Hello there and welcome to the FreeFixer blog. Today I wanted to talk about a bundled program called Malware Protection Live. If you have Malware Protection Live software installed on your machine, you will notice Malware Protection Live in the Remove programs list and MalwareProtectionClient.exe running in the Windows Task Manager:
Malware Protection Live is configured to run on startup. This is done by adding MalwareProtectionClient.exe as a startup in the Windows Registry:
So, how did Malware Protection Live install on your machine? Unless you downloaded it directly from their web site, it was probably bundled with some other download that you installed recently. Bundling means that software is included in other software’s installers. When I first found Malware Protection Live, it was bundled with CNET’s Download.com installer. Here’s how it appeared in the CNET’s Download.com installer where I found it:
According to the embedded certificate, Malware Protection Live is located in Florida, US:
So, what does the anti-virus programs over at VirusTotal say about the bundled MalwareProtectionClient.exe file? Detection rate is 0%, so hopefully the software is safe.
What do you think?
I’ll rescan it in a few days to see if detection ratio remain the same. Please check below for updates.
Did you also find Malware Protection Live on your machine? Any idea how it was installed? Was is also bundled in a download from Download.com? Please share your story the comments below. Thanks a bunch!
Thanks for reading. Welcome back!
Update Oct 11 2015: I checked out the MalwareProtectionClient.exe download again, and now it is detected by a few of the scanners over at VirusTotal. The detection ratio is 4/56:
I have had this install as a bundled app as part of Vuze Bittorrent client. Needless to say I promptly uninstalled it.
Same here…
Hi, I found it installed the same date as I have installed MOOS Project viewer. I have unsinstaleld with Ccleaner and it seems to be fine now
Thanx for the article
Yup – CNet download installer. I didn’t read the permissions window carefully enough. Dagnabbit.
Yup – CNet download installer, insisted on by Kindle for PC update – which update was purportedly to fix a security vulnerability. Now one wonders – was that just an excuse to install this thrice-accursed McAfee product?
Malware Protection Live got installed with a “free 30-day demo” of SewArt64.exe, a program to convert graphics for embroidery sewing machines. Not sure if it installed during the initial download, or during the update that SewArt64 required on the second day of use (and which also terminated the demo use). The technician at the Microsoft Windows store helped me remove the Malware program for free. Windows Defender did not recognize MalwareProtectionLive as a virus, but HerdProtect did. Overall, it took him 45 minutes, but it would have taken me hours to figure this all out.
i have installed free alaram clock on my comp. from download.com and after that tons of ads from “dns Unlocker” and “eshopcomp.com” are flooding my chrome browser.
nothing is in the uninstall console of control panel, chrome extensions, regedit, msconfig!
malwarebytes doesnt recognize it as a malware but blocks the bowser hijack activities. im going to scan my laptop with spyhunter and freefixer
Hope FreeFixer helps you solve the problem.
Do you remember where you downloaded that free alarm clock? I can check it out on my lab machine to see what it installed and show how to remove the unwanted software.
Even tough it states from itself being an Anti-Malware-Program, the ay of invisibly installing itself on a Computer is by itself a Malware-like behaviour.
So my thoughts about it are, that even if it would help me, it’s still a Software that I didn’t ask for, least was prompted for, with a significant Information on what it actually does, or even giving choice to deny it’s installation.
I’ve made myself cool with Windows10 installing Updates, but entirely new Programs and Security-Tools seriously need User-Greenlight for Installation and are allowed to sneak into Systems like a Virus/Troyan, no matter how well it’s purpose is meant.
Especially when it Comes to Anti-Malware-Programs, there are MalwareByte’s Anti-Malware, and AntiVirus-Programs, that also can detect some.
Thank you!
Shame on CNET