PUP.Optional.InstallCore

Short bio

PUP.Optional.InstallCore is the detection for a large family of bundlers that are known to install adware and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) with legitimate applications on Mac and Windows systems.

Type and source of infection

The company behind PUP.Optional.InstallCore is ironSource, a company that builds monetization, engagement, analytics, and discovery tools for app developers, device manufacturers, mobile carriers, and advertisers. PUP.Optional.InstallCore is available for Windows and Mac systems. The main goal is to get paid by the adware distributors for each successful install and for any shown advertisements.

PUP.Optional.InstallCore comes bundled together with third-party applications. The bundle installer is usually downloaded and executed by the users themselves, often unaware. They are offered up on software download sites, where people look for software they need. They are also offered by ad-rotators as “Java updates”.

Protection

Malwarebytes protects users from PUP.Optional.InstallCore by using real-time protection.

Malwarebytes blocks PUP.Optional.InstallCore

Remediation

Malwarebytes can detect and remove PUP.Optional.InstallCore without further user interaction.

Please download Malwarebytes to your desktop.
Double-click MBSetup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
When your Malwarebytes for Windows installation completes, the program opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen.
Click on the Get started button.
Click Scan to start a Threat Scan.
Click Quarantine to remove the found threats.
Reboot the system if prompted to complete the removal process.

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.

Open Malwarebytes for Windows.
Click the Detection History
Click the Allow List
To add an item to the Allow List, click Add.
Select the exclusion type Allow a file or folder and use the Select a folder button to select the main folder for the software that you wish to keep.
Repeat this for any secondary files or folder(s) that belong to the software.

If you want to allow the program to connect to the Internet, for example to fetch updates, also add an exclusion of the type Allow an application to connect to the internet and use the Browse button to select the file you wish to grant access.

Associated threats

PUP.Optional.InstallCore.Generic