Adware CostMin

Posted: October 1, 2013

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.

Ranking:	6,076
Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	26,414

First Seen:	October 1, 2013
Last Seen:	October 16, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

CostMin is a browser add-on that shows advertising content while you browse the Web. Like most adware, CostMin may be installed by a secondary, bundle-based installer, which may misrepresent itself or try to hide its files on your hard drive. Although malware researchers don't rate CostMin as a high-level threat, removing CostMin with proper anti-adware software continues to be advisable for keeping your browser's performance and safety at optimal levels.

The Cost of Downloading Software Carelessly

In the majority of cases, adware programs aren't intentionally threatening; however, they may exploit untrustworthy installation practices. Frequently, these practices allow products like CostMin to affect your browser without any warning. Malware experts most usually found CostMin installed via websites including costmin.info, saveclickersoft.info and installcollection.com, with its installer mislabeled with random file names. The original installer also tends to be placed in the Windows Temp directory, making it easy to overlook.

In its promotional materials, CostMin makes claims towards providing online shopping assistance. As usual for products making such claims, however, CostMin only displays pop-up advertisements. This content does not include labels to identify them as originating from CostMin, and most versions of CostMin show no additional components that would let PC users know where the advertisements came from – or how to remove them.

CostMin advertisements specialize in promoting alternative, relatively safe online retailers, but adware advertisements also may be sources of attacks against your computer. Malware researchers recommend avoiding any unneeded contact with affiliates of CostMin or similar adware products until you can uninstall them from your Web browser.

The Bare Minimum for Uninstalling CostMin Adware

CostMin's use of deliberately-concealed installers and components for all three top Windows-based browsers complicates its deletion. In such circumstances, anti-adware tools should be trusted to delete CostMin and remove its adverse effects on your Web browser. Reinstalling your browser or switching to an unaffected browser may successfully avert the symptoms of a CostMin installation, but will not delete CostMin software, which lets CostMin persist as a minor security risk.

CostMin's classification is a Potentially Unwanted Program, and PUPs may install themselves through bundles with other programs. By a good deal, the elementary way to maintain your PC clean of PUPs is to avoid download sources that distribute them commonly, such as free software sites with poor histories for security. Nonetheless, malware experts also can recommend using standard PC security tools to scan installers, which should make the detection of a CostMin bundle a trivial affair.

There are no identified CostMin incidents for browsers dominant in Mac OS X, Linux or other alternatives to the Windows operating system. However, OSes running Chrome, Internet Explorer or Firefox, regardless of which version is being used, all are at risk for CostMin advertisements.

Aliases

Skodna.Generic.ALR [AVG]Adware/Win32.MegaSearch [AhnLab-V3]Win32:MultiPlug-Y [PUP] [Avast]Adware.Popuppers [Symantec]Riskware [K7AntiVirus]

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:

%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\safee save\51e7c8673f01d.dll

File name: 51e7c8673f01d.dll
Size: 118.78 KB (118784 bytes)
MD5: 05234975b085632d70d89c2f420c5107
Detection count: 1,157
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\safee save\51e7c8673f01d.dll
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: February 10, 2023

%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\costmin\epbobadpdjhmhnnokljfjbmjbjkkamic.crx

File name: epbobadpdjhmhnnokljfjbmjbjkkamic.crx
Size: 8.44 KB (8443 bytes)
MD5: 942a18653d728b8fb133a91eb9cbc811
Detection count: 71
Mime Type: unknown/crx
Path: %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\costmin
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: October 1, 2013

%PROGRAMFILES%\NexttCooUip\O7TNCz.dll

File name: O7TNCz.dll
Size: 332.8 KB (332800 bytes)
MD5: dd786875d69cca863d57ef587d1cec39
Detection count: 13
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\NexttCooUip
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: September 1, 2014

costmin-setup.exe

File name: costmin-setup.exe
Size: 256.16 KB (256162 bytes)
MD5: 9ad4c78dbfbf21ec2171d3bed89f2064
Detection count: 5
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: August 17, 2022

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

HKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}SOFTWARE\Classes\cosstminn.cosstminnSOFTWARE\Classes\cosstminn.cosstminn.2.0SOFTWARE\Classes\CostMin.CostMinSOFTWARE\Classes\CostMin.CostMin.2.2Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions\{E3D96270-3848-E9D2-BB32-2211E57D4845}Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions\{E571864A-162D-550E-53BC-27325263C500}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{1465BEC8-B8B8-E4C7-E8D6-CB7E7BD4B63E}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{41A77D0F-5250-66E1-513B-7249E6678B73}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{425BE9EF-F7AE-66A0-B8EE-57925882049D}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{606D560D-93E6-4876-2FF8-D3A48F748F87}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{99AD76D0-5849-28B9-7C80-A1B8AA0D817F}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{9FCD5E96-8743-BD52-37CD-FEF09086CBE0}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{D33D8FDB-000E-9280-70AD-F4CF7F308B9D}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{E3D96270-3848-E9D2-BB32-2211E57D4845}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{E571864A-162D-550E-53BC-27325263C500}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{FB171468-26F8-5C21-5D75-807F895D9317}HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\[APPLICATION]\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall..{Uninstaller}{2F5F003B-C71B-72E3-42B4-DE51AB079EB2}{5F189DF5-2D05-472B-9091-84D9848AE48B}{be0fb33b}{CE681A67-9477-CBE6-EB9D-FE534875F98D}

Additional Information

The following directories were created:

%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\cosstminn%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\costmin%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\cosstminn%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\costmin%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\windows_ie_ac_001\AC\{1465BEC8-B8B8-E4C7-E8D6-CB7E7BD4B63E}%PROGRAMFILES%\CostMin%PROGRAMFILES%\cosstminn%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\cosstminn%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\CostMin%Temp%\costmin%appdata%\{E3D96270-3848-E9D2-BB32-2211E57D4845}

The following URL's were detected:

cosstminncostmin