Home Malware Programs Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) Spring Smart

Spring Smart

Posted: November 11, 2013

Threat Metric

Threat Level: 2/10
Infected PCs: 1,942
First Seen: November 11, 2013
Last Seen: July 7, 2023
OS(es) Affected: Windows

Spring Smart is a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) classified as adware for its primary functions of displaying shopping-related links in your browser, such as coupons and temporary discounts. Spring Smart's features do have theoretical uses for the savvy online shopper, but malware experts consider the deletion of Spring Smart and other adware to be a good basic security practice for your browser's sake. In the event of this being necessary, updated anti-adware software always should be used for making sure that deleting Spring Smart really does remove all of its Web browser modifications.

Spring Has Sprung... with Advertisements

Spring Smart is one of a sub-genre of adware programs that market their advertisements as positives for their users. By specializing in advertisements that provide links to shopping deals, Spring Smart hopes that you'll consider its features sufficiently worthwhile to keep Spring Smart installed, even though its practical effects aren't that much different from those of any other kind of adware add-on. At this time, Spring Smart's advertisements are designed in a pop-up banner format that allows you to identify them immediately, and Spring Smart doesn't attempt to redirect your browser or cause any other major interference. Most advertisements provide links to reputable sites, although the accuracy of the deals on offer may be open to question.

The usefulness of Spring Smart's advertising feature is up to you to judge, but malware researchers usually recommend deleting adware programs that aren't providing any kind of obvious and tangible advantages. Even though Spring Smart doesn't display unsafe advertisements deliberately, the fact that Spring Smart injects its advertisements into unrelated sites may cause other issues, such as preventing you from interacting with all of a site's interface or slowing your browser.

Cycling from Spring Smart to a Summer with No Advertisements

Spring Smart has not been seen involved in attacks that would install Spring Smart separately from any other software, but is likely to be using partnered software bundles to distribute itself to fresh computers. Being perceptive to any offers of browser-assisting add-ons while installing other programs should be considered a basic rule for keeping your PC safe, and malware experts additionally encourage avoiding sites that have a long history of bundling unrelated applications together into single installers.

With the proper precautions, avoiding a PUP like Spring Smart may be easy, but if you do find a need to remove Spring Smart from your computer, appropriate anti-adware tools should be considered as your first resort. However, Spring Smart does have a low detection rate among many major anti-malware brands, and malware researchers suggest that you make sure to update your scanners, if necessary, to combat the possibility of Spring Smart slipping through the net.

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%\Spring Smart\updateSpringSmart.exe File name: updateSpringSmart.exe
Size: 65.32 KB (65320 bytes)
MD5: 5b2d31fc1b484902e85ba25b6d130530
Detection count: 69
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\Spring Smart
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: January 3, 2014
%PROGRAMFILES%\Spring Smart\SpringSmartbho.dll File name: SpringSmartbho.dll
Size: 149.28 KB (149288 bytes)
MD5: 61efac4faca6dfaf31eb3b77c783c7e2
Detection count: 28
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\Spring Smart
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: January 3, 2014
%PROGRAMFILES%\Spring Smart\bin\utilSpringSmart.exe File name: utilSpringSmart.exe
Size: 54.6 KB (54600 bytes)
MD5: c17741b15ce5f0f262d82cc11dbdc4b2
Detection count: 22
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\Spring Smart\bin
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: January 3, 2014
%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\Spring Smart\SpringSmartuninstall.exe File name: SpringSmartuninstall.exe
Size: 212.78 KB (212780 bytes)
MD5: b00d03194d7992f6750f868a75379472
Detection count: 9
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\Spring Smart
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 21, 2020
%PROGRAMFILES%\Spring Smart\updateSpringSmart.exe File name: updateSpringSmart.exe
Size: 66.34 KB (66344 bytes)
MD5: defb0cf4bf426429feb99aba6e20f75a
Detection count: 5
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\Spring Smart
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: January 3, 2014

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

CLSID{7f232128-6f42-4f37-8efe-2e6020b2d478}{92656265-FD9A-4040-9F88-5F708886EA15}{CAC25769-C204-4C2C-B914-2E2AF7544033}File name without pathfirefox@springsmart.net.xpiHKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions\{7F232128-6F42-4F37-8EFE-2E6020B2D478}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\updateSpringSmart_RASAPI32SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\updateSpringSmart_RASMANCSSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{7f232128-6f42-4f37-8efe-2e6020b2d478}Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{7F232128-6F42-4F37-8EFE-2E6020B2D478}Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\{7F232128-6F42-4F37-8EFE-2E6020B2D478}Software\Spring SmartSOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\updateSpringSmart_RASAPI32SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\updateSpringSmart_RASMANCSSOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{7f232128-6f42-4f37-8efe-2e6020b2d478}SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Spring SmartSYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\eventlog\Application\Update Spring SmartSYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\Update Spring SmartSYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\eventlog\Application\Update Spring SmartSYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Update Spring SmartHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\[APPLICATION]\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall..{Uninstaller}Spring Smart

Additional Information

The following directories were created:
%PROGRAMFILES%\Spring Smart%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\Spring Smart
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