PUP.Optional.FakeFlash

Short bio

PUP.Optional.FakeFlash is Malwarebytes’ generic detection name for a large family of browser extensions that are installed by websites offering fake Flash updates.

Symptoms

Users may have seen these warnings during install:

This extension requires permission to show notifications

Type and source of the infection

PUP.Optional.FakeFlash extensions are installed by websites where users will be confronted with screens similar to these:

Urging you to allow notifications and/or install a browser extension:

Aftermath

Some of these extensions change your permissions for Push Notifications. Users will have to remove the permissions manually. You can find more information about this procedure in our blogpost called Browser push notifications: a feature asking to be abused.

Protection

Malwarebytes blocks the malicious website that are known to push PUP.Optional.FakeFlash:

Users of the Malwarebytes browser extensions are protected even before we add the malicious domains to our blocklist.

Remediation

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

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

Malwarebytes removal log

A Malwarebytes log of removal will look similar to this:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 5/22/19
Scan Time: 8:44 AM
Log File: 17980360-7c5d-11e9-857e-00ffdcc6fdfc.json

-Software Information-
Version: 3.7.1.2839
Components Version: 1.0.586
Update Package Version: 1.0.10706
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: 236322
Threats Detected: 1
Threats Quarantined: 1
Time Elapsed: 5 min, 30 sec

-Scan Options-
Memory: Enabled
Startup: Enabled
Filesystem: Enabled
Archives: Enabled
Rootkits: Enabled
Heuristics: Enabled
PUP: Detect
PUM: Detect

-Scan Details-
Process: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Module: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Key: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Value: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folder: 0
(No malicious items detected)

File: 1
PUP.Optional.FakeFlash, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\ROAMING\MOZILLA\FIREFOX\PROFILES\{PROFILE}.DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\LN_VSOAJKXXXZZ@UDPPPADK.XPI, Quarantined, [1752], [686156],1.0.10706

Physical Sector: 0
(No malicious items detected)

WMI: 0
(No malicious items detected)

(end)

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.