Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A

Posted: March 29, 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.

Threat Level:	9/10
Infected PCs:	23

First Seen:	March 29, 2013
Last Seen:	December 16, 2020
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A is a browser hijacker that's disguised as a fake Adobe Flash installer. True to form for any browser hijacker, Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A's locks your homepage to undesirable websites without your consent; SpywareRemove.com malware analysts also have verified that some of these sites host additional PC threats, such as Trojans. If you acquire your Flash updates only from Adobe, themselves, then your PC isn't in any particular risk of being infected by Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A. However, for PC users who install convincing-looking updates even from risky sources, Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A is likely to be one of the various adverse consequences of their bravado. You should remove Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A, as with all malicious programs, with suitable anti-malware products designed explicitly for disinfecting your PC.

Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A: Stripping Your Choice of a Homepage Away So Fast that You Will No'st Feel It

While 'preflayer' may be an unusually-ominous name for any Trojan, Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A actually is just a thoroughly-disguised browser hijacker that only poses a minor danger to your computer – particularly if you can catch and remove Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A as quickly as possible. Attacks by Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A currently are restricted to changing your homepage settings to a variety of websites, some of which (such as heydex.com) have been found to host other malicious content. SpywareRemove.com malware experts find exposure to Trojan droppers (Trojans that install predefined payloads) a common consequence of Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A's redirects. Appropriate browser security should be thought of as the best defense against such hostile website-based attacks.

Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A's redirects ignore your normal browser settings and will affect all types of web browsers. Since Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A promotes various types of sites, only some of its sites may be explicitly harmful; other sites related to Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A may redirect you to popular search engines and/or display advertisements. However, for the sake of your computer's well-being, SpywareRemove.com malware research team recommends analyzing your PC with anti-malware products after any contact has been made with sites that are promoted by Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A.

Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A and the Flash that Steals Your Web-Browsing Self-Determination

As a browser hijacker, Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A doesn't include any unusual functions, but Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A's most remarkable attribute is how Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A is installed. Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A uses heavy social engineering techniques that rely on confusing victims into installing Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A without their understanding that that's what they're doing. Disguised as a fake Flash installer, Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A can be identified by its exclusion of a scroll bar for its Terms of Use box, as well as the inclusion of a ToU line about changing your homepage.

Even after trying to use this fake Flash installer, besides Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A being installed, Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A also will install a real version of Flash. Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A's fake installer also includes fraudulent file information that continues the ruse. Therefore, victims who install updates from dangerous websites or pop-ups have a fairly strong chance of infecting their PCs with Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A without realizing the problem – at least, until Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A's browser attacks begin.

While Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A malware experts consider education to be the best protection against social engineering-based tricks like the one noted in this article, an installed Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A infection will require a little extra providence. Anti-malware applications designed for deleting hostile software always should be used whenever removing Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A is required – as opposed to trying to remove Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A with changes to your browsers.

Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A

Threat Metric

Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A: Stripping Your Choice of a Homepage Away So Fast that You Will No'st Feel It

Trojan:Win32/Preflayer.A and the Flash that Steals Your Web-Browsing Self-Determination

Leave a Reply