Browser Assistant (Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge) - 2021 update

What is Browser Assistant?

Browser Assistant – adware bundler published by Realistic Media that promotes, downloads, and installs potentially unwanted programs

Application that targets Windows systems and installs shady programs without users' permission. Browser Assistant is the program related to a particular heuristic detection name Trojan.BrowserAssistant.PS that functions as a vessel to PUPs. It can be considered an installer designed to infect machines without users' knowledge and spread adware, fake installers, or even malware. It gets recognized by AV tools, and such software can remove it, but this is a silent intruder that causes redirects and can come with different programs. It is possible to encounter privacy issues since PUPs like that can track and collect data about your online preferences and habits.

This potentially unwanted program can be considered a virus because it allows various threat actors to access devices and install their products in those adware bundles. There is no guarantee that pre-packed bundles have only PUPs and nothing malicious. The installer itself adds applications in Programs and Features folder, windows registry, startup folder. The intruder can affect more parts of the system than a typical PUP, so you should consider this program dangerous and take action as soon as possible.

Once the shady program gets installed on the machine by other threats or during an insecure installation, adware can easily load other programs, including browser hijackers and adware. The bundler itself is introduced to the infected machine by a trojan, according to analysis and detections. It may end up installed on the system alongside other programs like spyware, malware, or PUPs initially.

However, the main purpose of the Browser Assistant is to be a tool that spreads other infections and collects personal data for marketing, or in other words, malvertising purposes. Such data tracking functions come with many PUPs, so the infection itself and all the material loaded after that can access, track, and record data about users browsing habits, preferences, and even personal details.^[2]

Advertisers use such details to make personalized advertisements that later on appear on victims' screens or sell the collected data to third-party companies. Such behavior leads to junk email messages, telephone calls, scammers, and telemarketing campaigns targeting you.

Additional adware symptoms may include:

• pop-ups, banners, and other types of advertisements;
• browser redirects;
• push notifications or browser pop-ups with suspicious system messages;
• speed and performance issues;
• crashes or freezes of the browser or device.

However, Trojan.BrowserAssistant.PS is associated with BrowserAssistant.exe file that is considered malicious in the first place. It is common that trojans and other more serious malware get hidden on common type files, including executables that often appear running in the background.

Due to the common .exe type, people tend to ignore the file. This is how the program can do whatever it is designed to do. So make sure to remove Browser Assistant as soon as you can and rely on an anti-malware program that can detect, quarantine and delete the potentially unwanted program or even a trojan that distributes this shady bundler. PUP that gets detected as a dangerous application loaded out of nowhere since it is installed without permission. Removal might get difficult due to files planted in Startup folders, Windows registry, and programs installed on the machine. This program may install media players, audio codecs, converters, other software with questionable purposes.

To fight the malware completely, you need to get rid of all the associated files, applications, and terminate processes considered to be malicious. Rely on professional AV tools and try to fix virus damage in the system with repair software like FortectIntego.

Since adware can install any ad-supported PUP and expose you to advertising material, malicious pages, your data is at risk. Redirects-based threats focus on techniques that generate money, so data tracking and personalized commercial content are some of the methods.

However, this means that when Browser Assistant is present on the machine, tags, cookies, pixels, and other tools designed to collect web surfing data get employed. Since you get exposed to other sites where ad-tracking techniques are present and malicious codes may get triggered. Also, experts^[3] note that the computer can get damaged by more serious malware than adware or browser hijacker due to content online that is not controlled and can be unsafe.

Try to ignore all the redirects to phishing pages and promotional ads because clicking on such content gets to you malicious pages and makes adware more persistent since it has more time on the device. Run a full system scan with anti-malware tools, so all the threats and malicious programs get terminated entirely. Virus that injects javascript code in targeted browsers and allows third-party advertisers to show their content or push products directly on the affected web browser.

The internet is filled with questionable PUPs and malware

Typically, potentially unwanted programs are downloaded from sites that promote and distribute other applications with questionable purposes. In most cases, these pages also include additional freeware in the bundles, and during the shady installation, software gets installed unnoticed.

Insecure installations load useless applications and make certain downloads when the user is in a hurry and skips through important steps by choosing recommended or Quick options instead of Advanced/Custom installations. If you do this, you can prevent problems by unselecting attachments, media player,s suspicious optimizers, and other files.

Unfortunately, when altered or maliciously infected executable files and trojans end up on the machine, there is little you can do. Such malware mainly spreads via malicious sites and email notifications containing payload droppers. Paying attention to any content online is a crucial thing because when you avoid opening suspicious emails or visiting misleading sites, you can also avoid cyber infections.

Get rid of all the traces and possible functionalities of malware

Remember that the BrowserAssistant virus can be set to run on the machine as different processes and affect separate parts of the computer. When it is installed it behaves silently and makes all the changes to interfere with persistence and virus removal, file recovery functions.

To remove adware once and for all, choose a reliable anti-malware tool and run the application on your machine. A full system scan that such software performs reveals all the issues and indicates possibly malicious files, applications, so you can eliminate potential threats and improve the performance.

Browser Assistant removal requires such professional programs because of the many functionalities this trojan/ PUP bundler has. The name is associated with a heuristic name indicating Trojan and malicious software, so run the system check to remove the virus with all the related files. Then repair the damage with PC optimizer that can help with corrupted Windows registry and startup entries.

You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.