GameZooks

Posted: August 25, 2015

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:	2/10
Infected PCs:	3,223

First Seen:	August 25, 2015
Last Seen:	March 26, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

GameZooks is a Potentially Unwanted Program that may deliver advertisements to your browser while also providing access to GameZooks-hosted Web games. GameZooks and adware products like GameZooks are common sources of various security and browser performance concerns, and you should remove GameZooks if it's not wanted. Because malware experts have seen cases of GameZooks being installed in uninstall-unfriendly formats, deleting GameZooks should use dedicated anti-adware products, when possible.

When Gaming Chooses Your Browser's Content for You

GameZooks is a browser extension promoted through the GameZooks.com gaming site, although bundle installers from other sources also may be deployed GameZooks. As a product that supports its company with advertising revenue, GameZooks isn't equivalent to threats and will not try to attack your computer. However, its capacity for displaying unintentionally harmful advertising content or modifying itself with non-consensual update patches may induce other e-safety issues. The GameZooks website does include fully functioning gaming applications as advertised, although malware experts might recommend e-gaming alternatives that use less risky revenue strategies.

After being installed, whether intentionally or accidentally, GameZooks may modify your default browser's settings for hosting new advertisements. Unsurprisingly from its website's focus on Windows-compatible content, Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer are the only browsers confirmed as being affected. GameZooks advertisements may take several formats, including:

GameZooks may modify any browser-loaded text for hosting links to advertisement content.
GameZooks may inject banners or video content into an unrelated Web page.
GameZooks may load interstitial advertising pages while you navigate to a different site or generate new advertising tabs and pop-up windows automatically.

Since GameZooks also updates itself automatically, these features may be modified at any time, with no warning. While malware experts found controls for disabling GameZooks advertisements on an individual basis, a global removal of GameZooks advertisements requires removing GameZooks from your browser in its entirety.

Saying 'Game Over' to GameZooks Advertisements

Even though the GameZooks site provides generic uninstall instructions, malware experts found some samples of GameZooks failing to provide visible extension or program entries. The lack of these entries renders any standard uninstall instructions inapplicable, forcing PC users to use third-party means of deleting GameZooks. Many, but not all popular brands of anti-adware tools have created database entries for GameZooks, although its detection may include an alias (such as ArcadeParlor).

Ordinarily, GameZooks and adware programs like GameZooks don't include features that are intentionally harmful to your computer. In spite of these limitations, the constant exposure to unwanted advertisements and update patches caused by GameZooks may turn your browser into a staging ground for other PC threats. The most common of these threats may include fake security alerts, scamware marketing and even exploit kits that install real threats. Removing GameZooks and programs that show behaviors similar to GameZooks is an essential aspect of keeping your browser safe, although you may reevaluate any adware product, on a case-by-case basis.

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:

zooks.dll

File name: zooks.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

ver.exe

File name: ver.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

zooks.exe

File name: zooks.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

delgz.exe

File name: delgz.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

C:\Users\<username>\appdata\Local\GameZooks\uninstaller.exe

File name: C:\Users\<username>\appdata\Local\GameZooks\uninstaller.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

HKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}Software\MOZILLA\FIREFOX\EXTENSIONS\addon@gamezooks.comHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\[APPLICATION]\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall..{Uninstaller}GameZooks

Additional Information

The following directories were created:

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\GameZooks%PROGRAMFILES%\GameZooks%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\GameZooks

The following URL's were detected:

GameZooksgamezooks.comwww.gamezooks.com

One Comment

shirley says:

October 8, 2015 at 11:27 pm

need to remove gamezooks of my computer, it keep popping up and I don't know how it got on here