AdFreeApp

Posted: June 26, 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:	2/10
Infected PCs:	0

First Seen:	June 26, 2015
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

AdFreeApp is a browser extension that markets itself as an advertising blocker. However, along with any advertisement-blocking features provided, AdFreeApp also may inject its particular advertisements into your Web pages at loading time. Malware experts have seen some cases of AdFreeApp advertisements distributing threatening content and suggest deleting AdFreeApp with anti-adware products for any PC user interested in optimizing their online safety.

The Problems with Advertisement Blockers You Get for Free

AdFreeApp is a browser add-on that malware experts only have seen being installed to Chrome like similar adware such as variants of the 'Ads by Name' family. Despite that limitation, AdFreeApp doesn't distribute itself on the Chrome's app store, and either is being bundled with free software downloads or installed by threatening software. The families of other PUPs and malware that may have relationships with AdFreeApp's recent peak in distribution still are being analyzed. As usual, these semi-consensual and non-consensual distribution methods are supported by AdFreeApp's installation format, which doesn't show an extension or installed program entry for identifying the adware.

After AdFreeApp is installed, PC users can identify AdFreeApp from the additional, labeled advertising content injected into their Chrome browsers. So far, these HTML injections may provide additional search results or pop-ups for third-party services, and may be loaded directly into a Web page or overlaid on top of a page's content. In some cases, malware experts found AdFreeApp's default controls for closing its advertisements failing to function. In no case does AdFreeApp provide options for disabling its advertisements completely while leaving the extension installed.

Most meaningfully, malware experts also saw some AdFreeApp advertisements delivering threatening content that could harm your computer. These attacks included fraudulent system alerts, which typically initiate attacks promoting scamware. Individual scamware products, such as Spyware Clear or Antivirus Pro 2017, may block your actual security programs, hijack your browser or cancel your file downloads.

Cleaning out an Advertisement Application that's More Harmer than Helper

Due to its penchant for delivering advertisements that could harm your PC, even PC users who prefer browsers other than Chrome should strongly consider removing AdFreeApp. While AdFreeApp eschews the program entries that would make its installation immediately obvious, its symptoms may include self-tagged advertising content that will be highly visible. When in doubt, you also may wish to use Chrome's personal Task Manager app to detect AdFreeApp's process.

Deleting AdFreeApp without using anti-adware products for support may allow AdFreeApp to continue modifying your browser. Since its primary install strategies aren't entirely consensual, you also might wish to backup anti-adware scans with scans from additional applications capable of detecting threatening software. However, whether you favor Chrome, Firefox or even Safari, monitoring your downloads can keep your PC from turning into a revenue source for most kinds of adware add-ons, including AdFreeApp.

AdFreeApp

Threat Metric

The Problems with Advertisement Blockers You Get for Free

Cleaning out an Advertisement Application that's More Harmer than Helper

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