Chroomium Browser

Posted: January 8, 2016

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:	11,021
Threat Level:	1/10
Infected PCs:	12,575

First Seen:	January 8, 2016
Last Seen:	October 10, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The Chroomium Browser is a Web-browsing application often classified as a Potentially Unwanted Program as a result of its unorthodox installation practices. As always, PC users who haven't installed a Chroomium Browser or other, unwanted software intentionally should feel no shame in using dedicated security solutions for removing these products. The symptoms of a Chroomium Browser installation may include system-wide modifications emphasizing replacing the PC user's default browser and especially Chrome currently.

The Difference that an Extra Letter may Make in Your Browser

In the past, advertising software developers typically created their products as add-ons to a preexisting Web browser. In rarer cases, they might bundle their adware with a browser installer. However, only relatively recently have malware experts come across the trend of adware replacing a browser wholesale. This new deployment strategy has been seen in the second half of 2015 and extending into 2016 through the Ghokswa Browser, the Crxbro Browser, eFast, and, now, the Chroomium Browser.

The Chroomium Browser acquires its name from its use of the Chromium source code, which is most famous for enabling Google's Chrome. Current Chroomium Browser installers use formats that may replace your browser's file associations and shortcuts. Since the Chroomium Browser uses much of the same files as Chrome, including icons, inattentive Web surfers may not notice its presence for some time. Malware experts have yet to identify the original installation source, but there are strong implications for non-consensual techniques like unlabeled bundlers.

The Symptoms of the Chroomium Browser may include:

Your browser may load additional advertisements, either as injected Web content or pop-ups. Past Chrome 'replacement' browsers have included bundles with adware like GreatDeals.
Your desktop, start menu, and Taskbar shortcuts may have their Target lines modified, redirecting them away from another browser and towards the Chroomium Browser.
The browser may replace your default search engine or homepage settings, redirecting you to unwanted and possibly unsafe websites.
Some advanced website content, such as the content of streaming media sites, may not function in a Chroomium Browser.
Your browser may redirect itself to unwanted sites automatically. Past Chroomium Browser installations have used these redirects for promoting 'password manager' services.
Files associated with other applications may be re-associated with the Chroomium Browser, causing that browser to open when clicked.

Getting the Extra Oomph out of Your Browser

Although the Chroomium Browser may include many of the traits expected from phishing tactics and other security risks, the Chroomium Browser is only classified as a Potentially Unwanted Program, and shouldn't be identified as being a threat. You can consider a majority of PUPs for preserving or deleting on a case by case basis. However, any product that tries to make automatic system-wide settings changes should be removed without any hesitance. The Chroomium Browser is being distributed primarily towards Windows OSes, although Chromium-based browsers also may be compatible with Mac or Linux machines.

Well-designed anti-adware and anti-malware scanners should have minimal problems with removing a Chroomium Browser, which makes no extensive efforts at concealing its files or settings changes. After deleting this browser, you should recheck all file associations and shortcuts that could have experienced modifications. Malware experts also would suggest switching out passwords that you gave to third parties, such as any suspicious password management sites.

In some ways, the persistence of PUPs like the Chroomium Browser is a compliment to Chrome's existing security measures, when adware finds it simpler to replace a browser instead of hijacking it. However, that security can only do so much for countering software that is only too happy to enact wide-sweeping system changes.

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%\chroomium browser\chroomium\bin\browserserver.exe

File name: browserserver.exe
Size: 507 KB (507008 bytes)
MD5: f1a40d34335be3a0ca9d5308c7f4d5c7
Detection count: 4,040
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\chroomium browser\chroomium\bin\browserserver.exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: August 16, 2023

%PROGRAMFILES%\chroomium Browser\chroomium\chrome.exe

File name: chrome.exe
Size: 872.57 KB (872576 bytes)
MD5: 659a112ce076dca7ab73931de57d93e8
Detection count: 3,223
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\chroomium Browser\chroomium\chrome.exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: August 16, 2023

C:\Program Files\chroomium Browser\chroomium\delegate_execute.exe

File name: delegate_execute.exe
Size: 665.21 KB (665216 bytes)
MD5: 9b450fa544844cf492e43e5cff5edee6
Detection count: 234
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: C:\Program Files\chroomium Browser\chroomium\delegate_execute.exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: August 1, 2023

C:\Program Files (x86)\chroomium Browser\chroomium.update172022\bin171289\browserServer.exe171242

File name: browserServer.exe171242
Size: 495.48 KB (495488 bytes)
MD5: 0fffa9b640f94bc5072a0a4cc3053fe0
Detection count: 94
Mime Type: unknown/exe171242
Path: C:\Program Files (x86)\chroomium Browser\chroomium.update172022\bin171289\browserServer.exe171242
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: October 17, 2021

C:\AdwCleaner\Quarantine\C\Program Files\chroomium Browser\chroomium.update511790296\bin511768328\browserServer.exe511767593.vir

File name: browserServer.exe511767593.vir
Size: 493.87 KB (493872 bytes)
MD5: efabe228249f750c06e4004c78c68398
Detection count: 75
Mime Type: unknown/vir
Path: C:\AdwCleaner\Quarantine\C\Program Files\chroomium Browser\chroomium.update511790296\bin511768328\browserServer.exe511767593.vir
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: January 25, 2022

F:\Program Files\chroomium Browser\chroomium\bin\browserServer.exe

File name: browserServer.exe
Size: 505.21 KB (505216 bytes)
MD5: 4db21890e3881023982b3933c53ac52f
Detection count: 42
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: F:\Program Files\chroomium Browser\chroomium\bin\browserServer.exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: August 1, 2021

%PROGRAMFILES%\chroomium Browser\chroomium\bin\browserServer.exe

File name: browserServer.exe
Size: 503.6 KB (503600 bytes)
MD5: dcfbc6d4aacce09cff568760e9adc88d
Detection count: 16
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\chroomium Browser\chroomium\bin
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: March 23, 2016

%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\chroomium Browser\chroomium\chrome.exe

File name: chrome.exe
Size: 858.92 KB (858928 bytes)
MD5: e4e14363d786a404bdb19b9ccd0ab4ee
Detection count: 12
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\chroomium Browser\chroomium
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: April 23, 2020

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

Regexp file mask%WINDIR%\System32\Tasks\chroomiumBrowserUpdateUA%WINDIR%\System32\Tasks\chroomiumCheckTask%WINDIR%\Tasks\chroomiumBrowserUpdateCore.jobHKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}Software\chroomiumSoftware\Classes\chroomiumHTMSOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\chroomiumSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\Tree\chroomiumBrowserUpdateUASOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\Tree\chroomiumCheckTaskSOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications\chroomiumSOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\chroomiumSOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Clients\StartMenuInternet\chroomiumSOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\RegisteredApplications\chroomium

Additional Information

The following directories were created:

%PROGRAMFILES%\chroomium Browser%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\chroomium Browser