ChatVibes Toolbar

Posted: October 19, 2011

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:	1/10
Infected PCs:	32,387

First Seen:	October 19, 2011
Last Seen:	July 13, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The ChatVibes Toolbar is a Potentially Unwanted Program that redirects your Web browser's searches to alternative sites. While the ChatVibes Toolbar hasn't been confirmed to use these functions to harm the associated PCs, like all browser hijackers, the ChatVibes Toolbar doesn't have any advantage to your browser, and malware researchers find little reason to avoid removing a ChatVibes Toolbar immediately. Standard PC security products should suffice for uninstalling the ChatVibes Toolbar and reversing any search settings modified by the ChatVibes Toolbar, along with detecting the ChatVibes Toolbar before its installation, which is always preferable.

The Bad Vibes of a Toolbar Cloned from Other Ones

The ChatVibes Toolbar is one of the nearly countless numbers of Conduit-based browser hijackers, which, as a rule, pretend to have positive features even when they mostly are interested in hijacking your Web searches. Current reports of the ChatVibes Toolbar haven't provided new evidence to contradict malware experts expectations for all Conduit hijackers, with the ChatVibes Toolbar universally redirecting Web browsers to Conduit's search engine while ignoring any default search settings. The Conduit.com site isn't classified as unsafe, but due to its unprofessional reputation and lack of concern for the safety of its visitors, avoiding any prolonged use of it is suggested.

The ChatVibes Toolbar also utilizes cookies to track your searches, which is profitable for the ChatVibes Toolbar's company, but something of concern for many users. Disabling these cookies or the search redirects of the ChatVibes Toolbar is impossible without removing the ChatVibes Toolbar, itself. Unfortunately, most Conduit hijackers, including the ChatVibes Toolbar, erect barriers to their expedient removal that make use of specialized anti-adware or anti-malware products required, in many cases.

How to Search the Web without a ChatVibes Toolbar Chattering in Your Ear

Although the ChatVibes Toolbar may be installed automatically from a website, the ChatVibes Toolbar may be installed in a bundle that includes more than one program. These bundling utilities may be detected by various PC security products, and may be circulated on illicit download websites, along with sites with histories for distributing unwanted software. Although malware researchers encourage safe downloading habits, if you do need to download software from a source that may install Conduit products like the ChatVibes Toolbar, always scan these files before launching them.

Since the ChatVibes Toolbar and other Conduit add-ons have histories rich in trying to stop themselves from being removed, you usually shouldn't try to delete them without assistance. Competent anti-malware programs shouldn't have many issues with deleting the ChatVibes Toolbar, which doesn't possess the same defenses that a high-level threat would have. Even so, because the ChatVibes Toolbar and its family may be updated frequently, and without warning, you should be certain that your own security software is updated before removing a ChatVibes Toolbar.

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:

C:\Program Files (x86)\searchweb\tbunsjF88B.tmp\tbhelper.dll

File name: tbhelper.dll
Size: 305.15 KB (305152 bytes)
MD5: 842619c857cc40a5a9c3d44b580e23f9
Detection count: 15,109
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: C:\Program Files (x86)\searchweb\tbunsjF88B.tmp\tbhelper.dll
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: March 16, 2023

C:\Program Files\ChatVibes Toolbar\tbhelper.dll

File name: tbhelper.dll
Size: 302.08 KB (302080 bytes)
MD5: f21a8f0128391da87ff4d1f57f931896
Detection count: 6,448
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: C:\Program Files\ChatVibes Toolbar\tbhelper.dll
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: August 4, 2022

%PROGRAMFILES%\ChatVibes Toolbar\tbunsu28.tmp\tbcore3.dll

File name: tbcore3.dll
Size: 2.72 MB (2721720 bytes)
MD5: c81eaa4fb2abeeb8f2af0e0699c3d71e
Detection count: 96
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\ChatVibes Toolbar\tbunsu28.tmp
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: March 18, 2014

C:\Program Files\ChatVibes Toolbar\uninstall.exe

File name: uninstall.exe
Size: 42.49 KB (42496 bytes)
MD5: bc50c288b2ba3fe71f86c5346859ffc5
Detection count: 84
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: C:\Program Files\ChatVibes Toolbar\uninstall.exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: June 3, 2023

%PROGRAMFILES%\ChatVibes Toolbar\tbunstD.tmp\tbhelper.dll

File name: tbhelper.dll
Size: 481.24 KB (481241 bytes)
MD5: 108d4e199eb1375114534315859fc6b6
Detection count: 16
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\ChatVibes Toolbar\tbunstD.tmp
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: March 18, 2014

%PROGRAMFILES%\ChatVibes Toolbar\tbhelper.dll

File name: tbhelper.dll
Size: 302.08 KB (302080 bytes)
MD5: 49d6003daf0c77ac5fd4a9199806b10d
Detection count: 13
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\ChatVibes Toolbar
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: March 18, 2014

C:\Program Files\chatvibes toolbar\tbunsfe9f1.tmp\tbhelper.dll

File name: C:\Program Files\chatvibes toolbar\tbunsfe9f1.tmp\tbhelper.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

C:\Program Files\chatvibes toolbar\tbunsfe9f1.tmp\chatvibes.dll

File name: C:\Program Files\chatvibes toolbar\tbunsfe9f1.tmp\chatvibes.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

C:\Program Files\chatvibes toolbar\tbunsfe9f1.tmp\TbHelper2.exe

File name: C:\Program Files\chatvibes toolbar\tbunsfe9f1.tmp\TbHelper2.exe
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

C:\Program Files\chatvibes toolbar\tbunsfe9f1.tmp\TbCommonUtils.dll

File name: C:\Program Files\chatvibes toolbar\tbunsfe9f1.tmp\TbCommonUtils.dll
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

C:\Program Files\chatvibes toolbar\tbunsfe9f1.tmp\tbcore3.dll

File name: C:\Program Files\chatvibes toolbar\tbunsfe9f1.tmp\tbcore3.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

C:\Program Files\chatvibes toolbar\tbunsfe9f1.tmp\uninstall.exe

File name: C:\Program Files\chatvibes toolbar\tbunsfe9f1.tmp\uninstall.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

CLSID{93919065-6CD2-472F-B937-9C3596A98937}{C34BFB11-EFF0-4123-A7A5-79051EF24CF5}HKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}Software\AppDataLow\Software\ChatVibes.comSoftware\AppDataLow\Toolbar\RegisteredSources\CT3080215SOFTWARE\ChatVibes.comSOFTWARE\Classes\Toolbar.CT3080215Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions\{c34bfb11-eff0-4123-a7a5-79051ef24cf5}Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION\tb_ChatVibes.com.exeSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\PreApproved\{93919065-6cd2-472f-b937-9c3596a98937}Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{c34bfb11-eff0-4123-a7a5-79051ef24cf5}Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\{C34BFB11-EFF0-4123-A7A5-79051EF24CF5}

Additional Information

The following directories were created:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\NativeMessaging\CT3080215%PROGRAMFILES%\ChatVibes Toolbar%PROGRAMFILES%\ChatVibes.com%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\ChatVibes Toolbar%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\ChatVibes.com%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\ChatVibes.com