PriceSparrow

Posted: January 21, 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:	13,363
Threat Level:	1/10
Infected PCs:	1,063

First Seen:	January 21, 2014
Last Seen:	September 18, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

PriceSparrow is adware that shows its advertisements as part of a shopping advice feature that shows 'alternative' offers on certain websites. While PriceSparrow is a bit less invasive than the average adware plugin, malware researchers haven't found any major benefits to using PriceSparrow, whose removal should be to the benefit of your Web browser. Deleting PriceSparrow with appropriate applications meant to remove adware and other browser-attached PC threats will provide easiest and most thorough removal of any unwanted side effects that could be caused by PriceSparrow nudging its way in on your online shopping habits.

The Shopping Bird that Sings a Little Too Much

Sometimes considered benign, while others look upon them as pests, sparrows are an apt analogue for the PriceSparrow add-on, which is adware that seems to have advantages, when a more accurate examination shows that PriceSparrow has few real benefits for your computer. Like other adware, PriceSparrow changes your browser's settings so that it may display unwanted advertisements, although PriceSparrow limits these modifications to specific websites that are involved in the business of online retail. PriceSparrow displays additional offers from partnered companies that are comparable to the products you already are viewing, although there are no promises that its offers are especially superior or ideal.

Even though malware researchers were more than happy to find that PriceSparrow's marketing material is (mostly) upfront about its purposes and features, PriceSparrow's advertisements aren't a significant feature of benefit to the average PC user. PriceSparrow may be considered a performance and possible security risk, like all adware. However, unlike most adware, PriceSparrow claims not to partake in the covert gathering of non-confidential information from its users, which may relieve some online privacy activists.

Getting a PriceSparrow to Fly Off into the Sunset

Even the best adware program is a program that puts its personal profits above providing meaningful features to its users, or malware researchers wouldn't have classified PriceSparrow as adware. Unless you have an unusual, highly relevant reason for wanting to make use of its shopping suggestions, removing PriceSparrow always should be considered for your PC's security. Anti-malware applications especially should be considered for making PriceSparrow's removal encompass all of its browser changes, which may remain behind after the original program has been deleted.

PriceSparrow's company also has been responsible for other adware products, including Ciuvo and Sparwelt Gutscheinalarm. Distribution methods for PriceSparrow and similar adware like PriceSparrow are most likely to exploit software bundles from free download sources, and malware researchers find that strong PC security products are a good protection against these forms of automatically-installing add-on packages. Of course, minimizing the work that your security software needs to do by refusing downloads from sites that haven't been proven trustworthy is also critical.

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 Files\pricesparrow\internet explorer\pricesparrow.dll

File name: C:\Program Files\pricesparrow\internet explorer\pricesparrow.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

Additional Information

The following URL's were detected:

https://weatherwaves.co/newtab/v1/