Webwise

Posted: August 22, 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:	1/10
Infected PCs:	281

First Seen:	August 22, 2013
Last Seen:	April 27, 2024
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Webwise (or Adware.Webwise), unrelated to the annual conference held by the Institute of Museum and Library Services that uses the same name, is a tracking cookie that assists with the display of advertisements that are 'relevant' to your browsing habits. Unlike most adware, Webwise is not a program that's installed on your computer, but rather, a service enabled by individual cookie files. Although SpywareRemove.com malware researchers don't see any reason to consider Webwise a danger to your PC, they usually do suggest deleting even trivial adware like Webwise, which don't provide any advantages to you as a PC user. The use of anti-malware programs for removing Webwise is particularly recommended in cases where Webwise has appeared without your consent since Webwise may be placed on your PC along with legitimate PC threats.

Webwise: Because Sometimes Biting into Whatever's Offered to You Isn't the Best Idea

Webwise is not malicious but does enable advertising functions that aren't advantageous to your Web-browsing experience. By tracking your Web-browsing habits, including your search queries and which sites you visit, Webwise gathers non-confidential information that Webwise uses to tailor advertisements for your personal interests. Webwise is not affiliated with PC threats of any type, but SpywareRemove.com malware experts do warn that advertising platforms like those used by Webwise may often be exploited to distribute malware and various online scams. On the other hand, despite its minor drawbacks, Webwise does not interfere with your browser to the point of taking up significant system resources, impeding your interactivity with various websites or harming your browser's performance.

Usually, Webwise is not enabled without your consent, although malicious sites may attempt to trick you into enabling Webwise through misleading pop-up messages. Webwise depends on your Internet Service Provider or ISP for hosting, and, as a result, the means by which you can opt out of a Webwise service can vary with your ISP of choice. Unlike real malware or even most other kinds of adware, Webwise does not need to be uninstalled from your computer in the same way as a program (although Webwise does keep files on your computer that should be deleted).

The Wisest Thing to Do When You've Got Issues with Webwise

Webwise should be deactivated by whatever means are necessary before you attempt to remove Webwise's files from your PC; contact your ISP if you need further information on how to do this. While deleting Webwise's files does not mandate the use of anti-malware programs, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers still recommend recruiting anti-malware tools into the deletion of all forms of adware, including Webwise, since advertising networks may enable drive-by-download attacks that may infect your PC without any symptoms.

As one of the lowest and least harmful types of adware, Webwise still may endanger your PC by accident by enabling the display of malicious advertisements. Be cautious about interacting with well-known phishing scams, hoaxes and fraudulent download offers that often are linked to phishing attacks, rogue anti-virus software and other PC threats frequently found on advertisement networks.

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:

setup.exe

File name: setup.exe
Size: 5.49 MB (5496520 bytes)
MD5: 2eb67b07d4022b09d795a233481b3cbe
Detection count: 49
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: April 12, 2022

oscm.exe

File name: oscm.exe
Size: 2.98 MB (2985864 bytes)
MD5: 6e9f1bd1001cd3f062b6391ea2e82f0e
Detection count: 16
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: August 27, 2020

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

File name without pathWise-System-Mechanic.lnkRegexp file mask%WINDIR%\System32\Tasks\Wise-System-Mechanic_LogonHKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Swift PC OptimizerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\[APPLICATION]\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall..{Uninstaller}Swift PC Optimizer_is1