Home Malware Programs Browser Hijackers Zinkzo.com

Zinkzo.com

Posted: January 31, 2012

Zinkzo.com Screenshot 1Zinkzo.com is a malicious site that facilitates the propagation of various PC threats, particularly the browser hijacker known as BrowserModifier:Win32/Zwangi. Besides promoting and being promoted by these same browser hijackers, Zinkzo.com may also expose you to other PC threats, hostile sites or simply pointless advertisements with its questionable search functions. SpywareRemove.com malware experts have noted that most visits to Zinkzo.com occur through browser redirect attacks or through contact with spam messages, which have been known to include links to Zinkzo.com. If any of the above has happened to your PC, you should be prepared to use reputable anti-malware products to remove any PC threats that may have been installed onto your computer with or without your permission, including Zinkzo.com-promoting browser hijackers.

Zinkzo.com – Using Circular Promotion Techniques for Profit

Zinkzo.com looks similar to any other search engine, and even provides a privacy policy and other safeguards, but, unfortunately, all of these features are just empty promises to give Zinkzo.com a greater appearance of legitimacy than Zinkzo.com deserves. As a copy of sites like Browserquest.com, BrowserQuery.com, Browserseek.com, Browserzinc.com, Zwangie.com, Zwankysearch.com, Winkzink.com and Zinkwink.com, Zinkzo.com can be considered to be just as dangerous for your PC as any of the above sites and isn't capable of providing search results that are on par with professional standards for such. SpywareRemove.com malware researchers have noted that Zinkzo.com has been actively engaged in distributing PC threats, and is particularly likely to install browser hijackers for itself, such as BrowserModifier:Win32/Zwangi, without acquiring consent from visitors.

BrowserModifier:Win32/Zwangi (AKA Mal/BHO-S, Spyware.Screenspy or TR/BHO.Zwangi.391, according to some of its other aliases) will redirect your web browser to Zinkzo.com when you try to load popular sites such as Google or Yahoo. This allows Zinkzo.com's web masters to gain additional revenue from your traffic, and SpywareRemove.com malware experts generally recommend that you minimize any contact with Zinkzo.com or associated sites to reduce the possibility of other attacks against your computer.

Reacting to Zinkzo.com Redirects and Putting an End to Them

Zinkzo.com redirects can attack your web browser regardless of its brand, and, even if your web browser isn't running, may cause your PC to have worsened performance due to the resource expenditure from a hidden browser hijacker. Since manual installation or contact with Zinkzo.com is required, in most cases, BrowserModifier:Win32/Zwangi to infect your computer, SpywareRemove.com malware experts recommend that you pay close attention to software during installation and use basic web surfing safeguards.

If you need to delete a browser hijacker for Zinkzo.com or other Zinkzo.com-related PC threat, you should scan your PC, preferably after a boot into Safe Mode, to disable, detect and remove all malicious programs. Because browser hijackers that promote sites like Zinkzo.com may also have other capabilities (including spyware functions), SpywareRemove.com malware experts recommend that you do this as soon as you first see symptoms of redirects to Zinkzo.com or come into contact with Zinkzo.com.

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%[trojan name]toolbarversion.xml File name: %AppData%[trojan name]toolbarversion.xml
Mime Type: unknown/xml
%Temp%[trojan name]toolbar-manifest.xml File name: %Temp%[trojan name]toolbar-manifest.xml
Mime Type: unknown/xml
%AppData%[trojan name]toolbarcouponsmerchants2.xml File name: %AppData%[trojan name]toolbarcouponsmerchants2.xml
Mime Type: unknown/xml
%AppData%[trojan name]toolbardtx.ini File name: %AppData%[trojan name]toolbardtx.ini
Mime Type: unknown/ini
%AppData%[trojan name]toolbarcouponscategories.xml File name: %AppData%[trojan name]toolbarcouponscategories.xml
Mime Type: unknown/xml
%AppData%[trojan name]toolbarcouponsmerchants.xml File name: %AppData%[trojan name]toolbarcouponsmerchants.xml
Mime Type: unknown/xml
%AppData%[trojan name]toolbarguid.dat File name: %AppData%[trojan name]toolbarguid.dat
File type: Data file
Mime Type: unknown/dat
%AppData%[trojan name]toolbarlog.txt File name: %AppData%[trojan name]toolbarlog.txt
Mime Type: unknown/txt
%AppData%[trojan name]toolbarpreferences.dat File name: %AppData%[trojan name]toolbarpreferences.dat
File type: Data file
Mime Type: unknown/dat
%AppData%[trojan name]toolbaruninstallIE.dat File name: %AppData%[trojan name]toolbaruninstallIE.dat
File type: Data file
Mime Type: unknown/dat
%AppData%[trojan name]toolbaruninstallStatIE.dat File name: %AppData%[trojan name]toolbaruninstallStatIE.dat
File type: Data file
Mime Type: unknown/dat
%AppData%[trojan name]toolbarstat.log File name: %AppData%[trojan name]toolbarstat.log
Mime Type: unknown/log
%AppData%[trojan name]toolbarstats.dat File name: %AppData%[trojan name]toolbarstats.dat
File type: Data file
Mime Type: unknown/dat

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

HKEY..\..\..\..{Subkeys}HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesCLSID{99079a25-328f-4bd4-be04-00955acaa0a7} "[trojan name] Toolbar"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesCLSID{A40DC6C5-79D0-4ca8-A185-8FF989AF1115}VersionIndependentProgID "[trojan name]IEHelper.UrlHelper"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesCLSID{99079a25-328f-4bd4-be04-00955acaa0a7}InprocServer32 "C:PROGRA~1WINDOW~4ToolBar[trojan name]dtx.dll"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesCLSID{A40DC6C5-79D0-4ca8-A185-8FF989AF1115} "UrlHelper Class"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesCLSID{A40DC6C5-79D0-4ca8-A185-8FF989AF1115}ProgID "[trojan name]IEHelper.UrlHelper.1"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClasses[trojan name]IEHelper.DNSGuardCurVerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClasses[trojan name]IEHelper.DNSGuardCLSIDHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClasses[trojan name]IEHelper.DNSGuardHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerBrowser Helper Objects{99079a25-328f-4bd4-be04-00955acaa0a7} "[trojan name] Toolbar"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftInternet ExplorerToolbar "[trojan name] Toolbar"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClasses[trojan name]IEHelper.DNSGuard.1
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