Topic Torch Virus

Posted: November 28, 2012

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:	98

First Seen:	November 28, 2012
Last Seen:	January 8, 2020
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The Topic Torch Virus is a search engine toolbar that claims to be able to provide 'fun' and 'efficient' search results, but the capabilities appear to be specialized on generating advertisement-based revenue via Yontoo Adware (known as the Yontoo Layers program). By altering your web content to include irrelevant and monetized advertisements, Topic Torch Virus may endanger your web-browsing experience. Topic Torch Virus also has been known to modify your browser's settings in an attempt to promote its own search-related services. Because the Topic Torch Virus's functions aren't related to its supposed purpose as a toolbar, you should consider the Topic Torch Virus malicious and delete the Topic Torch Virus with the same anti-malware utilities that you'd use against a similar browser hijacker or other hostile add-on for your browser.

In the Shadow of the Topic Torch Virus's Attacks

Rather than a true virus that infects files arbitrarily, Topic Torch Virus is a browser add-on or toolbar that tends to infiltrate your PC by posing as a useful search utility. The Topic Torch Virus may provide some search results that happen to be useful, but as Yontoo-based adware similar to the TornTV Hijacker, the Topic Torch Virus's major functions shouldn't be considered anything but harmful to your browser and overall computer.

Malware researchers have noticed the following issues with the toolbar casually referred to as the Topic Torch Virus:

The insertion of additional monetized content (such as advertisements or unnecessary links) by the exploitation of an extra content 'layer' that's added by Yontoo.
Having your homepage set to topictorch.com, the Topic Torch Virus's website.
Being redirected to Topic Torch Virus's site (as noted above) from other sites, particularly search engines.
The addition of a Topic Torch search bar to your web browser.

While a casual PC user's first instinct might be to change their browser's settings, these attacks can't be remedied without removing the underlying toolbar and Topic Torch Virus. Unlike reputable add-ons, the Topic Torch Virus may refuse to be disabled or uninstalled by normal methods.

Dimming Topic Torch Virus's Browser-Searing Idea of 'Helping' Your Searches

Because the browser changes that Topic Torch Virus creates can endanger your PC by exposing you to harmful web content, SpywareRemove.com security analysts encourage to remove the Topic Torch Virus as soon as possible after you're aware of its presence. Switching your web browser or deleting and reinstalling it may put an end to redirects to Topic Torch Virus, but such a superficial solution will not remove the Topic Torch Virus malware that's installed on your computer.

Yontoo-based browser hijackers such as the Topic Torch Virus should be removed routinely with appropriate anti-malware products. Contact with sites that are related to the Topic Torch Virus, Yontoo, or other Yontoo-based PC threats (such as TornTV) is discouraged, although SpywareRemove.com malware experts note that brief, protected contact with Topic Torch Virus's website may not be an immediate infection vector.

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%\TopicTorch\TopicTorchUninstall.exe

File name: TopicTorchUninstall.exe
Size: 240.4 KB (240409 bytes)
MD5: 2711bcb58fb9b9144adbcf96f90af74c
Detection count: 23
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\TopicTorch
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: July 1, 2014

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

HKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions\{1fc376f9-6563-4e0e-8205-b2aa979c62c3}Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions\{225BFB24-8E4E-4B07-9E23-A23A686E268A}

Additional Information

The following directories were created:

%PROGRAMFILES%\TopicTorch%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\TopicTorch