SoccerInferno is a toolbar that may appear useful and friendly to the football fan. However, according to our research, SoccerInferno is most likely developed by MindSpark Interactive Inc.
| Name | SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark |
| Type | Adware, PUP |
| Short Description | The toolbar may be appealing to the football fan. |
| Symptoms | Advertisements, changes to the browser’s default settings. |
| Distribution Method | The official page, possibly – bundling. |
| Detection tool | Download Malware Removal Tool, to See If Your System Has Been Affected By SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark |
The company has been developing ad-supported software for years. Its close association with Ask.com is also not a secret to the public. After installing SoccerInferno and adding its toolbar to the browser, the user may notice that his search page is changed to Ask.com.
SoccerInferno General Description
SoccerInferno can be downloaded from its official website – www(dot)soccerinferno(dot)com. It may also be distributed in bundled installers. MindSpark has a rich portfolio and it won’t be surprising if some of the company’s products are distributed together.
What is bundling?
Software bundling is a term, which is not new to the online business. The practice is mostly applied for financial reasons. In the realm of online marketing, bundled installers may be deployed to generate pay-per-install income.
In terms of online security, the general opinion is that bundling is a primary cause of the infiltration of unwanted software.
Is SoccerInferno Dangerous?
Because of the features the SoccerInferno toolbar has, it may be defined as a potentially unwanted program (PUP or PUA). Here is a list of some of the activities the toolbar may initiate on the system:
- SoccerInferno applies third-party cookies and pixel tags to the browser. The information aggregated by these tracking technologies can be given to third party partners for advertising and analytical reasons.
- Information collected by the software provider may be provided to other companies within the IAC group of companies. User information may be shared with affiliate partners.
- Advertisements may be generated, such as pop-ups and banners, and their appearance may interrupt the normal surfing habits of the user.
Should SoccerInferno Be Removed from the System?
Our research indicates that the toolbar is a potentially unwanted program, and as such, its removal is recommended. SoccerInferno can be detected by AV software as PUP.Optional.MindSpark. Being a part of MindSpark’s portfolio, the toolbar may also:
- Read and change the user’s browsing history.
- Read and change the user’s data on visited websites.
- Manage the user’s downloads.
- Manage the user’s apps, extensions and themes.
This is how the toolbar looks:
And once more – information aggregated by SoccerInferno may be given to a range of interested partners and affiliates. It’s only logical that the primary reason for data sharing is the display of tailored ad-sponsored content.
Please note that interacting with third party advertisements may not be safe at all. You may be redirected to unknown pages, employed for social engineering scams. If, for example, you land on a page, that prompts you to share your credit card credentials, you should immediately navigate away from the page and run an AV scanner.
SoccerInferno/ PUP.Optional.MindSpark Removal Options
As with most toolbars, SoccerInferno can be removed manually from the browser. To do so, you can follow the steps below the article. After SoccerInferno is removed, scanning the system may still be recommended. Remember that running a full system scan is essential, especially if you haven’t knowingly downloaded the toolbar. If this is your case, you have been experiences a bundled installation. As a result, potentially unwanted programs may be running in the background of your system, draining the resources of your machine.
Step 1: Remove/Uninstall SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark in Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps to remove that program. No matter if you are using Windows 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 get left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, mistakes 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:
Select the program that you want to remove, and press “Uninstall” (fig.3).
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark.
Step 2: Remove SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark from your browser
Remove a toolbar from Mozilla Firefox
Remove a toolbar from Google Chrome
Remove a toolbar from Internet Explorer
Remove a toolbar from Safari
Select the “Add-ons” icon from the menu
Select SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark and click “Remove”
After SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red “X” in the top right corner and start it again.
Select SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark to remove, and then click ‘Disable’. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected toolbar, and some additional toolbars might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click ‘Disable’.
After SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red ‘X’ in the top right corner and start it again.
Open the drop menu by clicking on the sprocket icon in the top right corner.
From the drop menu select ‘Preferences’
In the new window select ‘Extensions’
Click once on SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark
Click ‘Uninstall’
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark. Select ‘Uninstall’ again, and the SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark will be removed.
Step 3: Remove SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark automatically by downloading an advanced anti-malware program.
To clean your computer you should download an updated anti-malware program on a safe PC and then install it on the affected computer in offline mode. After that you should boot into safe mode and scan your computer to remove all SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark associated objects.
