JokeTool.

Short bio

“Joketool.” is Malwarebytes’ detection name for a category of riskware that causes users to panic by making the affected system appear that something is wrong, such as simultaneously displaying many message boxes on the desktop or controlling the user’s mouse cursor.

Type and source of infection

JokeTool detections are usually harmless programs disguised as legitimate threats. Such files are meant as a joke and appear to perform undesired tasks, such as deleting files, formatting hard drives, or anything that could cause alarm.

Some antivirus program detects them as threats as they can sometimes interfere with the normal operation of the computer. They can also cause inadvertent damage if, for example, a user panics and shuts down his pc by pulling the plug to prevent a perceived file deletion but actually damages his PC in the process.

Protection

Malwarebytes protects users from items detected as JokeTool. by using real-time protection.

Malwarebytes blocks items detected as “JokeTool.”

Remediation

Malwarebytes can detect and remove JokeTool. without further user interaction.

1. Please download Malwarebytes to your desktop.
2. Double-click mb3-setup-consumer-{version}.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
3. Then click Finish.
4. Once the program has fully updated, select Scan Now on the Dashboard. Or select the Threat Scan from the Scan menu.
5. If another update of the definitions is available, it will be implemented before the rest of the scanning procedure.
6. When the scan is complete, make sure that all Threats are selected, and click Remove Selected.
7. Restart your computer when prompted to do so.

Add an exclusion

Should users wish to keep this program and exclude it from being detected in future scans, they can add the program to the exclusions list. Here’s how to do it.

The Exclusions tab includes a list of items to be excluded from scans. The items may include files, folders, websites, or applications that connect to the Internet, as well as previously detected exploits.

To access the exclusions in Malwarebytes:

• Click on the Settings tab in the left pane.
• Click on the Exclusions tab.
• Click the Add Exclusion button.
• Select the exclusion type Exclude a File or Folder and use the Browse button to select the main folder for the software that you wish to keep.
• Repeat this for any secondary folder(s) that belong to the software.
• If you want to allow the program to connect to the Internet, for example to fetch updates, add an exclusion of the type Exclude an application that Connects to the Internet and use the Browse button to select the file you wish to grant access.