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.

Symptoms

Users my have seen these screens during the installation:

this entry in their list of installed Programs and Features:

these icons:

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

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.

Aftermath

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

Protection

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.

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)