Spyware Information: ClientMan
This is a Browser Helper Object (BHO). BHO's connect to Internet Explorer while it's running, and share information. BHO's were originally designed to allow Internet Explorer to handle new types of data and to offer new features not originally designed into the product (like search toolbars, for example). But because BHO's have access to all the information about the web sites that you visit (and because BHO's run on your computer and could potentially do anything they want), they have been used by advertising companies and others to track you online.
- Size: 6,403,072 bytes
- Threat level: Low (more info...)
- Detections: 6,608 this month: 0
- Author: Odysseus Marketing, Inc.
- Appeared: Variants from March, 2003 to February, 2004
Research
- Method of infection: May be installed by FavoriteMan, Grokster.
- Advertising: Makes all targeted words in all web pages links with a yellow background, pointing to the ClientMan server which may redirect to marketing partners. Some customers have also reported seeing popup advertising on computers that are infected only with ClientMan.
- Browser degradation: Likely to slow performance of Internet Explorer.
- Privacy issues: ClientMan gathers a list of running processes, and tries to read personal data from your computer.
- Security issues: ClientMan can silently download and run arbitrary unsigned code from its controlling server. Some customers have reported that ClientMan tries to change ZoneAlarm's settings to prevent it from stopping ClientMan.
- Stability issues: We have been able to observe crashes and freezes due to ClientMan.
Spyware Detection Stats
- Spyware Fingerprints: 91,859
- Detections: 6,792,657
- Detections this Month: 804
Spyware Search
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