Does IOBit Advanced System Care contain malware

[AlWilson]

Today I made an online purchase of IOBit Advanced System Care (Version 11) and downloaded direct from the IOBit site. I was unable to install it because Malwarebytes reported the executable as a PUP and sent it to the quarantine.

It is described in the report as PUP.Optional.AdvancedSystemCare and gives an ID of 1217. I stopped trying to install it and would like to know whether this product can be trusted, in which case I would have thought that Malwarebytes would have included it into their database. Could you please advise me whether it is safe to add it as an exclusion to Malwarebytes AntiMalware, or should I ask for my money back (Which would probably not be forthcoming).

Thank you for any advice offered. I have a far greater trust in Malwarebytes than I do of IOBit.

Do you need further information? I have located the JSON log file but I'm not sure it contains much more information. I have attached a screenshot of the report.

[blender]

Hello,

No, it is not "malware" but rather a potentially unwanted program.

Please see here:
https://blog.malwarebytes.com/malwarebytes-news/2016/10/malwarebytes-gets-tougher-on-pups/
 

 

[AlWilson]

Hi Blender.

Many thanks for your input. I guess people have mixed opinions about AdvancedSystemCare, and I accept everyone's right to choose for themselves. It's a shame that a paid for program is seen to be unacceptable by Malwarebytes but at least I now have the option to add it as an exception to Malwarebytes if I want to (if I can see how to do it - I haven't looked yet).

Thanks again,

Alan

[Porthos]

19 minutes ago, AlWilson said:

I guess people have mixed opinions about AdvancedSystemCare,

 

4 hours ago, AlWilson said:

Thank you for any advice offered. I have a far greater trust in Malwarebytes than I do of IOBit.

 

4 hours ago, AlWilson said:

should I ask for my money back

I too trust the judgment of Malwarebytes.

Edited November 17, 2017 by Porthos

[AlWilson]

Result! Got my money back!

[Porthos]

2 minutes ago, AlWilson said:

Result! Got my money back!

In my opinion, you made the correct choice.  You can do everything needed to maintain/optimize from within Windows.

[Robwild]

Hi, I had the same problem with ASC this weekend when I downloaded ASC 11 Free. I also initially thought that it was just a conflict / pup when Malwarebytes premium first blocked it (so I switched malware protection off to allow the download. However it continued to block it once turned it back on. Then Kaspersky IS also blocked it and identified the trojan as "Packet.Win32.Krap.hc" (see attached). I have now deleted ASC 11 and deleted the quarantined pups. I have notified Computeractive (as I was following their workshop tutorial) by email and IObit & cnet via twitter. Currently running umpteen scans to ensure my pc is 'Krap' free. I would advise you all to do the same. Hope this helps!

IObit ASC pup 3.docx

[AlWilson]

Hi Robwild. I didn't get so far as installing it. As I got a malware report I advised IOBit customer service that I wouldn't install software that was reported as malware and I asked for my money to be refunded. They agreed to refund me. I would need to check the credit card account to verify. ASC should be boycotted until they clean up their act.

[Robwild]

Hi, Glad to hear that you are not affected. I'm just pleased that I had Malwarebytes Premium monitoring in real time otherwise things might have been worse. So far various scans by Malwarebytes, KIS, Spybot are coming up clean.