PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster

detection icon

Short bio

PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster is Malwarebytes’ detecion name for a “driver update” published by IObit for Windows systems.

GUI IObit Driver Booster

Symptoms

Users of affected systems may have seen these warnings during install:

start install Driver Booster
IObit bundler
install Driver Booster complete

this entry in their list of Scheduled Tasks:

Driver Booster Scheduled Task

and this entry in their list of installed Programs and Features:

installed Driver Booster

Type and source of infection

PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster is a so-called driver updater”. Driver updaters are considered a special kind of system optimizers. These so-called “system optimizers” use exaggerated scan results or sometimes even intentional false positives to convince users that their systems have problems. Then they try to sell you their software, claiming it will remove these problems. IObit’s Driver Booster is usually installed by users themselves and can be downloaded from their website:

website iobit.com

Protection

PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster is a removal detection only, so Malwarebytes does not stop the installation.

Remediation

For a more complete removal it is advisable to use the built-in uninstaller. Malwarebytes can remove PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster.

  1. Please download Malwarebytes to your desktop.
  2. Double-click MBSetup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
  3. When your Malwarebytes for Windows installation completes, the program opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen.
  4. Click on the Get started button.
  5. Click Scan to start a Threat Scan.
  6. Click Quarantine to remove the found threats.
  7. Reboot the system if prompted to complete the removal process.

Malwarebytes removal log

A Malwarebytes log of removal will look similar to this:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com
-Log Details-
Scan Date: 3/12/19
Scan Time: 9:15 AM
Log File: fc347496-449e-11e9-a5a9-00ffdcc6fdfc.json

-Software Information-
Version: 3.7.1.2839
Components Version: 1.0.538
Update Package Version: 1.0.9648
License: Premium

-System Information-
OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1
CPU: x64
File System: NTFS
User: {computername}\{username}

-Scan Summary-
Scan Type: Threat Scan
Scan Initiated By: Manual
Result: Completed
Objects Scanned: 235586
Threats Detected: 13
Threats Quarantined: 13
Time Elapsed: 5 min, 12 sec

-Scan Options-
Memory: Enabled
Startup: Enabled
Filesystem: Enabled
Archives: Enabled
Rootkits: Enabled
Heuristics: Enabled
PUP: Detect
PUM: Detect

-Scan Details-
Process: 1
PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\IOBIT\Driver Booster\6.3.0\DriverBooster.exe, Quarantined, [5305], [651969],1.0.9648

Module: 1
PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\IOBIT\Driver Booster\6.3.0\DriverBooster.exe, Quarantined, [5305], [651969],1.0.9648

Registry Key: 3
PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS NT\CURRENTVERSION\SCHEDULE\TASKCACHE\TREE\Driver Booster SkipUAC ({username}), Quarantined, [5305], [651969],1.0.9648
PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS NT\CURRENTVERSION\SCHEDULE\TASKCACHE\TASKS\{558B5F08-9D70-4F10-B9F0-CC242056A4BA}, Quarantined, [5305], [651969],1.0.9648
PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS NT\CURRENTVERSION\SCHEDULE\TASKCACHE\PLAIN\{558B5F08-9D70-4F10-B9F0-CC242056A4BA}, Quarantined, [5305], [651969],1.0.9648

Registry Value: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folder: 0
(No malicious items detected)

File: 8
PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster, C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\TASKS\Driver Booster SkipUAC ({username}), Quarantined, [5305], [651969],1.0.9648
PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster, C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\PUBLIC\Desktop\Driver Booster 6.lnk, Quarantined, [5305], [651969],1.0.9648
PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\ROAMING\MICROSOFT\INTERNET EXPLORER\QUICK LAUNCH\User Pinned\TaskBar\Driver Booster 6.lnk, Quarantined, [5305], [651969],1.0.9648
PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster, C:\USERS\PUBLIC\Desktop\Driver Booster 6.lnk, Quarantined, [5305], [651969],1.0.9648
PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\IOBIT\Driver Booster\6.3.0\DriverBooster.exe, Quarantined, [5305], [651969],1.0.9648
PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster, C:\DOWNLOADS\DRIVER_BOOSTER_SETUP_O.EXE, Quarantined, [5305], [651970],1.0.9648
PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster, C:\USERS\{username}\DESKTOP\DRIVER_BOOSTER_SETUP_O.EXE, Quarantined, [5305], [651970],1.0.9648
PUP.Optional.iObitDriverBooster, C:\USERS\{username}\DOWNLOADS\DRIVER_BOOSTER_SETUP_O (1).EXE, Quarantined, [5305], [651970],1.0.9648

Physical Sector: 0
(No malicious items detected)

WMI: 0
(No malicious items detected)


(end)

Add an exclusion

Should users wish to keep this program and exclude it from being detected in future scans, they can add the program to the exclusions list. Here’s how to do it.

  • Open Malwarebytes for Windows.
  • Click the Detection History
  • Click the Allow List
  • To add an item to the Allow List, click Add.
  • Select the exclusion type Allow a file or folder and use the Select a folder button to select the main folder for the software that you wish to keep.
  • Repeat this for any secondary files or folder(s) that belong to the software.

If you want to allow the program to connect to the Internet, for example to fetch updates, also add an exclusion of the type Allow an application to connect to the internet and use the Browse button to select the file you wish to grant access.

Traces/IOCs

You may see these entries in FRST logs:

(IObit Information Technology -> IObit) C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit\Driver Booster\6.3.0\DriverBooster.exe
C:\Users\Public\Desktop\Driver Booster 6.lnk
C:\Windows\System32\Tasks\Driver Booster SkipUAC ({username})
C:\Users\{username}\AppData\LocalLow\IObit
C:\Windows\System32\Tasks\Driver Booster Scheduler
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Driver Booster 6
C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit
C:\ProgramData\IObit
C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\IObit
Driver Booster 6 (HKLM-x32\...\Driver Booster_is1) (Version: 6.3.0 - IObit)
Task: {558B5F08-9D70-4F10-B9F0-CC242056A4BA} - System32\Tasks\Driver Booster SkipUAC ({username}) => C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit\Driver Booster\6.3.0\DriverBooster.exe (IObit Information Technology -> IObit)
Task: {6337F842-4E5A-4577-9332-5EC6912B1267} - System32\Tasks\Driver Booster Scheduler => C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit\Driver Booster\6.3.0\Scheduler.exe (IObit Information Technology -> IObit)
FirewallRules: [{61E90EB1-7F7E-48A6-BB39-471632B24FD9}] => (Allow) C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit\Driver Booster\6.3.0\DriverBooster.exe (IObit Information Technology -> IObit)
FirewallRules: [{44F3D873-9AA2-4460-B431-07E6615255C5}] => (Allow) C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit\Driver Booster\6.3.0\DriverBooster.exe (IObit Information Technology -> IObit)
FirewallRules: [{004EF771-CC61-481E-9F9C-8BB11105D97E}] => (Allow) C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit\Driver Booster\6.3.0\DBDownloader.exe (IObit Information Technology -> IObit)
FirewallRules: [{73938BE5-97BF-43D3-9219-8DF5200252E2}] => (Allow) C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit\Driver Booster\6.3.0\DBDownloader.exe (IObit Information Technology -> IObit)
FirewallRules: [{DC4D2060-05CE-43B9-89B9-00FAF1E72924}] => (Allow) C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit\Driver Booster\6.3.0\AutoUpdate.exe (IObit Information Technology -> IObit)
FirewallRules: [{A191C4F6-A957-4CAB-94FA-471348AFDE6C}] => (Allow) C:\Program Files (x86)\IObit\Driver Booster\6.3.0\AutoUpdate.exe (IObit Information Technology -> IObit)

Associated threats