RelevantKnowledge can be uninstalled through the Control Panel; however, RelevantKnowledge has commonly been reported to be a rather messy uninstall. In other words, RelevantKnowledge leaves things behind and may not uninstall everything that RelevantKnowledge set up. Because of this, along with the intrusive nature of what RelevantKnowledge collects and RelevantKnowledge's dubious history of incentives and installation methods, RelevantKnowledge has a reputation as spyware regardless of RelevantKnowledge's above-board, explicit, public existence.

It may be necessary to use security software to remove RelevantKnowledge completely. In general, it is a good idea to be very cautious about the software that comes bundled along with freeware, in order to make sure you fully understand what you are installing. If you are not okay with what RelevantKnowledge does, take care to steer clear of it.ScreenshotScreenshotScreenshot

Aliases

15 security vendors flagged this file as malicious.

Anti-Virus Software Detection
Comodo ApplicUnwnt
K7AntiVirus Unwanted-Program ( 00454f261 )
Ikarus AdWare.Agent
AntiVir Adware/Relevant.G.1
F-Prot W32/MalwareF.BTCN
Ikarus not-a-virus.AdWare.RelevantKnowledge
Antiy-AVL Trojan/Win32.Buzus.gen
DrWeb Adware.Relevant.10
F-Secure Gen:Adware.Heur.oq0@Ri0L15ai
NOD32 a variant of Win32/Adware.MarketScore.A
Avast Win32:Relevant-W [PUP]
F-Prot W64/Relevant.A.gen!Eldorado
F-Prot W32/Relevant.B.gen!Eldorado
Fortinet Adware/Marketscore
AhnLab-V3 Win-Adware/Relevant.381968

SpyHunter Detects & Remove RelevantKnowledge

File System Details

RelevantKnowledge may create the following file(s):
# File Name MD5 Detections
1. pmls64.dll bf28695cebfdcf2d038544fb359a25ff 345,858
2. pmls.dll a415904cfeb2ca79617596bf8f460add 150,913
3. pmservice.exe 66b3990b7e76c23bbca1e20f821bb923 133,252
4. pmls64.dll d7bae266fadee7146ce370d296dadb0f 92,892
5. pmservice.exe 927bd2aca9f5fc40a4d314562c1ca558 38,561
6. pmls.dll 5e42e0dc4a4ae7a35e9b005578de3528 34,348
7. pmropn.exe 9b81532c317fd0fe7bcf8fcc578ecfb5 14,886
8. pmropn64.exe 27cf40b379c2c410a94a5829c25141a1 13,137
9. free shortcut remover update.exe 98fd767876d8906e29a3128b2b8d43f2 11,393
10. rlservice.exe 6c3c48adbefbd84c5962cc91ba438a95 5,322
11. rlservice.exe 6136604562907bda3003e572d7ee14d1 1,424
12. rlservice.exe.SUPERDelete b05fdc23461eab7fc065f1658e10620f 1,359
13. rlservice.exe 12b7eb6900924da9cfb906500cd13663 1,215
14. b278956a69321175440133ca3d0d57f81fca84ea94ef20a7389730ed2a48b26d.exe a5fd91b2abf4629431ab7bb8a3b0ca51 34
15. 7be0c0d8767d0721ccc1f21fd19832b17f0b4548a0eaa2ec9160f862a7e91f31.exe 7aa3b379c752bca29e976c20ac8602d3 17
16. 730137216397b85b88fe7f495a48da96180626cc2ec8df671c8e557698739d86.exe 421e1a7a9f09f52b9a34b8e198e8db30 0
17. 81d289332f71305d5451e3d4e94171e644c41c9c47eaa886da1753460ebda133.exe 219d99c19ab97e26ab7ad5d7c2104e53 0
18. 8c569cbcac09c770448d637ed19094329e25e0ff3f0d84d54e647ff1fddc61c4.exe 3ae26d41e83f8d0f1de0e43f5b4d8c7e 0
19. 9437cba72e3b388e95b34baec5015de820ff57c587b29fa5837a6d342deaba23.exe da2bcafb42510d7a3da6954c27cfae16 0
20. 9794c919608dfdb4ba073dfea915f3b2cb14ed6bf8044f94c62ffd33a96c331e.exe 151f006d5ab82668839725c690286ef5 0
21. 98c70a56f1ff0874774161fefa52213532239d5cfcae87b9dae8eeb56637c17a.exe 741fe9e8feef85ed34a2c10fcc6a34bf 0
22. a4977d2b5e429d6211eb41d5362eaa13e3b920130459d6eb2a746bb75a3bc56e.exe a7b630b78bb23dc734a45fff70d39855 0
23. ab14dea7365183da7c35e6d432152ec351d8083b6961f65097ecb6bf7d15edec.exe 602add7d1467361000fce7a9cfaed96d 0
24. acd30c0e183d65d1cab4883318afec68c6806e7dfb13b077a24707c545abfa24.exe 6744810dfc3395b26b5b33e53a36f6db 0
25. b8519731a18b61a3ed853c55c3a93807bce56842e70fde046704be183e44c988.exe f2952eb40c9f1940ed4ee9403289b16a 0
26. rkban 6c41be2fb73b484e73afe4bbfbc08b84 0
More files

Registry Details

RelevantKnowledge may create the following registry entry or registry entries:
File name without path
rewards.opinionsquare[1].xml
Regexp file mask
%WINDIR%\system32\pmls.dll
%WINDIR%\system32\pmls64.dll
%WINDIR%\system32\prls64.dll
%WINDIR%\system32\rlls.dl_
%WINDIR%\system32\rlls.dll
%WINDIR%\system32\rlls64.dl_
%WINDIR%\system32\rlls64.dll
%WINDIR%\SysWOW64\pmls.dll
%WINDIR%\SysWOW64\rlls.dl_
Software\GUPPY\RKSURVEY
SOFTWARE\imalcom
Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStorage\opinionsquare.com
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\rkinstall_RASAPI32
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\rkinstall_RASMANCS
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\rkinstaller_RASAPI32
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\rkinstaller_RASMANCS
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\PremierOpinion
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\RelevantKnowledge
SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\imalcom
SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\OpinionSquare
SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\PermissionResearch
SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\PremierOpinion
SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\RelevantKnowledge
SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Services\OpinionSquare
SYSTEM\ControlSet002\services\PremierOpinion
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\OpinionSquare
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\PermissionResearch
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\PremierOpinion
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RelevantKnowledge
Run keys
RelevantKnowledge
{4FFDD113-2C3C-453E-845C-D5DD6DB90CEF}_is1
{d08d9f98-1c78-4704-87e6-368b0023d831}
{eeb86aef-4a5d-4b75-9d74-f16d438fc286}

Directories

RelevantKnowledge may create the following directory or directories:

%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\OpinionSquare
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\PermissionResearch
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\PremierOpinion
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\RelevantKnowledge
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\RelevantKnowledge
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\RelevantKnowledge
%PROGRAMFILES%\PermissionResearch
%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\PermissionResearch
%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\tns-global
%ProgramFiles%\OpinionSquare
%ProgramFiles%\PremierOpinion
%ProgramFiles%\relevantknowledge
%ProgramFiles(x86)%\OpinionSquare
%ProgramFiles(x86)%\RelevantKnowledge
%appdata%\relevantknowledge
%temp%\PremierOpinion

Cookies

The following cookies were found:

opinionsquare.com
permissionresearch.com

3 Comments

Robert Lacasse Reply

I remove relevantKnowledge easily with your instruction

Thank you very much

I removed RelevantKnowledge through Add/Remove Programs. I wonder if it has been totally remove. I cannot see the processes anymore in my Task Manager nor the registry entries.

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