Windows Security Master
Posted: March 11, 2014
Threat Metric
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: | 10/10 |
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Infected PCs: | 12 |
First Seen: | March 11, 2014 |
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Last Seen: | January 8, 2020 |
OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
The ongoing saga of fake anti-malware products now continues with Windows Security Master, which is designed to look like a Windows security suite – but has no functioning security features. As fraudulent software, Windows Security Master is capable of displaying system warnings and alerts to warn you about the supposed presence of other, high-level PC threats while Windows Security Master requests that you purchase its premium version to expedite their removal from your machine. Those incautious enough to pay the Windows Security Master's fee quickly will discover that Windows Security Master doesn't have any security features at all, and malware researchers find removing Windows Security Master to be the safest response possible.
The Master of Disguise Poses as a Windows Security Master
Although malware researchers undertake examinations of new members of scamware families as a matter of habit, these families update themselves with minor variants, such as Windows Security Master, just as frequently. Although Windows Security Master has a new name and uses the same skin and major functions as previous variants of NameChanger and FakePAV scamware, Windows Security Master belongs to the FakeVimes family and its many clones include Privacy Guard Pro, PrivacyGuard Pro 2.0, Extra Antivirus, Fast Antivirus 2009, Presto TuneUp, Windows Security Suite, Smart Virus Eliminator, Packed.Generic.245, Volcano Security Suite, Windows Enterprise Suite, Enterprise Suite, Additional Guard, Live PC Care, PC Live Guard, Live Enterprise Suite, Security Antivirus, My Security Wall, CleanUp Antivirus and Smart Security. Because their skins are partially based on legitimate Windows software, victims are expected to be confused into believing that Windows Security Master and its kin are legitimate products, when they are actually threats.
Normal installation methods for Windows Security Master infections include the exploitation of Trojan droppers and Trojan downloaders, along with compromised Web scripts that may warn you about your PC supposedly requiring a security download for disinfection. Regardless of how Windows Security Master may have gotten onto your PC, Windows Security Master will continuously display inaccurate system warnings, detect fake threats through its 'system scans' and even block other applications.
The latter is of most interest to malware researchers, who have seen Windows Security Master target everything from instant messengers to the essential security programs. Disabling Windows Security Master, as noted below, should be enough to regain access to most programs, although some Registry changes also may need to be removed before your computer regains full accessibility to all software.
The Price that's Paid for Fake Security
As you might have guessed, Windows Security Master's attacks simply are foreplay meant to pull you into purchasing its software to 'disinfect' your PC, even though the paid version of Windows Security Master is no more effective at safeguarding your computer than its free version. Malware researchers do find it safe to use freely-available codes to fake Windows Security Master's registration, but urge you to avoid giving any money or personal information away in Windows Security Master-related transactions. Whether or not you register Windows Security Master, deleting Windows Security Master always should be your overriding priority.
Windows Security Master, like so many of its fellow rogue anti-malware scanners, does have a history of interfering with the security products best equipped to remove Windows Security Master. Disabling Windows Security Master before uninstalling Windows Security Master is encouraged, whether you do so with Safe Mode or by restarting your PC from an external OS. USB devices are the most common means of loading a separate OS, and easily will support emergency backup operating systems, which will let you use the anti-malware tools of your preference to delete Windows Security Master once and for all.
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:%APPDATA%\svc-cepg.exe
File name: svc-cepg.exeSize: 1.06 MB (1062912 bytes)
MD5: e68ccaf6f6edb51b012701e720d5a558
Detection count: 13
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %APPDATA%
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: January 8, 2020
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