PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer

Short bio

PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer is Malwarebytes' detection name for a system optimizer called WinOptimizer that is marketed by Ashampoo for Windows systems.

GUI WinOptimzer

Symptoms

Users my have seen these screens during the installation:

WinOptimizer installing WinOptimizer installing

this entry in their list of installed Programs and Features:

installed WinOptimizer

these icons:

icons WinOptimizer

and this type of screens when you want to use the free version:

register WinOptimizer

registered WinOptimizer

Type and source of infection

PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer is a 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.WinOptimizer is usually installed by users themselves from the website.

Ashampoo.com website for WinOptimizer

Aftermath

The website that offers WinOptimizer for download is in the domain Ashampoo.com which also promotes web push notifications.

ashampoo.com notifications

Protection

block WinOptimizer

Malwarebytes blocks PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer

Remediation

Malwarebytes can detect and remove PUP.Optional.Microleaves without further user interaction.

  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: 5/19/20 Scan Time: 9:01 AM Log File: 8ad9702a-999e-11ea-8d56-00ffdcc6fdfc.json

-Software Information- Version: 4.1.0.56 Components Version: 1.0.920 Update Package Version: 1.0.24086 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: 232886 Threats Detected: 19 Threats Quarantined: 19 Time Elapsed: 2 min, 16 sec

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

-Scan Details- Process: 0 (No malicious items detected)

Module: 1 PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\ASHAMPOO\ASHAMPOO WINOPTIMIZER FREE\WINOPTIMIZERCONTEXTHANDLER64.DLL, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , ,

Registry Key: 16 PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\CLASSES\APPID\WinOptimizerContextHandler.DLL, Quarantined, 3517, 821497, 1.0.24086, , ame, PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\WOW6432NODE\APPID\WinOptimizerContextHandler.DLL, Quarantined, 3517, 821497, 1.0.24086, , ame, PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\CLSID\{45495078-B36D-4865-A67B-45CD8742AA1B}, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , , PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\CLSID\{45495078-B36D-4865-A67B-45CD8742AA1B}\InprocServer32, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , , PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\WinOptimizerContextHandler.Extension.1, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , , PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\TYPELIB\{87B9C42D-3317-4109-B7FC-802675ABC5DA}, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , , PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\INTERFACE\{FD165B0C-68F1-48EE-93B3-163F8595E80F}, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , , PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\WOW6432NODE\INTERFACE\{FD165B0C-68F1-48EE-93B3-163F8595E80F}, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , , PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\CLASSES\INTERFACE\{FD165B0C-68F1-48EE-93B3-163F8595E80F}, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , , PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\CLASSES\TYPELIB\{87B9C42D-3317-4109-B7FC-802675ABC5DA}, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , , PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\WOW6432NODE\TYPELIB\{87B9C42D-3317-4109-B7FC-802675ABC5DA}, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , , PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\CLSID\{4C2351D7-7CAF-4D5D-9CB8-815019A5ADB3}, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , , PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\*\SHELLEX\CONTEXTMENUHANDLERS\{4C2351D7-7CAF-4D5D-9CB8-815019A5ADB3}, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , , PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\CLSID\{4C2351D7-7CAF-4D5D-9CB8-815019A5ADB3}\InprocServer32, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , , PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\WinOptimizerContextHandler.Extension, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, 1.0.24086, , ame, PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\APPID\WinOptimizerContextHandler.DLL, Quarantined, 3517, 821497, 1.0.24086, , ame,

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: 2 PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, C:\USERS\PUBLIC\DESKTOP\Ashampoo Deals.url, Quarantined, 3517, 821500, 1.0.24086, , ame, PUP.Optional.WinOptimizer, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\ASHAMPOO\ASHAMPOO WINOPTIMIZER FREE\WINOPTIMIZERCONTEXTHANDLER64.DLL, Quarantined, 3517, 821494, , , ,

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:

(Ashampoo GmbH & Co. KG -> ) C:\Program Files (x86)\Ashampoo\Ashampoo WinOptimizer FREE\WO17.exe
C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Ashampoo
C:\Users\Public\Desktop\Ashampoo WinOptimizer FREE.lnk
C:\ProgramData\Desktop\Ashampoo WinOptimizer FREE.lnk
C:\Users\Public\Desktop\Ashampoo Deals.url
C:\ProgramData\Desktop\Ashampoo Deals.url
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Ashampoo
C:\ProgramData\Ashampoo
C:\Program Files (x86)\Ashampoo

Ashampoo WinOptimizer FREE (HKLM-x32\...\{4209F371-8668-980C-19C9-F8698AB75135}_is1) (Version: 17.00.25 - Ashampoo GmbH & Co. KG)

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