Home Malware Programs Adware GoldenCoupon

GoldenCoupon

Posted: November 13, 2014

Threat Metric

Threat Level: 2/10
Infected PCs: 79
First Seen: November 13, 2014
OS(es) Affected: Windows

GoldenCoupon is a browser extension that delivers advertising content through HTML injections. Although these activities are insufficient for classifying GoldenCoupon as a threat, GoldenCoupon is potentially unwanted software that may be an inadvertent source of browser or performance problems. Malware experts find using anti-adware tools for removing GoldenCoupon to be the simplest and safest response to its accidental installation.

Why not All Advertisements that Glitter are Gold

GoldenCoupon is adware previously distributed by goldencoupon.info, a currently defunct Web domain with no content. Despite its website's abrupt departure, GoldenCoupon still is in distribution via bundling with third-party software, like many advertising add-ons with identical functions but unrelated company branding. Installing a separate application bundled with GoldenCoupon also may install GoldenCoupon and its browser modifications, which may implement themselves by default. A few of the complications that may take place as a direct result include:

  • Website text content may be modified to provide underlined Web links to sponsored advertisements.
  • Banners and other graphical elements may be inserted into Web pages arbitrarily. This content injection may modify the format of the affected site and interfere with the legibility of subject matter or your aptitude to interact with the site's interface.
  • Additional search results sponsored by GoldenCoupon may be visible in popular search engines.

GoldenCoupon advertisements market themselves based on their theoretical money-saving capabilities, but the legitimate savings provided by GoldenCoupon's online coupons are highly questionable. As a standard precaution, advertisements delivered by defunct companies or companies with poor histories of customer service, like GoldenCoupon's brand, should be distrusted as sources of online bargains.

The Value of Dropping Golden Browser Advertisements

Setting aside its poor installation practices, GoldenCoupon also is a likely source of browser crashes, poor loading times or even potential advertisement content hijackings that redirect revenue away from a website. Potentially Unwanted Programs like GoldenCoupon always should be judged with their tangible benefits weighed against their disadvantages. Some PC security products have mistakenly classified GoldenCoupon as a Trojan, but while malware experts disagree with that assessment, they do recommend uninstalling GoldenCoupon.

Updated anti-adware products of reliable brands should be able to delete browser changes associated with GoldenCoupon along with the actual browser add-on. Using the Windows Safe Mode feature to terminate all conflicting programs and keeping all browsers closed in the meantime can help make sure that your anti-malware scanners do their jobs with no interruptions.

The different brands of browsers that have been affected by GoldenCoupon add-ons are being investigated. Until further information is made available, Windows browsers are estimated to be at the greatest risk of GoldenCoupon advertising injections. Nevertheless, even Linux and OS X browsers are equally capable of being forced to generate new advertisements in an identical fashion.

Loading...