AdRoar


· Overview ·
· Origins ·
· Distribution ·
· Operation ·
· Detection and Removal ·
· Research ·



Overview

Summary:

AdRoar is a Browser Helper Object that is used to display pop-up advertisements

Alias:

AdRoar adware, Adware.AdRoar, Adware/Adroar [Panda], TrojanDownloader.Win32.Adroar [Kaspersky], Win32/TrojanDownloader.Adroar.A trojan [Eset]

Category:

Adware: Software that displays popup/popunder ads when the primary user interface is not visible or which do not appear to be assocaited with the product.

Browser Helper Object: (BHO). A component that Internet Explorer will load whenever it starts, shares IE's memory context, can perform any action on the available windows and modules. A BHO can detect events, create windows to display additional information on a viewed page, monitor messages and actions. Microsoft calls it "a spy we send to infiltrate the browser's land." BHOs are not stopped by personal firewalls, because they are seen by the firewall as your browser itself. Some exploits of this technology search all pages you view in IE and replace banner advertisements with other ads. Some monitor and report on your actions. Some change your home page.

Downloader: A program designed to retrieve and install additional files, when run. Most will be configured to retrieve from a designated web or FTP site.

Toolbar: A group of buttons which perform common tasks. A toolbar for Internet Explorer is nomally located below the menu bar at the top of the form. Toolbars may be created by Browser Helper Objects.

Trojan: Any program with a hidden intent. Trojans are one of the leading causes of breaking into machines. If you pull down a program from a chat room, new group, or even from unsolicited e-mail, then the program is likely trojaned with some subversive purpose. The word Trojan can be used as a verb: To trojan a program is to add subversive functionality to an existing program. For example, a trojaned login program might be programmed to accept a certain password for any user's account that the hacker can use to log back into the system at any time. Rootkits often contain a suite of such trojaned programs.

Similar Pests:

Adware · Browser Helper Object · Downloader · Toolbar · Trojan

Origins

URL:

iads.adroar.com

Programming Language:

Delphi

Date of Origin:

November, 2003

Distribution

Prevalence:

  • AdRoar: 0.0%
  • More Info

    Clot Factor:

  • AdRoar: 3
  • The "Clot Factor" is a measure of how much a pest "gums up" a machine by adding registry entries, files, and directories. As more objects are placed in a machine, manual removal becomes more difficult and more error-prone.

    Growth:

  • AdRoar: Insufficient data to report growth
  • Operation

    Platform:

    Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP

    Advertising:

    Yes.

    Storage Required:

  • AdRoar: at least 2293 KB
  • Browser Performance:

    Likely to slow performance of Internet Explorer.

    Detection and Removal

    Automatic Removal:

    PestPatrol detects this.

    PestPatrol removes this.



    Manual Removal:

    Use "Add/Remove Programs" in the Windows® Control Panel and remove AdRoar or perhaps CPR if found.
    Stop Running Processes:

    Kill these running processes with Task Manager:

    Unregister DLLs:

    Unregister these DLLs with Regsvr32, then reboot:

    Clean Registry:

    Remove these registry items (if present) with RegEdit:

    Remove Files:

    Remove these files (if present) with Windows Explorer:

    Research

    File Analyses:

    More Info:

  • AllTheWeb, AltaVista, AOL Search, Ask Jeeves, Google, HotBot, Lycos, LookSmart, MSN, Yahoo!
  • Research By:

  • Benjamin Googins
  • PestPatrol's Pest Research Center
  • Last Revised:

    April 25, 2005