Tag Archives: browser add-on

Avast

Avast Browser Cleanup removes unwanted browser add-ons

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Most Internet users are familiar with this problem all too well: After downloading a video player, Java, Flash updates or other software, the browser has suddenly changed. New buttons and icons in all colors and sizes along with an URL entry bar take up valuable real estate on your browser. The browser runs noticeably slower – and the results look different. Most annoying is that the advertising becomes more prominent.

Our free utility gets rid of annoying toolbars and restores hijacked searches.

Over the past two years, Avast Browser Cleanup has identified more than 60 million different browser add-ons which are often bundled with other free software, such as video players, Java and Flash updates. These toolbars typically occupy the horizontal space below a user’s browser and can include buttons, icons, and menus. Despite removing and re-installing a browser, toolbars will often remain, which is a behavior similar to malware.

 “We’ve entered the decade of unwanted add-ons — Google is now cracking down and removing ad-injecting toolbars from its Chrome store. Avast detects these toolbars and many more and is focusing on helping users battle browser toolbars that are one of the biggest consumer security outbreaks since spyware,” said Vince Steckler, Chief Executive Officer of Avast.

While not malicious per se, browser add-ons that come as toolbars can hijack and switch a user’s search preferences and can be extremely difficult to remove once installed. Avast Browser Cleanup removes these unwanted toolbars from Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Internet Explorer and lets users restore their search engine preference. Previously available as a feature in Avast Free Antivirus, Avast Browser Cleanup has now been made available as a new, free stand-alone product.

The new version of Avast Browser Cleanup includes improved browser compatibility, support of the latest browsers, more homepages to choose from when resetting the browser, and more aggressive detection of toolbar protectors that make removal difficult. Additionally, Avast Browser Cleanup now runs in the background, notifying the user when it detects a potentially unwanted or malicious toolbar.

Are you an Avast user? You already have Avast Browser Cleanup.

Avast Browser Cleanup is integrated in all Avast antivirus security products, including the free version.

Use another antivirus product? You can use stand-alone Avast Browser Cleanup.

If you don’t use Avast as your antivirus protection, Avast Browser Cleanup can be downloaded as a free stand-alone software.

Avast

Look-alike Avast Online Security extension deceives users

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We have been recently notified about a suspicious browser extension for Google Chrome. Suspicious because it was called “Avast Free Antivirus 2014″, while our browser extension is actually called Avast Online Security. You can see the fake extension along with our official ones in the printscreens from the Chrome Web Store.

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The extension looks professional featuring printscreens of the PC version of Avast 2014 and a good rating of 4 stars. It is so well-done that it may trick users to install it – and indeed almost 2,000 users fell for this.

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After installing, the only thing that is added is the little icon between the search bar and options button, as can be seen on the printscreen above, where the extension is already installed.

Viewing the extension code reveals that it is surprisingly lightweight. It merely opens a new tab with a predefined URL when the Avast icon is clicked.

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The website, fortunately, is not malicious at all, so there is nothing harmful to the user, other than deceiving them with a false sense of security. The author of the extension created many more extensions, each leading to a different landing page on the same domain. The only comfort we received from this malicious extension, was that our extension was the most downloaded one! That confirms to us that our service is valued (and needed!).

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To get the authentic Avast Online Security app for your browser, please visit us on the Chrome Web Store.

Avast Software’s security applications for PC, Mac, and Android are trusted by more than 200-million people and businesses. Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.