TROJ_STARTPA.AET

Posted: November 28, 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:	9/10
Infected PCs:	16

First Seen:	November 28, 2012
Last Seen:	February 21, 2022
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Troj_STARTPA.AET is a browser hijacker that attempts to introduce other malware to the compromised PC by redirecting your browser to a malicious homepage. Even though Troj_STARTPA.AET deletes itself after its task is completed, files and settings that are related to Troj_STARTPA.AET will persist in your computer after its deletion. Because the latest Troj_STARTPA.AET infections have been found to utilize fake update sites for various web browsers, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers especially emphasize that you only should install updates from appropriate and trustworthy sources – sources that exclude unusual advertisements and confirmed infection vectors for Troj_STARTPA.AET like Securebrowserupdate.com or Freshbrowserupdate.com. Malware related to Troj_STARTPA.AET, of course, should be deleted with anti-malware software as soon as possible after your PC's exposure to Troj_STARTPA.AET's attacks.

Why You Shouldn't Let Troj_STARTPA.AET Determine Your Cyberspace Home

Unlike most browser hijackers that are designed to launch repetitive attacks to generate revenue, Troj_STARTPA.AET limits its primary function to hijacking your browser's homepage and locking it to a malicious site. This site may install other malware onto your PC without your consent.

Because Troj_STARTPA.AET deletes itself after conducting its attacks, you don't need to worry about removing Troj_STARTPA.AET itself. However, SpywareRemove.com malware research team warns that Troj_STARTPA.AET's malicious browser changes and related components still will be on your computer even after Troj_STARTPA.AET deletes itself.

Troj_STARTPA.AET is compatible with most versions of Windows and appears to be limited in distribution, although current Troj_STARTPA.AET infection rates are estimated in the hundreds. Aliases that SpywareRemove.com malware researchers note may be used to detect Troj_STARTPA.AET attacks include Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT, Trojan.Win32.StartPage, Aliases: W32/StartPage.OOW and Trojan:Win32/Startpage.UY.

Analyzing the Start of Troj_STARTPA.AET's Browser Start Page Attacks

Troj_STARTPA.AET is installed by fake browser update-offering sites such as Freshbrowserupdate.com and Securebrowserupdate.com, both of which specialize in specific browsers (Firefox and Opera, respectively). These sites are, in their own turn, promoted by malicious advertisements that can appear on the advertising rings of other sites. However, if you avoid installing updates from unusual sources – which SpywareRemove.com malware experts recommend regardless – your chances of suffering through Troj_STARTPA.AET attacks are minimal.

The malicious advertisements that take you to Troj_STARTPA.AET-related sites attempt to detect your browser via scripts. However, a close look at the content of these sites will reveal that their supposed 'update' version numbers don't match the appropriate numbers for your browser.

According to current statistics, SpywareRemove.com malware experts consider residents of the United States and France to be especially at risk of Troj_STARTPA.AET attacks. However, this shouldn't be considered a sign that PCs in other countries are perfectly safe (Australia, Mexico and Spain have also been noted in significant numbers of confirmed Troj_STARTPA.AET attacks). As always, Troj_STARTPA.AET's payload and malicious system changes should be removed by dedicated anti-malware software ASAP.

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:

%User Temp%\suicide.exe

File name: %User Temp%\suicide.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

%User Profile%\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{RANDOM CHARACTERS}.default\searchplugins\EcoStartPage.xml

File name: %User Profile%\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{RANDOM CHARACTERS}.default\searchplugins\EcoStartPage.xml
Mime Type: unknown/xml
Group: Malware file