Win32.BHO.hxm

Posted: December 12, 2011

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:	47

First Seen:	December 12, 2011
Last Seen:	February 8, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Win32.BHO.hxm is a malicious form of Browser Helper Object that monitors your online web-surfing activities and transmits this information to third parties. Because Win32.BHO.hxm is often installed as part of a bundle with seemingly-legitimate programs, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers advise you to be cautious of opt-in and opt-out offers during installation processes for unusual applications. Win32.BHO.hxm may also be accompanied by related PC threats that deliver advertisements or have other types of adware-based functions, and you should remove Win32.BHO.hxm with an anti-malware scanner that's also capable of identifying and removing all of Win32.BHO.hxm's cohorts. Symptoms of a Win32.BHO.hxm infection may not be readily-apparent although you may be able to notice Win32.BHO.hxm's presence from worsened browser performance and unusual RAM usage.

Win32.BHO.hxm – Elderly but Still Applicably-Dangerous to Modern Computers

By the standards of adware, Win32.BHO.hxm is ancient – most Win32.BHO.hxm attacks were recorded in 2008. However, because Win32.BHO.hxm uses generally-applicable exploits and a manual installation tactic to get a foothold in any PC that Win32.BHO.hxm infects, Win32.BHO.hxm is still capable of causing harm to even an up-to-date and modern computer. Most Win32.BHO.hxm infections are acquired as part of a bundle that's presented inside a free program; although this distribution method is common for adware, Win32.BHO.hxm distinguishes itself by preferring to be bundled with online casino products. As long as you avoid suspicious casino-related programs that have Win32.BHO.hxm as part of their installation routine, your PC should be in minimal danger of being infected by Win32.BHO.hxm.

If Win32.BHO.hxm is installed, SpywareRemove.com malware experts note that symptoms of Win32.BHO.hxm's infection can be very minor:

Win32.BHO.hxm may use up excessive memory in your web browser's process. You can observe this process in Task Manager (although the RAM discrepancy may be indistinguishable from normal RAM usage).
While Win32.BHO.hxm monitors your online activities, Win32.BHO.hxm may worsen your web browser's performance and cause slowdown and other types of undesired side effects.
You may be presented with unusual pop-ups, keyword links and other forms of web browser-based advertisements that are caused by Win32.BHO.hxm or a related form of adware.

Saying Goodbye to Win32.BHO.hxm's Advertisements

Since Win32.BHO.hxm is installed as a BHO that's associated with a specific type of web browser, using another web browser may avoid Win32.BHO.hxm's side effects. However, for the safety of your PC, SpywareRemove.com malware analysts warn that you should still attempt to delete Win32.BHO.hxm when you have the opportunity. Win32.BHO.hxm will not display a separate memory process but may have independent files that can be detected and removed by any good anti-malware program.

Win32.BHO.hxm may not be detected by the title of Win32.BHO.hxm; other aliases of Win32.BHO.hxm infections include DeepDive, Trojan.Win32.BHO and Trojan-Downloader.Zlob.ZNX. You may be required to remove the program that installed Win32.BHO.hxm as well as Win32.BHO.hxm itself; this is generally-recommended in any case due to the low quality of software products that are associated with adware like Win32.BHO.hxm.

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:

%AppData%\RANDOM CHARACTERS

File name: %AppData%\RANDOM CHARACTERS
Group: Malware file