ConnectSo Toolbar

Posted: January 28, 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:	17,016
Threat Level:	5/10
Infected PCs:	396

First Seen:	January 28, 2014
Last Seen:	August 8, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The ConnectSo Toolbar is a Potentially Unwanted Program with strong connections to previous PUPs authorized by Conduit LTD, and, like most similar software, is known for delivering website redirects, advertisements and other unwanted functions to your Web browser. Although the new year has brought in a new management company for the ConnectSo Toolbar, malware experts haven't found any evidence of the ConnectSo Toolbar changing its 'features' in any meaningful way. Deleting the ConnectSo Toolbar with an appropriate PC security program continues to be the recommended way of dealing with the ConnectSo Toolbar, as with any Conduit (or ex-Conduit) product.

The Toolbar that's Connecting You to Software You Don't Need

2014 has resulted in a restructuring of the Conduit LTD company, but not much of one; in practical terms, the consequences of their reorganization appears to be that they've passed off many of their products to a shell company, ClientConnect. This second company doesn't appear to have changed any of the ConnectSo Toolbar's major functions, which, supposedly, offer helpful benefits like desktop notifications. However, the ConnectSo Toolbar actually is interested in using your Web browser for generating profits without giving you any legitimate features of note.

The ConnectSo Toolbar's main functions are gathering information about your browser, including the sites you visit and any search queries you might make. This reconnaissance doesn't include legally-protected information, such as passwords. However, the ConnectSo Toolbar does have the potential to harm your Web browser's performance, and, above all else, has no benefits for its users.

Malware experts also found that most ConnectSo Toolbar installations may include additional PUPs: Value Apps and Search Protect. The former is an adware product that promotes third party applications automatically. Meanwhile, Search Protect is a browser hijacker that takes control of your browser's homepage and search settings. Neither provides any advantages for their use, any more than the ConnectSo Toolbar.

Disconnecting All of Your Browsers from a ConnectSo Toolbar

Although one might reasonably expect the ConnectSo Toolbar to be an add-on that specializes in particular browsers, the ConnectSo Toolbar, actually, installs separate components for most browsers, including Chrome, Safari, Firefox and the ever-popular Internet Explorer. This inconvenience, combined with the ConnectSo Toolbar's predilection for being installed with other unwanted add-ons, may make its removal more difficult than it needs to be. In these circumstances, automated system-scanning features from reliable security programs usually are the easiest ways of removing a ConnectSo Toolbar and all other browser extensions with poor reputations.

The ConnectSo Toolbar may, like most Conduit-related products, be downloaded from a central website. However, malware researchers have reasons to suspect that the ConnectSo Toolbar is also being distributed by other methods, such as being bundled with the installers of other applications. Most strong anti-malware products should be able to detect installers that have been compromised by these bundles, but you also may want to keep a cautious distance from websites that are known for distributing them in the first place.

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 Filesconnectsouninstall.exe

File name: C:Program Filesconnectsouninstall.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

C:Program Filesconnectsohk64tbConn.dll

File name: C:Program Filesconnectsohk64tbConn.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

C:Program FilesconnectsohktbConn.dll

File name: C:Program FilesconnectsohktbConn.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

C:Program FilesconnectsoprxtbConn.dll

File name: C:Program FilesconnectsoprxtbConn.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

CLSID{FDF610C9-93A4-4422-992B-E06B6DE6DD9F}HKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}Software\AppDataLow\Software\ConnectSoSOFTWARE\Classes\Toolbar.CT3303930SOFTWARE\ConnectSoSoftware\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions\{cc1bef2d-0428-46d8-b1f4-492e1b206099}Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{E08B4924-FEBB-4AA1-A63B-D373BFC6461F}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\{cc1bef2d-0428-46d8-b1f4-492e1b206099}Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\URLSearchHooks\{cc1bef2d-0428-46d8-b1f4-492e1b206099}Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{cc1bef2d-0428-46d8-b1f4-492e1b206099}Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\{CC1BEF2D-0428-46D8-B1F4-492E1B206099}SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ConnectSoSOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{E08B4924-FEBB-4AA1-A63B-D373BFC6461F}SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\{cc1bef2d-0428-46d8-b1f4-492e1b206099}SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\URLSearchHooks\{cc1bef2d-0428-46d8-b1f4-492e1b206099}SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\IECT3303930

Additional Information

The following directories were created:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\NativeMessaging\CT3303930%PROGRAMFILES%\ConnectSo%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\ConnectSo%TEMP%\CT3303930