Mal/SEORed-A

Posted: February 10, 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.

Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	49

First Seen:	February 10, 2012
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Mal/SEORed-A is a label that's used to identify malicious web pages that can redirect your web browser to scamware-promoting websites. Recent Mal/SEORed-A attacks have been noted to be an initial step in the promotion of Windows Secure Kit 2011, a variant of Security Shield from the Rogue:Win32/Winwebsec family. Rogue security programs like Windows Secure Kit 2011 have been found to use fake pop-up alerts, fraudulent scans and other forms of misinformation to encourage you to spend money on their valueless software, and SpywareRemove.com malware experts further note that they may also include functions that could be serious security hazards. Due to the exploitation of blackhat seo techniques that may place Mal/SEORed-A sites in your search results, it's recommended that you be careful around search engine links and keep robust security for both your web browser and your computer in general to deflect Mal/SEORed-A redirects and related attacks.

Mal/SEORed-A – a Toxic SEO Exploit with Potentially Deadly Consequences for Your PC

Mal/SEORed-A is a member of an overall Mal/SEORed family, a group of web pages that share their usage of an exploit that can redirect your web browser to other sites with hostile purposes. Although variants of the Mal/SEORed family have been in evidence since at least 2011, Mal/SEORed-A is a newcomer to the family that has been at the prominence of a growth in SEO (or search engine optimization) attacks after a lengthy dip in blackhat SEO activities. SEO exploits like those that are used by Mal/SEORed-A will slip Mal/SEORed-A and equally-dangerous sites into your search results even if the website in question doesn't have content that's related to your search terms. From there, Mal/SEORed-A will redirect your browser to still another website.

Mal/SEORed-A redirects have been noted for using scamware-affiliated sites as their destinations, particularly sites that promote Windows Secure Kit 2011. These sites may, themselves, by identified by the label Mal/FakeAvJs-A. This Security Shield clone has the appearance of an anti-malware program and may be installed automatically or under misleading pretenses, but, unfortunate, SpywareRemove.com malware experts warn that Windows Secure Kit 2011 doesn't have any of the security features that it pretends to possess. Instead of real security functions, all that you'll get out of this Mal/SEORed-A-promoted product is a series of fake warnings and just-as-fake system scans that always make it appear as though your PC has been harmed by nonexistent forms of damage or PC threats.

Cleaning Up After a Mal/SEORed-A Redirect

Since Mal/SEORed-A redirects may expose you to drive-by-download attacks and other attacks, SpywareRemove.com malware research team recommends that you use anti-malware software to analyze your PC after any encounter with a potential Mal/SEORed-A site. Symptoms of infection by a rogue security program or other PC threat that's linked to Mal/SEORed-A can include:

Pop-up alerts, taskbar notifications and other forms of warning messages that warn you about nonexistent problems or infections.
Difficulty in using legitimate anti-malware programs – in most cases, this can be resolved by disabling Windows Secure Kit 2011 before you try to remove Windows Secure Kit 2011 with appropriate software.
Other types of web browser redirects that block anti-malware sites or redirect you to harmful sites that Mal/SEORed-A has been known to promote.
The presence of fake system scanners that launch themselves when Windows starts and display inaccurate scanner results.

Mal/SEORed-A

Threat Metric

Mal/SEORed-A – a Toxic SEO Exploit with Potentially Deadly Consequences for Your PC

Cleaning Up After a Mal/SEORed-A Redirect

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