Muvic Toolbar

Posted: October 4, 2013

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:	2,664
Threat Level:	5/10
Infected PCs:	33,984

First Seen:	October 4, 2013
Last Seen:	October 17, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The Muvic Toolbar is a browser add-on that claims to have features for enhancing your Web browser, but actually amounts to little more than a browser hijacker that takes over your homepage and your Web searches without your consent. Often installed through bundles that hide its presence, the Muvic Toolbar promotes the Web-searching services of Snap.do search engine in a series of browser hijacks reminiscent to similar attacks from the Conduit and Ask.com toolbar families. Snap.do isn't categorized as threatening or misleading in its search results, but, despite that, removing the Muvic Toolbar still is encouraged for keeping your browser at an optimal level of security.

Just a Snap.do Away from Choosing a Search Site....

One of the lesser known of toolbars that are unlikely to be encountered on the Web by themselves, the Muvic Toolbar is promoted as a search assistant, but actually, the Muvic Toolbar has few to no benefits for your browser. The main function and purpose in the Muvic Toolbar is in its browser modifications, which reset your homepage and default search engine for multiple browsers. These changes are enacted for the purpose of redirecting as much traffic as possible to Snap.do, a search engine that malware analysts have examined and grudgingly found to be safe.

Despite its safety as a search site, Snap.do doesn't appear to have extended that same care to how the toolbars promoting its searches are distributed. Most victims of unwanted Muvic Toolbar installations report encountering them without deliberately installing any kind of browser add-on, and software bundles are the estimated distribution method for most instances of the Muvic Toolbar.

Some basic ways to protect your computer from sources likely to install the Muvic Toolbar without asking you whether you're interested in the Muvic Toolbar or not include:

Avoiding downloads offered by advertisements.
Avoiding freeware or shareware sites with histories of promoting Potentially Unwanted Programs, including other toolbars similar to the Muvic Toolbar.
Disabling JavaScript, Flash and other often-vulnerable functions of your browser whenever you don't need them.
Keeping all programs, particularly your browser, up-to-date. This reduces the presence of vulnerabilities that could be used to install a Muvic Toolbar or other software (including high-level PC threats like Sirefef) onto your computer.

A Humble Finale to the Muvic Toolbar's Browser Interference

Even though the site promoted by the Muvic Toolbar is not an immediate hazard to your PC, malware researchers never see anything good come from toolbars that determine what sites you should load on their own. Deleting the Muvic Toolbar and the browser changes that come with the Muvic Toolbar usually should utilize a trusted brand of anti-malware product, which has the best chance of preventing any future redirects to Snap.do from leftover components of a Muvic Toolbar's installation.

However, none of these precautions are necessary if you can practice safe Web-browsing habits that keep the Muvic Toolbar off of your computer entirely. Since the Muvic Toolbar's distribution model is especially likely to emphasize software bundles, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers remind all readers that what you think you're downloading isn't always what you're getting in the end – and that avoiding unsafe freeware sites can go a long way for keeping your computer unburdened by unwanted add-ons.

Technical Details

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

HKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}Software\Microsoft\Installer\Features\3E719748B38680A4C8BEBF4BC62A87A5Software\Microsoft\Installer\Products\3E719748B38680A4C8BEBF4BC62A87A5Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION\Muvic.exeSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\Lrcnta_RASAPI32SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\Lrcnta_RASMANCSSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\Muvic_RASAPI32SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\Muvic_RASMANCSSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\srptm_RASAPI32SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing\srptm_RASMANCSSOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\Lrcnta_RASAPI32SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\Lrcnta_RASMANCSSOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\Muvic_RASAPI32SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\Muvic_RASMANCSSOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\srptm_RASAPI32SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Tracing\srptm_RASMANCSHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\[APPLICATION]\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall..{Uninstaller}{847917E3-683B-4A08-8CEB-FBB46CA2785A}

Additional Information

The following directories were created:

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Installer\{847917E3-683B-4A08-8CEB-FBB46CA2785A}

Muvic Smartbar