Adware.V-Bates

Posted: April 17, 2014

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.

Ranking:	4,916
Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	167,067

First Seen:	April 17, 2014
Last Seen:	March 8, 2025
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

V-Bates is a browser hijacker that's formatted to look like a beneficial add-on for Internet Explorer. While V-Bates is unavailable through the normal channels for installing software, such as an independent website, V-Bates often is installed through software bundles, and also may be included in the payloads of Trojans. Malware researchers consider V-Bates a Potentially Unwanted Program and would recommend deleting V-Bates as part of keeping your browser entirely under your control, even if V-Bates isn't a threat that intends to attack your security deliberately.

V-Bates: the Add-On that 'Helps' You By Turning Your Browser Against You

V-Bates is a PUP that keeps with the traditional bait-and-switch of pretending to have benefits for your online searches and Internet accessibility, although its actual functions merely modify your browser's settings in negative ways. By locking your search engine, homepage and new tab page to sites that are affiliated with V-Bates, V-Bates deprives you of the ability to choose your own website destinations while also making a profit off of your use of its software. Even if you do prefer the search engines and other sites promoted by V-Bates, malware researchers have found zero benefits for the user in this relationship.

The Southstar Company that developed V-Bates appears to have abandoned V-Bates, in favor of a new VideoDownloader add-on, with as of yet undetermined breadth of features. Despite its orphaning, V-Bates still seems to be in distribution, seeded through the same software bundles that have spread countless adware, browser hijackers and disadvantageous toolbars before V-Bates. The relevant installation processes may or may not indicate that V-Bates is being installed at the time.

These bundles, which install V-Bates and other unwanted programs, in addition to their primary products, tend to enjoy the greatest distribution on general free software sites with poor reputations.

Getting a Rebate from V-Bates Hijacks

V-Bates doesn't redirect its users to corrupted websites, and malware researchers don't consider V-Bates as any kind of threat. However, even non-threat like V-Bates may be a net disadvantage to your browser. Without being able to determine your own Web page settings with V-Bates installed, deleting V-Bates clearly is best for your browser and for your personal freedom. Ensuring its deletion through the use of anti-malware programs with reliable records against browser PUPs also is an excellent idea.

If you give them the chance, websites with strong affiliations with adware, other browser hijackers and other types of unwanted add-ons also are more likely than not to install V-Bates. Avoid general software sites with these poor reputations, and scan any suspicious installers to make sure they're not concealing 'extra' software like V-Bates. Most anti-malware applications also should have appropriate definitions for identifying software bundlers that could install V-Bates.
Finally, it also should be noted that V-Bates is unrelated to Vbate.idebate.org, which is a website dedicated to hosting cloud video debates.

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%\V-bates\unins000.exe

File name: unins000.exe
Size: 1.19 MB (1198793 bytes)
MD5: 717e78c455ac2ee64060c6af9573ce1f
Detection count: 970
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\V-bates\unins000.exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: June 10, 2024

%PROGRAMFILES%\V-bates\guardsvc.exe

File name: guardsvc.exe
Size: 129.31 KB (129312 bytes)
MD5: dd97821cb23c35b0aeb5f3ebc2b49ae3
Detection count: 180
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\V-bates
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 5, 2020

%PROGRAMFILES%\V-bates\notifier.exe

File name: notifier.exe
Size: 375.58 KB (375584 bytes)
MD5: a6d45e8fe0c45a427c2cc4c6198936c9
Detection count: 169
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\V-bates
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: February 13, 2020

%PROGRAMFILES%\V-bates\Extension32.dll

File name: Extension32.dll
Size: 193.02 KB (193024 bytes)
MD5: aa0e6bf5a2e4eef004b18e66c6e65cbc
Detection count: 143
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\V-bates
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: April 18, 2014

%PROGRAMFILES%\V-bates\Extension64.dll

File name: Extension64.dll
Size: 188.24 KB (188248 bytes)
MD5: db3dfac89b3e713097ff442eb9563df0
Detection count: 74
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\V-bates
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: April 17, 2014

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\v-bates.exe

File name: v-bates.exe
Size: 2.03 MB (2033320 bytes)
MD5: efbbf05c27e939155c74cbd94c177fb3
Detection count: 14
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\v-bates.exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: November 12, 2022

%PROGRAMFILES%\V-bates\ExtensionUpdaterService.exe

File name: ExtensionUpdaterService.exe
Size: 188.76 KB (188760 bytes)
MD5: 48d4915236fa752b5b0b113be3b9dc13
Detection count: 5
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\V-bates
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: April 17, 2014

More files

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

CLSID{21EAF666-26B3-4a3c-ABD0-CA2F5A326744}{311D8A4B-5FED-4462-9187-F03C29B5731C}{42435F6D-E271-4F4C-9D4B-1A58112DC19D}{82C1E22B-0B13-4959-8E7D-FDACCBCC4391}{A516C81D-0FB7-4306-BBAE-9E42DA16B804}{D067E3E4-354F-4F8A-8668-1AA03D22CBA1}{F77B2773-532F-484B-A43B-09E4017CD66E}Regexp file mask%TEMP%\v-bates.exeHKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}Software\Classes\Software\{D9918B13-81CE-4EE4-9D7C-3676F1714BA7}Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions\{21EAF666-26B3-4a3c-ABD0-CA2F5A326744}Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Stats\{21EAF666-26B3-4a3c-ABD0-CA2F5A326744}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\CompatibilityAdapter\Signatures\FF Watcher {18C2B3B4-33E4-4155-9227-5367ECB0E35D}.job.fpSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\Tree\Mext Guard FBE8818C-5B13-48C2-A93E-AD731167DBF2Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{21EAF666-26B3-4A3C-ABD0-CA2F5A326744}Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\{21EAF666-26B3-4A3C-ABD0-CA2F5A326744}SOFTWARE\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions\{20AD702C-661E-4534-8CE9-BA4EC9AD6ECC}SOFTWARE\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions\{21EAF666-26B3-4a3c-ABD0-CA2F5A326744}SOFTWARE\V-batesSOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions\{20AD702C-661E-4534-8CE9-BA4EC9AD6ECC}SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions\{21EAF666-26B3-4a3c-ABD0-CA2F5A326744}SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\V-batesSoftware\{D9918B13-81CE-4EE4-9D7C-3676F1714BA7}SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\Mext GuardSYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\V-bates UpdaterSYSTEM\ControlSet002\services\Mext GuardSYSTEM\ControlSet002\services\V-bates UpdaterSYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Mext GuardSYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\V-bates UpdaterHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\[APPLICATION]\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall..{Uninstaller}{21EAF666-26B3-4a3c-ABD0-CA2F5A326744}_is1

Additional Information

The following directories were created:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ihfgncllfpciihmkjhnehcpolclgokea%PROGRAMFILES%\V-bates%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\V-bates%ProgramFiles%\BojneidguUn%ProgramFiles(x86)%\BojneidguUn

The following URL's were detected:

V-bates