PUP.Optional.WinThruster is Malwarebytes’ detection name for a potentially unwanted program (PUP) called WinThruster, which is published by Solvusoft.
Users of affected computers may see this entry in their list of installed Programs and Features:
and these icons on their desktop,in their taskbar, and in their start-menu:
and they may have seen these warnings during install:
System optimizers use exaggerated scan results and sometimes even intentional false positives to convince users that their systems have problems. Then they try to sell you their software, claiming it will remove these problems.
PUP.Optional.WinThruster is usually installed by the users themselves as a result of aggressive advertising.
Malwarebytes protects users from PUP.Optional.WinThruster by using real-time protection.
Malwarebytes can detect and remove PUP.Optional.WinThruster without further user interaction.
A Malwarebytes log of removal will look similar to this:
Malwarebytes www.malwarebytes.com -Log Details- Scan Date: 9/18/18 Scan Time: 8:46 AM Log File: 81b53081-bb0e-11e8-aae7-00ffdcc6fdfc.json -Software Information- Version: 3.5.1.2522 Components Version: 1.0.441 Update Package Version: 1.0.6883 License: Premium -System Information- OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 CPU: x64 File System: NTFS User: {computername}\{username} -Scan Summary- Scan Type: Threat Scan Scan Initiated By: Manual Result: Completed Objects Scanned: 252096 Threats Detected: 57 Threats Quarantined: 57 Time Elapsed: 3 min, 14 sec -Scan Options- Memory: Enabled Startup: Enabled Filesystem: Enabled Archives: Enabled Rootkits: Enabled Heuristics: Enabled PUP: Detect PUM: Detect -Scan Details- Process: 1 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\WinThruster.exe, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 Module: 2 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\IsLicense50.dll, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\WinThruster.exe, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 Registry Key: 13 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\WOW6432NODE\CLSID\{D7C6C53B-C335-417f-ABB8-F5A157F92EA0}, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\IsLicense50.IsLicenseMgr, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\IsLicense50.IsLicenseMgr.1, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\CLASSES\CLSID\{D7C6C53B-C335-417F-ABB8-F5A157F92EA0}, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\TYPELIB\{8D732308-066E-4E85-9D5C-4410EB6BFDBC}, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\INTERFACE\{3C4ABAB8-F6D3-4BC3-922D-43715A228CC2}, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\WOW6432NODE\INTERFACE\{3C4ABAB8-F6D3-4BC3-922D-43715A228CC2}, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\CLASSES\INTERFACE\{3C4ABAB8-F6D3-4BC3-922D-43715A228CC2}, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\CLASSES\TYPELIB\{8D732308-066E-4E85-9D5C-4410EB6BFDBC}, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\WOW6432NODE\TYPELIB\{8D732308-066E-4E85-9D5C-4410EB6BFDBC}, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\WOW6432NODE\CLSID\{D7C6C53B-C335-417f-ABB8-F5A157F92EA0}\InprocServer32, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\CLASSES\CLSID\{D7C6C53B-C335-417f-ABB8-F5A157F92EA0}\InprocServer32, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\CURRENTVERSION\UNINSTALL\WinThruster_is1, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 Registry Value: 0 (No malicious items detected) Registry Data: 0 (No malicious items detected) Data Stream: 0 (No malicious items detected) Folder: 2 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\WINTHRUSTER, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\PROGRAMDATA\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\START MENU\PROGRAMS\WINTHRUSTER, Quarantined, [1466], [182299],1.0.6883 File: 39 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\USERS\PUBLIC\DESKTOP\WINTHRUSTER.LNK, Quarantined, [1466], [260282],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_pl.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\help.ico, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\IsLicense50.dll, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_ar.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_cs.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_da.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_de.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_el.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_en.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_es.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_fi.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_fr.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_hu.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_it.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_ja.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_ko.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_nl.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_no.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_pt-br.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_pt.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_ro.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\local_ru.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_sv.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_tr.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_zh-cn.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Local_zh-tw.xml, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\PerformanceMonitor.exe, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\Post _Scan_Notification_English.wav, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\unins000.dat, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\unins000.exe, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\unins000.msg, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\WinThruster.exe, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\WinThruster.ini, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\PUBLIC\Desktop\WinThruster.lnk, Quarantined, [1466], [182298],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\WinThruster\Uninstall WinThruster.lnk, Quarantined, [1466], [182299],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\WinThruster\WinThruster.lnk, Quarantined, [1466], [182299],1.0.6883 PUP.Optional.WinThruster, C:\USERS\{username}\DESKTOP\SETUP_WINTHRUSTER_2018.EXE, Quarantined, [1466], [461226],1.0.6883 Physical Sector: 0 (No malicious items detected) WMI: 0 (No malicious items detected) (end)
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.
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.
You may see these entries in FRST logs:
(Solvusoft) C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster\WinThruster.exe C:\Users\Public\Desktop\WinThruster.lnk C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\WinThruster C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\WinThruster C:\Program Files (x86)\WinThruster (Solvusoft ) C:\Users\{username}\Desktop\Setup_WinThruster_2018.exe WinThruster (HKLM-x32\...\WinThruster_is1) (Version: 1.3.5.138 - Solvusoft) <==== ATTENTION
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