PC Optimizer Pro

PC Optimizer Pro is a rogue system optimizer and potentially unwanted program (PUP)[4] based in India[5] and created by Xportsoft Technologies. Once installed on the victim's computer, it runs a scan and claims that there are several performance issues such as internet junk, broken shortcuts, temporary and junk files, among other false claims.[6] PC Optimizer Pro comes maliciously with free software and is inadvertently installed on the victim's computer.[7]

PC Optimizer Pro
Technical namePUP.Optional.PCOptimizerPro (Malwarebytes)[1]

Program:Win32/PCOptimizerPro (Windows Defender)[2] Adware.PCOptimizerPro (McAfee)[3] Win32/RegistryOptimizerPro (ESET) Trojan.Win32.PCOptimizerPro (Kaspersky Antivirus) Rogue.PCOptimizerPro (Symantec)

RIskware.Win32.PCOptimizerPro (Bitdefender)
TypeRogue security software
Author(s)Xportsoft Technologies
Operating system(s) affectedMicrosoft Windows
Discontinued2022

The rogue is also spyware as it uses various malicious methods to collect the victim's data without permission, for example creating a fake folder disguised as a system folder named “System64” (likely a parody of System32) and drops a file called “Bootfile.txt” (a fake file to steal system information).[5]

History

The rogue was created in November 2004[5] and became an Internet meme thanks to its popularization by streams from YouTubers such as Vargskelethor Joel from the channel Vinesauce.[5] In February 2019, a malware YouTuber named Enderman, who found the admin panel (protected by a very insecure password which was a single space) and managed to use it to generate a product key in this video.

In 2022, the download link was broken as people had investigated PC Optimizer Pro, but Xportsoft Technologies simply made some more mirrors to distribute the malware.[5] The site was changed completely, but has been changed back to how it originally looked, just the download links are broken so there is no way to download the malware.

PC Optimizer Pro, despite no longer being downloadable, still continues to be a massive meme in malware history.

References
  1. https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/detections/pup-optional-pcoptimizerpro
  2. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/threats/malware-encyclopedia-description?Name=Program%3AWin32/PCOptimizerPro
  3. https://www.mcafee.com/enterprise/en-us/threat-intelligence/malware/adware-pcoptimizerpro.html
  4. "Is PC Optimizer Pro a virus?". Quora. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  5. "PC Optimizer Pro - Malware Wiki". web.archive.org. 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  6. "PC Optimizer Pro Unwanted Application". www.pcrisk.com. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  7. "How To Remove PC Optimizer Pro from Windows (removal guide)".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)


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