Downloader.MisleadApp

Posted: November 6, 2009

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	10/10
Infected PCs:	119

First Seen:	July 24, 2009
Last Seen:	January 23, 2022
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Downloader.MisleadApp is a fake Instagram application that actually redirects the victim to misleading surveys for the purpose of monetizing their traffic. Downloader.MisleadApp is distributed by social networking links that are, rather conveniently, shared by its victims – according to Downloader.MisleadApp's own instructions and in a futile attempt to make the fake Instagram software functional. SpywareRemove.com malware researchers advise you to treat any information given up in these surveys as potentially compromised and, of course, recommend the use of anti-malware programs for making sure that you've deleted Downloader.MisleadApp entirely after any circumstance where you've downloaded Downloader.MisleadApp mistakenly.

Downloader.MisleadApp: When What Looks like Instagram Turns into Instasurvey

Although the real Instagram service provides free PC compatibility on its website, the criminals behind Downloader.MisleadApp's attacks apparently are banking on many people being unaware of this... and they seem to have guessed correctly. Downloader.MisleadApp has been seen in two separate versions so far, either of which claim to be a PC-specific version of Instagram that can be installed and launched with very little effort on your part. Early variants of Downloader.MisleadApp requested you to download an additional DLL file once they were launched – while the newest version of Downloader.MisleadApp shows a fake 'activation' confirmation. In either case, SpywareRemove.com malware experts verified that following Downloader.MisleadApp's instructions will redirect the victim to a survey instead of to the promised Instagram service.

Rather insidiously, Downloader.MisleadApp also recommends that you share and up vote its links if you experience any installation problems during this process. While these instructions have absolutely nothing to do with the configuration of a newly-installed program, they have, nonetheless, managed to trick thousands of victims so far, resulting in Downloader.MisleadApp's further distribution and visibility throughout Google+ and Facebook. It can be considered a small blessing that SpywareRemove.com malware researchers haven't noted Downloader.MisleadApp being used to distribute any PC threats more dangerous than a simple promotional hijacker for a Web survey.

Leading Your PC Out of Downloader.MisleadApp's Little Survey Trap

Surveys related to Downloader.MisleadApp and other PC threats often are used to gather your personal information for criminal activities, and you should be particularly careful about handing out e-mail addresses and other identity-related data to anonymous or questionable third parties. While SpywareRemove.com malware experts have not associated Downloader.MisleadApp with other malware-style attacks, they do warn that Downloader.MisleadApp's regular development may allow Downloader.MisleadApp to make new attacks in the future and that anti-malware tools should be used to delete Downloader.MisleadApp for safety's sake.

Downloader.MisleadApp is effectively just one drop of water in an ocean's worth of PC threats that use duplicitous social networking links to spread themselves throughout the Web. Even if a link has had significant 'like' feedback or appears to be promoted by someone you know, you should be aware of the potential for scams like Downloader.MisleadApp. Of course, sticking to reputable download sources for your software also is one of the easiest ways to avoid Downloader.MisleadApp-esque scams.

Aliases

TROJ_DLOADER.VPC [TrendMicro]Trojan.Fakeavalert [Symantec]Trojan.FakeAlert [Sunbelt]Troj/BHO-JZ [Sophos]High Risk Fraudulent Security Program [Prevx1]Trj/Downloader.MDW [Panda]Win32/Adware.Agent.NLE [NOD32]FakeAlert-AB.dldr [McAfee]Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Agent.biia [Kaspersky]Trojan-Dropper.Agent [Ikarus]Trojan:W32/Fakexpa.B [F-Secure]Win32/FakeAV.AEF [eTrust-Vet]Win32.TRFakealert.av [eSafe]TrojWare.Win32.TrojanDownloader.Agent.biia [Comodo]TrojanDownloader.Agent.biia [CAT-QuickHeal]
More aliases (57)

Technical Details

File System Modifications

Tutorials: If you wish to learn how to remove malware components manually, you can read the tutorials on how to find malware, kill unwanted processes, remove malicious DLLs and delete other harmful files. Always be sure to back up your PC before making any changes.

The following files were created in the system:

qwprotect.dll

File name: qwprotect.dll
Size: 698.36 KB (698368 bytes)
MD5: da4394f47a6e99fa2088d64597deeeda
Detection count: 92
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 11, 2009

AV1i.exe

File name: AV1i.exe
Size: 130.04 KB (130048 bytes)
MD5: b4ee2e29c0c22f0703e021dacedfe96a
Detection count: 90
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 11, 2009

av1.exe

File name: av1.exe
Size: 10.61 MB (10618368 bytes)
MD5: 35897905169443ff92d47b26bb1bbbac
Detection count: 62
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 11, 2009

svchost[1].exe

File name: svchost[1].exe
Size: 83.96 KB (83968 bytes)
MD5: c198517864cc71849ac3b6d3ed44b2bf
Detection count: 61
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 11, 2009

AV1i2.exe,StageThree[1].exe

File name: AV1i2.exe,StageThree[1].exe
Size: 59.39 KB (59392 bytes)
MD5: b99b9bfa28c119d6089b5dfa1b49647b
Detection count: 55
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 11, 2009

install[1].exe

File name: install[1].exe
Size: 70.14 KB (70144 bytes)
MD5: 27a882668aeda52450ef78a0d6e42a30
Detection count: 53
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 11, 2009

svchost[1].exe,svchost.exe

File name: svchost[1].exe,svchost.exe
Size: 59.05 KB (59059 bytes)
MD5: e205763aae5db6ae563e6f32244f2f4d
Detection count: 52
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 11, 2009

QWProtect[1].dll,av1.exe,QWProtect.dll

File name: QWProtect[1].dll,av1.exe,QWProtect.dll
Size: 113.66 KB (113664 bytes)
MD5: 0a45c57d5277b7e8a55e08e84c08afeb
Detection count: 50
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 11, 2009

AV1i2.exe

File name: AV1i2.exe
Size: 59.9 KB (59904 bytes)
MD5: 1a57648c4b6a47e5d183dfbaa01e358f
Detection count: 35
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 11, 2009

C:\Users\<username>\Desktop\Antivirus Number-1\N1\svchost.exe

File name: svchost.exe
Size: 80.89 KB (80896 bytes)
MD5: e89160a57bf4f971e3030ecd679d6c28
Detection count: 26
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: C:\Users\<username>\Desktop\Antivirus Number-1\N1\svchost.exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: January 23, 2022

C:\Users\<username>\Desktop\Antivirus Number-1\N1\QWProtect.dll

File name: QWProtect.dll
Size: 113.15 KB (113152 bytes)
MD5: 6d8d7d02dc27e1f6c0cdfe58301fa4a1
Detection count: 12
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: C:\Users\<username>\Desktop\Antivirus Number-1\N1\QWProtect.dll
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: January 10, 2022

av1.exe

File name: av1.exe
Size: 494.59 KB (494592 bytes)
MD5: 603047aaec6041575caf6aa1c509c586
Detection count: 12
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 11, 2009

QWProtect.dll

File name: QWProtect.dll
Size: 697.85 KB (697856 bytes)
MD5: 1061b0cc632ba60fac3563b5d1674bca
Detection count: 11
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 11, 2009