Mal/JSRedir-H

Posted: October 11, 2012

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:	6,597
Threat Level:	1/10
Infected PCs:	2,012

First Seen:	October 11, 2012
Last Seen:	October 14, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Mal/JSRedir-H is a malicious web page-based redirect that occurs automatically and forces your browser to load hostile content – currently including Blacole-based drive-by-download exploits. SpywareRemove.com malware researchers have found that Mal/JSRedir-H attacks are being promoted by fake CNN news articles that are distributed through social network sites and spam. Unprotected contact with Mal/JSRedir-H can result in the installation of a Trojan on your PC that may be used for attacks such as opening a backdoor, disabling security software or stealing personal information. Because social engineering techniques are emphasized in current Mal/JSRedir-H strategies, SpywareRemove.com malware experts recommend that you examine links to other websites carefully and use anti-malware software with web-browsing protective features to protect your PC from Mal/JSRedir-H – and, if necessary, remove Mal/JSRedir-H's ultimate payload from your computer.

From News Headlines to Updates to Trojans with Mal/JSRedir-H Sandwiched in the Middle

Websites that host Mal/JSRedir-H attacks are promoted by fraudulent e-mails that are formatted to look identical to CNN 'breaking news' notifications. These e-mails are noteworthy for including references to the ongoing US presidential campaign, complete with tantalizing hints as to the rising status of Mitt Romney (hitherto the race's underdog candidate). Other fake articles that are included so far mention a series of meningitis-related deaths and unusual acts of terrorism in, all of places, Oklahoma. SpywareRemove.com malware analysts also warn that similar attacks are likely to target victims through non-e-mails means like social network websites and instant messengers.

Clicking any of the 'article' links, instead of giving you a helping of CNN news, will direct you to a malicious site that exploits JavaScript in the form of Mal/JSRedir-H. This exploit redirects you to a second site, with current Mal/JSRedir-H attacks being used to expose victims to the Blackhole Exploit Kit – a configurable attack package that installs malware. For the criminals behind these attacks, the ideal victim is someone who hasn't updated any of their software, which allows BEK to install a PC threat automatically.

What Happens When You Protect Your PC More Effectively than Mal/JSRedir-H Anticipates

Unusually, current versions of BEK that are promoted by Mal/JSRedir-H also have been seen using social engineering attacks as a fallback tactic when normal drive-by-downloads are unable to do the job. These attacks encourage you to install malicious software that's disguised as a fake software update – usually for Adobe software. SpywareRemove.com malware analysts note that this is some of the first evidence of BEK being used for social engineering attacks instead of simple drive-by-downloads that install malware without the victim's consent. The download prompt may occur without you clicking the associated link (which is embedded in a criminal site that's designed to look like Adobe's own website), but still requires your permission to proceed.

Awareness of the online threats currently targeting PC users can help you to avoid social engineering-related tricks that are used both by links to Mal/JSRedir-H and content that Mal/JSRedir-H promotes. Disabling JavaScript when it's not required by trustworthy sites, as SpywareRemove.com malware experts recommend, can also prevent Mal/JSRedir-H's redirect from occurring. However, if you think that you've been exposed to successful Mal/JSRedir-H attacks, anti-malware software should be used to remove payloads related to Mal/JSRedir-H as soon as possible.

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:

update_flash_player.exe

File name: update_flash_player.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

e1Vemf.exe

File name: e1Vemf.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file