Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Note! Your computer might be affected by PythonBot (PBot) and other threats.
Threats such as PythonBot (PBot) may be persistent on your system. They tend to re-appear if not fully deleted. A malware removal tool like SpyHunter will help you to remove malicious programs, saving you the time and the struggle of tracking down numerous malicious files. SpyHunter’s scanner is free but the paid version is needed to remove the malware threats. Read SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
This article aims to help you by explaining what is the PythonBot adware program and how to remove it from your computer plus stop it from mining cryptocurrencies and displaying ads.
A very dangerous evolving type of adware has been detected by security researchers. The program, called PythonBot (PBot) has been reported to display different types of advertising content and run JavaScript codes that display ads and redirect to web pages which install more adware on user computers. In addition to this, the PBot adware is unlike any other form of adware since this program is from one of the new ad-supported software which is evolving constantly in newer versions. If you see advertisements that are related to PBot, we strongly urge that you read this article to learn more about it and how to remove it from your computer.
Threat Summary
Name
PythonBot (PBot)
Type
Evolving Adware/Miner
Short Description
May heavily modify the computers on which it is installed and may display different advertisements of all types plus get users to download and install multiple different types of toolbars and other forms of PUPs (potentially unwanted programs).
Symptoms
Your web browser begins to display various types of online advertisements, which results in slowing down of your PC.
Distribution Method
Bundled downloads. Web pages which may advertise it.
Detection Tool
See If Your System Has Been Affected by PythonBot (PBot)
During April 2018, researchers at Kaspersky labs have detected over 50 thousand attempts to install this adware on computers running Kespersky products. The adware has increased and this number is now significantly more than In spring 2018. This distribution of PythonBot is mainly concentrated in Russia and the adware is spread via what researchers refer to as “partner sites”. These types of sites have scripts embedded in the website code which aim to redirect users to web links that are third-party via a web browser redirect. This activity occurs in the following chain of activities:
The user visits a corrupted site.
When the user simply clicks with his mouse anywhere on the site, a new pop-up is displayed and it redirects to a web link, which is the download page of PythonBot adware.
The download page automatically triggers and runs the adware after which the victim is already affected by a downloaded HTA type of file (Update.hta).
PBot Adware – More Information and Activity
PBot has come out in various different versions, which exist out there. And the latest update of the malware may include the usage of various different types of modules to change different settings on both the web browser of victimized computers and also make changes to Windows itself.
For starters, the newer variants of PythonBot, the Update.hta file, downloads and executes an original NSIS installer. This installer drops the following files on the victim’s computer:
ml.py
lauchall.py
brplugin.py
app.py
The file brplugin.py aims to interact with the web browser processes of the affected computers,for example chrome.exe or firefox.exe, etc. The app.py is a python file which is responsible for the malware to self-update by connecting it to the control and update server to perform a silent updating operation without the user even noticing it.
The ml.py file is the one file that is responsible for interacting with Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe). The .py file adds tasks in Windows Task Scheduler which aim to execute it in a specific time every day. Another tasks is also related with running a winreg library which is used to write the script to the auto-loader.
All of these result in a browser toolbar or browser extension being added to the affected computer’s web browser which is re-added and runs diferrent types of tracking technologies on the computers affected by it. These tracking technologies also include the usage of:
Cookies.
LSOs (Locally Shared Objects).
Tags.
Pixels.
Geo-locators.
These technologies are used by the PBot adware with the main purpose to collect different information from users, such as:
Online search history.
Online clicks.
Typed information.
Ads the user has clicked on.
Bookmarked websites and browsing history.
The PythonBot adware then uses this information with the main purpose of getting users to download and install various different types of advertisement-supported programs or to cause browser redirects to websites with the same topics the users are interested in. This strategy is also known as behavioral advertising and it is used with the main purpose to lure users into pay-per-click schemes or websites that mine for cryptocurrencies, all with the end goal being profit for the developers of the PBot adware. The advertisements which may be displayed by this program as a result of that are many:
Pop-ups.
Browser redirections.
Online banners.
Highlighted text ads.
What makes PBot indirectly dangerous to your computer however is that the adware may lead you to dangerous websites, which may install other adware programs, scam you out of your information and even infect your computer with malware.
Remove PythonBot (PBot) Adware from Windows and Your Browsers
In order to remove this ad-supported software from your computer system, we advise that you follow the instructions underneath this article. They have been made in order to help you delete the files and objects associated with PBot either manually or automatically from your computer system. If manual removal does not help, security experts often advise using anti-malware software in order to scan for and completely secure your computer from PBot adware and other ad-supported programs that may be downloaded on your computer as a result of having this unwanted software.
Note! Your computer system may be affected by PythonBot (PBot) or other threats. Scan Your PC with SpyHunter SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as PythonBot (PBot). Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
To remove PythonBot (PBot) follow these steps:
1. Uninstall malicious programs from Windows
OFFER
Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!
We Recommend To Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria
How to Uninstall malicious programs from Windows:
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs.No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Hold the Windows Logo Button and “R” on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear (fig.1).
In the field type in “appwiz.cpl” and press ENTER (fig.2).
This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC. Select the program that you want to remove, and press “Uninstall” (fig.3).
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
2. Clean your Browser and Registry from PythonBot (PBot)
Remove PythonBot (PBot) by cleaning your Browser and Registry.
Remove an extension from Mozilla FirefoxRemove an extension from Google Chrome Remove an extension from Internet Explorer Remove an extension from Microsoft Edge Fix registry entries created by PythonBot (PBot) on your PC.
Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window
Select the “Add-ons” icon from the menu.
Select the unwanted extension and click “Remove“
After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red “X” button at the top right corner and start it again.
Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu
Move the cursor over “Tools” and then from the extended menu choose “Extensions“
From the opened “Extensions” menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its “Remove” button.
After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red “X” button at the top right corner and start it again.
Start Internet Explorer:
Click on the gear icon labeled ‘Tools’ to open the drop menu and select ‘Manage Add-ons’
In the ‘Manage Add-ons’ window.
Select the extension you want to remove and then click ‘Disable’. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click ‘Disable’.
After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red ‘X’ button located at the top right corner and start it again.
Start Edge
Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
From the drop menu select “Extensions”.
Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.
IMPORTANT! Before starting the Automatic Removal below, please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode. This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs
3. Scan for malware and unwanted programs with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Scan your PC and Remove PythonBot (PBot) with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for PythonBot (PBot) and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove PythonBot (PBot). Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
Step 1: Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.
It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.
Step 2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the ‘Next’ button.
Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.
Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future
IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
This article aims to help you by explaining what is the PythonBot adware program and how to remove it from your computer plus stop it from mining cryptocurrencies and displaying ads.
Remove an extension from Mozilla Firefox
Remove an extension from Google Chrome
Remove an extension from Internet Explorer
Remove an extension from Microsoft Edge
Fix registry entries created by PythonBot (PBot) on your PC.
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for PythonBot (PBot) and remove them.
Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
