PUP.Optional.PCProtect is Malwarebytes' detection name for a system optimzer called PC Protect published by Protected Antivirus Limited for Windows systems.
Users of affected systems may have seen these warnings during install:
this entry in their list of installed Programs and Features:
these icons in their taskbar, startmenu and on their desktop:
and these warnings when the software detects problems on their system:
PUP.Optional.PCProtect is a so-called system optimizer. 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. PUP.Optional.PCProtect is usually installed by users themselves under false pretences and can be downloaded from their website:
Malwarebytes can detect and remove PUP.Optional.PCProtect without further user interaction.
A Malwarebytes log of removal will look similar to this:
Malwarebytes www.malwarebytes.com-Log Details- Scan Date: 3/18/19 Scan Time: 11:00 AM Log File: b0f901a2-4964-11e9-8294-00ffdcc6fdfc.json
-Software Information- Version: 3.7.1.2839 Components Version: 1.0.538 Update Package Version: 1.0.9728 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: 235366 Threats Detected: 29 Threats Quarantined: 29 Time Elapsed: 4 min, 4 sec
-Scan Options- Memory: Enabled Startup: Enabled Filesystem: Enabled Archives: Enabled Rootkits: Enabled Heuristics: Enabled PUP: Detect PUM: Detect
-Scan Details- Process: 2 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\PCProtect.exe, Quarantined, [653], [503746],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\SECURITYSERVICE.EXE, Quarantined, [653], [503747],1.0.9728
Module: 8 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\PCProtect.exe, Quarantined, [653], [503746],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\SECURITYSERVICE.EXE, Quarantined, [653], [503747],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\PROTOCOLFILTERS.DLL, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\SCAPI.DLL, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\NFAPI.DLL, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\X86\SQLITE.INTEROP.DLL, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\X86\SQLITE.INTEROP.DLL, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\LIB_SCAPI.DLL, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728
Registry Key: 2 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, HKLM\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\SERVICES\SECURITYSERVICE, Quarantined, [653], [503747],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\CURRENTVERSION\UNINSTALL\PCProtect, Quarantined, [653], [503746],1.0.9728
Registry Value: 1 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, HKLM\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\SERVICES\SECURITYSERVICE|IMAGEPATH, Quarantined, [653], [503747],1.0.9728
Registry Data: 0 (No malicious items detected)
Data Stream: 0 (No malicious items detected)
Folder: 0 (No malicious items detected)
File: 16 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\Windows\System32\drivers\webshieldfilter.sys, Quarantined, [653], [652430],0.0.0 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\USERS\{username}\DESKTOP\PCPROTECT.LNK, Quarantined, [653], [354599],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\PasswordExtension.Win.exe, Quarantined, [653], [503746],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\ROAMING\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\PCProtect.lnk, Quarantined, [653], [503746],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\PCProtect.exe, Quarantined, [653], [503746],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\SECURITYSERVICE.EXE, Quarantined, [653], [503747],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\uninst.exe, Quarantined, [653], [503746],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\Update.Win.exe, Quarantined, [653], [503746],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\PROTOCOLFILTERS.DLL, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\SCAPI.DLL, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\NFAPI.DLL, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\X86\SQLITE.INTEROP.DLL, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\LIB_SCAPI.DLL, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\MSVCM90.DLL, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\PCPROTECT\SYSTEM.DATA.SQLITE.DLL, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728 PUP.Optional.PCProtect, C:\USERS\{username}\DESKTOP\PCPROTECT_SETUP.EXE, Quarantined, [653], [652430],1.0.9728
Physical Sector: 0 (No malicious items detected)
WMI: 0 (No malicious items detected)
(end)
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.
You may see these entries in FRST logs:
(Protected Antivirus Limited -> PCProtect) C:\Program Files (x86)\PCProtect\PCProtect.exe (Protected Antivirus Limited -> PCProtect) C:\Program Files (x86)\PCProtect\SecurityService.exe R2 SecurityService; C:\Program Files (x86)\PCProtect\SecurityService.exe [4980480 2019-03-06] (Protected Antivirus Limited -> PCProtect) R1 webshieldfilter; C:\Windows\System32\drivers\webshieldfilter.sys [87904 2019-03-05] (Protected Antivirus Limited -> Windows (R) Win 7 DDK provider) C:\Users\{username}\Documents\PCProtect C:\ProgramData\SecuritySuite C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\PCProtect C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\PCProtect.lnk (Windows (R) Win 7 DDK provider) C:\Windows\system32\Drivers\webshieldfilter.sys C:\Program Files (x86)\PCProtect C:\Users\{username}\Desktop\PCProtect.lnkPCProtect (HKLM-x32\...\PCProtect) (Version: 4.13.39 - PCProtect) (The OpenSSL Project, hxxp://www.openssl.org/) [File not signed] C:\Program Files (x86)\PCProtect\SSLEAY32.dll (The OpenSSL Project, hxxp://www.openssl.org/) [File not signed] C:\Program Files (x86)\PCProtect\LIBEAY32.dll
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