PUP.Optional.IStartSurf

What is PUP.Optional.IStartSurf infection?

In this article you will certainly locate concerning the definition of PUP.Optional.IStartSurf and also its adverse effect on your computer system. Such ransomware are a form of malware that is specified by online scams to require paying the ransom money by a target.

Most of the situations, PUP.Optional.IStartSurf infection will advise its sufferers to start funds transfer for the objective of reducing the effects of the modifications that the Trojan infection has introduced to the victim’s gadget.

PUP.Optional.IStartSurf Summary

These adjustments can be as adheres to:

  • Executable code extraction. Cybercriminals often use binary packers to hinder the malicious code from reverse-engineered by malware analysts. A packer is a tool that compresses, encrypts, and modifies a malicious file’s format. Sometimes packers can be used for legitimate ends, for example, to protect a program against cracking or copying.
  • Creates RWX memory. There is a security trick with memory regions that allows an attacker to fill a buffer with a shellcode and then execute it. Filling a buffer with shellcode isn’t a big deal, it’s just data. The problem arises when the attacker is able to control the instruction pointer (EIP), usually by corrupting a function’s stack frame using a stack-based buffer overflow, and then changing the flow of execution by assigning this pointer to the address of the shellcode.
  • Anomalous binary characteristics. This is a way of hiding virus’ code from antiviruses and virus’ analysts.
  • Ciphering the papers situated on the sufferer’s disk drive — so the sufferer can no longer utilize the information;
  • Preventing normal accessibility to the sufferer’s workstation. This is the typical behavior of a virus called locker. It blocks access to the computer until the victim pays the ransom.

PUP.Optional.IStartSurf

One of the most common networks where PUP.Optional.IStartSurf are infused are:

  • By means of phishing e-mails;
  • As a consequence of user ending up on a resource that organizes a harmful software;

As soon as the Trojan is effectively infused, it will either cipher the data on the target’s PC or stop the gadget from functioning in a correct fashion – while additionally putting a ransom money note that points out the need for the sufferers to effect the payment for the purpose of decrypting the files or restoring the data system back to the first problem. In a lot of circumstances, the ransom money note will certainly come up when the customer restarts the PC after the system has actually currently been damaged.

PUP.Optional.IStartSurf distribution networks.

In various corners of the globe, PUP.Optional.IStartSurf expands by jumps and also bounds. However, the ransom money notes as well as methods of obtaining the ransom amount might differ depending upon specific neighborhood (regional) settings. The ransom notes as well as tricks of extorting the ransom quantity might differ depending on certain local (regional) settings.

Ransomware injection

For example:

    Faulty informs concerning unlicensed software.

    In particular locations, the Trojans frequently wrongfully report having spotted some unlicensed applications enabled on the target’s gadget. The alert after that demands the user to pay the ransom.

    Faulty declarations concerning illegal web content.

    In countries where software application piracy is less preferred, this method is not as reliable for the cyber scams. Conversely, the PUP.Optional.IStartSurf popup alert may wrongly declare to be originating from a police establishment as well as will report having located kid pornography or various other illegal information on the gadget.

    PUP.Optional.IStartSurf popup alert may incorrectly claim to be deriving from a regulation enforcement establishment and also will certainly report having situated kid porn or various other unlawful information on the gadget. The alert will in a similar way consist of a need for the user to pay the ransom money.

Technical details

File Info:

crc32: 79ED4688md5: 6336ab6df1e4e17ca13f407af9322313name: 6336AB6DF1E4E17CA13F407AF9322313.mlwsha1: a91041a622bc0944d14aebf4dc9b20d9f78107basha256: 4b3bfe412361881457fe4b47c6b26d7f2eec142e5a699d30b64f16479c53df8bsha512: 1506101a699f74f4c6bf44326c799aa8cdbe0bbd1926b06158fa7ce1cfc286267a997ce8d9e356cd5f6e27fa1552b24875b2088909042492500ac23c9884f6b2ssdeep: 3072:eEutPVlUd79z7qKRVTk5Dn5SYBDJl0GyDof2y80dZ20TZKmhbz4iuF6kX9COFvr:eEuDlG97qKRVTc58zDof2y80BlMEOzXtype: PE32 executable (GUI) Intel 80386, for MS Windows

Version Info:

0: [No Data]

PUP.Optional.IStartSurf also known as:

GridinSoft Trojan.Ransom.Gen
Bkav W32.AIDetect.malware1
K7AntiVirus Adware ( 004f16931 )
Elastic malicious (high confidence)
DrWeb Trojan.Vittalia.12243
Cynet Malicious (score: 85)
CAT-QuickHeal SoftwareBundler.Prepscram.Y7
Cylance Unsafe
Sangfor Trojan.Win32.Save.a
CrowdStrike win/malicious_confidence_80% (W)
K7GW Adware ( 004f16931 )
Cybereason malicious.df1e4e
Baidu Win32.Trojan.Kryptik.awg
Cyren W32/S-17814750!Eldorado
Symantec Downloader
ESET-NOD32 a variant of Win32/IStartSurf.AU potentially unwanted
APEX Malicious
Avast Win32:Dropper-gen [Drp]
Kaspersky HEUR:Trojan.Win32.Generic
BitDefender Trojan.Ransom.Petya.Gen.1
NANO-Antivirus Trojan.Win32.Vittalia.edezko
SUPERAntiSpyware Ransom.Petya/Variant
MicroWorld-eScan Trojan.Ransom.Petya.Gen.1
Tencent Malware.Win32.Gencirc.10b18c26
Ad-Aware Trojan.Ransom.Petya.Gen.1
Sophos Generic PUA KJ (PUA)
Comodo Application.Win32.IStartSurf.BA@6dd8oi
BitDefenderTheta Gen:NN.ZexaF.34628.rCW@a8Qz23ai
VIPRE Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT
TrendMicro TROJ_GEN.R02DC0OCJ21
McAfee-GW-Edition BehavesLike.Win32.Generic.dm
FireEye Generic.mg.6336ab6df1e4e17c
Emsisoft Trojan.Ransom.Petya.Gen.1 (B)
SentinelOne Static AI – Malicious PE
Avira HEUR/AGEN.1133072
Microsoft SoftwareBundler:Win32/Prepscram
Arcabit Trojan.Ransom.Petya.Gen.1
ZoneAlarm HEUR:Trojan.Win32.Generic
GData Trojan.Ransom.Petya.Gen.1
TACHYON Trojan/W32.Yakes.289792.D
AhnLab-V3 Trojan/Win32.Petya.R183092
Acronis suspicious
McAfee Adware-InstCap
MAX malware (ai score=85)
VBA32 BScope.Trojan.Vittalia
Malwarebytes PUP.Optional.IStartSurf
Panda Trj/CI.A
TrendMicro-HouseCall TROJ_GEN.R02DC0OCJ21
Rising Trojan.Generic!8.C3 (RDMK:cmRtazoaAdW5195DjREnzjMjTLF4)
Yandex Trojan.Agent!1bdX36oEL0M
Ikarus PUA.Downloader
Fortinet W32/IStartSurf.PTYZ!tr
AVG Win32:Dropper-gen [Drp]
Qihoo-360 HEUR/QVM10.1.05E3.Malware.Gen

How to remove PUP.Optional.IStartSurf virus?

Unwanted application has ofter come with other viruses and spyware. This threats can steal account credentials, or crypt your documents for ransom.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft1

Run the setup file.

Run Setup.exe
GridinSoft Anti-Malware Setup

Press “Install” button.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Install

Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Splash-Screen

Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scanning

Click on “Clean Now”.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan Result

Are Your Protected?

Full version of GridinSoft

If the guide doesn’t help you to remove PUP.Optional.IStartSurf you can always ask me in the comments for getting help.

References

    About the author

    Robert Bailey

    Security engineer focused on malware behavior, removal workflows, and Windows hardening. Robert reviews threat articles for practical accuracy, checking detection names, symptoms, and cleanup steps before publication.

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