Adware.YellowPages

SUMMARY

Behavior

Adware.YellowPages is an adware program that installs a search bar in Internet Explorer.

Symptoms

Your Symantec antivirus program detects Adware.YellowPages.

Transmission

This adware program must be manually installed. However, there are several known programs that have Adware.YellowPages within them and that install it as the program itself is installed.

Protection

• Virus Definitions (LiveUpdate™ Weekly) December 31, 2003
• Virus Definitions (Intelligent Updater) December 30, 2003

TECHNICAL DETAILS

When the Adware.YellowPages installer is executed, it performs the following actions:

1. Creates the file %ProgramFiles%Autosearch.dll
   
   

   ---

   Note: %ProgramFiles% is a variable that refers to the path to the program files folder. By default, this is C:Program Files.

   ---

   
   
2. Adds the value:
   
   "windump"="%ProgramFiles%autosearch.dll"
   
   to the registry key:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun
   
   so that the adware is installed when you start Windows.
   
3. Adds a search bar in Internet Explorer.

REMOVAL

---

Note: Removing this adware component from the system will likely cause the program that installed it to not function as intended. The uninstaller generally identifies the programs that will not work after uninstallation.

---

The following instructions pertain to all Symantec antivirus products that support Security Risk detection.

1. Update the definitions.
2. Unregister the %ProgramFiles%autosearch.dll file.
3. Run a full system scan and delete all the files detected as Adware.YellowPages.
4. Delete the value that was added to the registry.
   

For specific details on each of these steps, read the following instructions.

1. Updating the definitions
To obtain the most recent definitions, start your Symantec program and run LiveUpdate.

2. Unregistering the %ProgramFiles%autosearch.dll file

1. Click Start, and then click Run. (The Run dialog box appears.)
2. Type, or copy and paste, the following text:
   
   regsvr32 /u "%ProgramFiles%autosearch.dll"
   
   then click OK.
   
3. If a dialog box confirming this action appears, click OK.

3. Scanning for and deleting the files

1. Start your Symantec antivirus program and run a full system scan.
2. If any files are detected as Adware.YellowPages, click Delete.
   
   

   ---

   Note: If your Symantec antivirus product reports that it cannot delete a detected file, write down the path and file name. Then use Windows Explorer to locate and delete the file.

   ---

4. Deleting the value from the registry

---

WARNING: Symantec strongly recommends that you back up the registry before making any changes to it. Incorrect changes to the registry can result in permanent data loss or corrupted files. Modify the specified keys only. Read the document, "How to make a backup of the Windows registry," for instructions.

---

---

Note: This is done to make sure all keys are removed. They may not be there if they were removed by regsvr32.

---

1. Click Start, and then click Run. (The Run dialog box appears.)
2. Type regedit
   
   Then click OK. (The Registry Editor opens.)
   
   
3. Navigate to the key:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun
   
   
4. In the right pane, delete the value:
   
   "windump"="%ProgramFiles%autosearch.dll"
   
   
5. Exit the Registry Editor.