Peapoon Ads

Posted: August 4, 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:	8/10
Infected PCs:	19

First Seen:	August 6, 2015
Last Seen:	September 10, 2021
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Peapoon is a browser extension that may load uncontrollable advertising content while you browse unrelated websites. Advertisements from Peapoon are not automatically harmful to your PC, but may inadvertently include damaging content, such as online hoaxes or browser exploits. Removing Peapoon from your browser should improve both its performance and its overall security, and malware analysts encourage using specialty anti-adware tools to verify this adware's complete deletion.

The Peapoon Under the Mattress

Peapoon is an adware product that, similarly to most past adware, leverages non-consensual install strategies to make up for a lack of a reason for its users to install Peapoon willingly. Malware analysts confirmed recent distributions of Peapoon advertisements as of July 2015, and this adware has no known clones or other variants that could be significantly older than that date. As with any newly identified PUP, updating your security software's threat database will increase your chances of proactively identifying Peapoon before it can install itself.

Peapoon's installation follows with modifications to your browser making it easier to insert additional content, which Peapoon loads as advertising from third-party affiliates. These changes may include:

Peapoon may deliver banners and other graphics-based advertisements displayed on top of your Web page content.
Peapoon may inject modified content into your Web pages, such as 'sponsored' search results that may include themselves along with your normal search results.
Peapoon may load separate pop-up windows for its advertisements that launch automatically.
Peapoon may temporarily redirect you to full-page advertisements when you try to navigate to an unrelated site.

Regardless of the formats used by individual installations of Peapoon, in no case does Peapoon provide appropriate controls for allowing its users to disable its advertisements universally.

Appeasing Your Browser with Removing Peapoon

Peapoon and adware similar to it may install themselves by bundling their software with a second product marketed more prominently on any download links. These downloads may be found at some of the less reputable freeware domains, as well as on free downloading networks that may or may not label the bundles honestly. However, malware analysts find most competent file scanners capable of identifying common bundle installers, both by specific brands and heuristically. Scanning suspicious downloads provided for free could prevent you from allowing Peapoon to modify your browser.

Although Peapoon isn't a Trojan or other type of threat, Peapoon may promote harmful content alongside its normal advertising. Any unprotected contact with sponsored advertisements from Peapoon should be kept to a minimum until you've deleted Peapoon with your anti-adware tool of preference. You may wish particularly to watch for common advertisement-delivered attacks, including fraudulent software updates, inaccurate system messages like the 'Warning Your PC Is About To Crash' Fake Alert and phishing tactics.

To date, malware analysts have seen Peapoon on Windows machines, but not on other OSes of note.

Peapoon Ads

Threat Metric

The Peapoon Under the Mattress

Appeasing Your Browser with Removing Peapoon

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