AntiVirus Gold

AntiVirus Gold is rogue software developed by ICommerce Solutions S.A. that poses as a legitimate antivirus program.[1] It attempts to persuade users to buy the software by displaying ads and other nagware. It is believed that the name of the program is an attempt at social engineering to confuse people about the legitimate program AVG Anti-Virus.

AntiVirus Gold may be downloaded as bundle with other software or by some trojans.[2] Antivirus Gold has also been rebranded under many names such as Antivirus Golden and Antispyware Gold.[3]

Symptoms of infection

In a typical infection, the desktop wallpaper is modified and an advertisement is displayed urging the user to buy Antivirus Gold. Upon clicking on the message, a web browser is opened to point to www.AntiVirus-Gold.com.[1] Users have also reported that they are being directed to the site after clicking on the infected desktop. The program attempts to reinstall itself after a reboot if removed by uninstalling or system restore.[4]

Removal

AntiVirus Gold is detected in common anti-virus programs, including CA Antispyware, the Norton family of security products, and ironically AVG Anti-Virus. Anti-malware programs, such as Malwarebytes' AntiMalware, are also very effective in detecting and removing rogue software such as AntiVirus Gold.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-03-14. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
  2. ↑ http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic22397.html
  3. ↑ http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2006-032415-1558-99&tabid=2


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