ScaryBear Software

Behavioral profile of luu.lightquartrate.com infection and the related Ads by Name, as well as the steps to remove this virus, are all covered here.

Present-day viruses are designed elaborately enough for potential victims to be absolutely unaware when exactly they get infected. Also, malicious software is going hybrid, so it’s becoming harder to distinctly separate the wheat from the chaff and tell what’s legitimate and what’s not. All of this especially applies to adware, a type of programs aimed at delivering ads to users or hijacking web traffic to further redistribute it. The advertising platform at luu.lightquartrate.com has gotten a powerful proliferation boost recently, so it’s definitely worthwhile to get an insight into its operation and provide security advice to those who fell victim to this adverse initiative. The basic principle of the ongoing campaign mentioned is about becoming a link between advertisers and customers, but the way this is implemented leaves quite a few question marks unresolved. The main problem is that the sponsored popups, which are signed “Ads by Name”, are displayed against the user’s wish in this case.

Imperceptible intrusion of the malicious code is secured by a spreading model where some harmless and mostly even useful free programs have the malware installer built into their own. Again, this is a sort of affiliate marketing that allows freeware makers to keep their products up and running, but it involves extra code promotion and execution. So, unless you opt out of the unwanted application during setup, it will be installed on the machine and mess up everything related to web browsing.

The malicious web service enhancement tool (add-on or plugin) is cross-browser, so the brand of the browser being used doesn’t matter. The extension that appears in Firefox, IE and Chrome automatically amends some critical configuration parameters and thus gets unthinkable privileges without getting user approval. This leads to the overpopulation of visited web pages with the “Ads by Name” objects, which recommend various software and goods. Also, you will encounter popup ads in the shape of standalone browser windows pointing to luu.lightquartrate.com and other associated URLs. Interstitial ads and links built into text will further deteriorate your online experience. These entities tend to show up on all sites – not only the ones whose administrators have allowed legitimate advertising to be shown in certain page space. Very soon this activity becomes too noxious to endure, so luu.lightquartrate.com removal recommendations below will certainly come in handy if you are infected.

Luu.lightquartrate.com virus removal with automatic cleanup tool

An optimal workflow for eliminating the Ads by Name adware is to leverage a security application which will identify all potentially malicious software on your computer and handle it the right way. This approach ensures thoroughness of the removal and system remediation, and allows avoiding unintended damage that might occur as a result of manual malware deletion.

1. Download and install luu.lightquartrate.com removal software. Launch it and click the Start New Scan button. Wait for the application to check your computer for threats

2. When the app is done scanning your system, it will come up with an extensive list of detected objects. Click the Fix Threats option to have the utility completely remove this adware and affiliated infections found on your PC.

Uninstall troublemaking software through Control Panel

– Go to Start menu and select Control Panel on the list

– Click on the Uninstall a program (Add or Remove Programs) button

– Take a good look at the software list displayed. Search for suspicious objects there – note that the name doesn’t necessarily have anything in common with luu.lightquartrate.com or similar. When found, the likely culprit should be uninstalled

– Be advised luu.lightquartrate.com bug should but may not necessarily be listed anywhere on Control Panel therefore it may be problematic to figure out which particular program is associated with the virus in your case. If you are unsure, stick to the automatic cleanup advice or try the browser reset option described below.

Get rid of luu.lightquartrate.com ads by resetting the affected browser

FYI: This procedure will lead to the loss of custom browser settings, including bookmarks, cookies, passwords saved, and all browsing history. Also, some components of the virus may be beyond the browsers proper. Please keep this in mind when making a decision to proceed.

Reset Internet Explorer to its defaults

– Go to Tools –> Internet Options

– Select the Advanced tab as shown below and click the Reset button

– Read the warning about the effects of resetting IE. If you are sure, proceed by checking the Delete personal settings option and clicking Reset

Reset Mozilla Firefox

– Go to Help –> Troubleshooting Information

– Firefox will come up with the Troubleshooting Information screen. Click the Reset Firefox button to complete the process

Reset Google Chrome

– Go to the Chrome Menu icon and pick Settings on the list

– Click on the Show advanced settings button

– Click on the button reading Reset browser settings

– On the notification box that pops up, review the consequences of Chrome reset and click Reset if it’s ok with you

Double-checking never hurts

To make sure the luu.lightquartrate.com adware has been removed, consider running an additional security scan as a completion of the cleanup procedure.