PUM.Security Hijacks

Posted: June 2, 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:	10

First Seen:	June 2, 2015
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

PUM.Security Hijacks are Potentially Unwanted Modifications of your Web browser that could disable its security features or otherwise open your PC up to Web-based attacks. PUM.Security Hijacks may include different kinds of browser changes, rather than a single change with predictable symptoms, which may complicate the process of identifying them or the unwanted software that causes them to occur. Using your PC's security software for detecting associated threats, along with removing the PUM.Security Hijacks is the response malware experts would suggest.

The Hijackings You don't See Until after Their Consequences

PUM.Security Hijacks are browser changes that may tie into the presence of threatening software or unwanted software, such as adware, search engine hijackers or toolbars. Examples of other PUMs include PUM.Hijack.StartMenu and PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl, which may be present alongside PUM.Security Hijacks. Personal, user-based changes to your browser settings shouldn't cause your security software to detect PUM.Security Hijacks, and you should feel free to report inaccurate alerts when needed.

PUM.Security Hijacks may have relationships with third-party attacks that disable Chrome's update manager. They also may be associated with other changes, such as reduced security settings that then may allow other add-ons to be installed. Because non-updated browsers are prime targets for attacks by Web threats, malware researchers recommend removing any program that triggers alerts for PUM.Security Hijacks or is otherwise responsible for their appearance.

Conventional attacks that take advantage of out-of-date browsers may include distribution campaigns for high-level threats, such as Blackhole Exploit Kit-based attacks that may install spyware. These scripts may run without any visible elements although they sometimes may be identifiable through pop-up alerts and other kinds of toxic browser content.

Pumping a PUM out of Your Browser

A majority of PUM.Security Hijacks noted by malware researchers base themselves on changes to the Windows Registry. These changes don't necessarily show any immediate symptoms that are identifiable on sight, and may remain intact regardless of any changes you make in your browser's settings menus. However, scans by appropriate anti-malware products should be able to detect most PUM.Security Hijacks and other Registry-based threats. Advanced PC users may use the Windows Registry Editor to examine problematic data explicitly, but, as a warning, should try to avoid making any changes to Registry entries that could cause system-critical software to behave improperly.

PUM.Security Hijacks are part of the ongoing landscape of browser attacks that assist with the circulation of Trojans like Gameover, Trojan Zeus and Chthonic. Despite their low profiles, they may be instigators of infections and security problems with the potential to spiral rapidly out of control. An occasional system scan by your anti-malware tools can identify low-key threats like PUM.Security Hijacks, removing them before they can realize their full purpose. PUM.Security Hijacks most often are seen in the Chrome browser but are applicable, as a heuristic category of threat, to all brands of Web browsers.

PUM.Security Hijacks

Threat Metric

The Hijackings You don't See Until after Their Consequences

Pumping a PUM out of Your Browser

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