PriceChop

Posted: July 9, 2014

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:	6,511
Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	53,597

First Seen:	July 7, 2014
Last Seen:	October 15, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

PriceChop is an adware application designed to modify your browser for the purpose of loading extra advertisements, although PriceChop represents these advertisements as coupons, discounts and other retailer-related offers. Supposedly, PriceChop's functions are meant to help you save money, but malware researchers find little evidence of its providing functions that aren't better-served by using typical Web-searching tools without adding new software to your browser. On the other hand, removing PriceChop, may provide improved security and performance stability, as per the usual for most similar advertising-based plugins.

PriceChop – the Hidden Price of a 'Bargain' in Web Shopping

In trying to delay their deletion or encourage their installation, adware programs may market themselves as shopping assistants that provide content geared for discounted prices on websites. Like the wide range of similar add-ons, PriceChop claims to deliver savings, but its advertisements are sorted according to affiliated retailers, rather than according to actual prices. While some of PriceChop's advertisements, which load automatically on most Windows browsers, may be financially beneficial, PriceChop has no guarantees of providing any long-term advantage to your online expenditures.

In the process of investigating PriceChop, malware researchers also found several telltale traits of negative behavior on the part of PriceChop's company, including:

PriceChop may conduct unnecessary monitoring of your Web-browsing activities, invading your privacy and potentially harming performance.
Some versions of PriceChop add-ons may include questionable uninstallation practices that may prevent you from deleting PriceChop via the usual channels (like the Control Panel).
Modes of distribution that may install PriceChop automatically, which ordinarily occurs through bundles that drop more than one application together onto your hard drive.

PriceChop is compatible with the Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer browsers, and users of those browsers especially are recommended to be cautious about probable installation points for PriceChop, such as torrent networks or generalist freeware sites.

Hacking Your Way out of PriceChop Advertisements

Malware researchers classify PriceChop as a Potentially Unwanted Program, or a PUP, due to its overall lack of threatening functionality combined with poor business history and traits that are traditional for adware. In the short term, contact with adware typically does not damage your PC. Despite that, deleting PriceChop (and all other adware) is recommended, as researchers often find that extended contact results in unwanted exposure to other PC threats that may be more serious security problems than an advertising add-on.

When removing PriceChop is needed, the recommended solution is to scan your computer in Safe Mode with security tools that specialize in removing adware (and, in most cases, other PUPs). PriceChop has been known to reinstall itself automatically, and may make changes to more than one browser automatically. Dealing with PriceChop by more typical methods may even suppress the advertisements that are PriceChop's characteristic symptoms, but may leave files and settings changes that could cause other browser problems in the future.

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:

%PROGRAMFILES%\pricechope\kzPzNw_.dll

File name: kzPzNw_.dll
Size: 556.56 KB (556562 bytes)
MD5: 6850958591a7f069b4d7f378163397f8
Detection count: 78
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\pricechope
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: July 16, 2014

%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\PCCpnApp\Zan6SP4f6.x64.dll

File name: Zan6SP4f6.x64.dll
Size: 517.63 KB (517632 bytes)
MD5: 6a438db4cbc2ec143705f2d95dc94c8e
Detection count: 16
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\PCCpnApp
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: August 1, 2014

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

HKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}SOFTWARE\Classes\pricechop.pricechopSOFTWARE\Classes\pricechop.pricechop.3.9Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions\{264128B8-B2B3-0F5C-95ED-038813B1C5D0}Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions\{4A20ED56-1C43-80E6-9A44-F3B58A8A6AB9}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{09F8A51F-88D8-7611-8376-BF92D100E21F}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{111AB244-A52A-167C-ABFA-2FDE0EEE93D7}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{341CABCE-E19A-4807-0505-5DFAC4FCD604}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{363cc143-63fb-444a-a678-893b53773d7e}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{6BDE899F-E280-1846-1764-10E737AB8984}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{913bba4e-ca53-47ea-a2cb-e1479aad6e72}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{9745C782-4C27-BB6C-6978-9222A60023AC}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{AFD5C30B-2FAA-CB33-058D-BBA599C6ACD2}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{C683A983-948B-0806-3D17-536BE40A96E5}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\{F0C324AE-713C-206E-6E57-955185C6A310}HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\[APPLICATION]\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall..{Uninstaller}{FDB962F0-B5B8-9460-D12F-7966E97BAA43}

Additional Information

The following directories were created:

%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Priaceachop%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\PriceChop%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\pricechop%APPDATA%\PriceChop%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\abgokgafifmnnmplkbemonhlnigijofp%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bnppmeibcgajgeiedkkmgggaehneadah%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\cpploofdahdhjdlmngfclcdcbakfaong%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\docnegcjpfpgmhdijipcnncplimhdgad%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\jbcgahegjbljcjmklbjodhgckdolbgka%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\kboppnjhbjdikcamjcllbdjbmbejlmbo%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\windows_ie_ac_001\AC\{09F8A51F-88D8-7611-8376-BF92D100E21F}%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\windows_ie_ac_001\AC\{111AB244-A52A-167C-ABFA-2FDE0EEE93D7}%LOCALAPPDATA%\PriceChop%PROGRAMFILES%\PriceChop%PROGRAMFILES%\pricechoop%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\PriceChop%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\pricecehOp%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\pricechoop

The following URL's were detected:

PriceChoppRicechopprIcEchoppricEChoppricechOppricechoop