Adware.Savings Bull

Posted: January 31, 2014

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Ranking:	8,500
Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	15,772

First Seen:	January 31, 2014
Last Seen:	October 9, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Savings Bull is adware that sometimes bundles with reputable products, but also handles distribution via methods that would let its installation occur automatically. Savings Bull's website markets Savings Bull as a toolbar that can provide all of your coupon needs, but its functions crystallize around displaying advertisements that have few or no advantages for the viewer. Deleting Savings Bull is the course of action recommended by malware experts, who have noted that Savings Bull's resistance to normal removal techniques may require PC security tools to circumvent.

When Advertisements Bull Rush Your Browser

Potentially Unwanted Programs may travel in numbers, and Savings Bull is just one of several PUPs likely to be installed with Savings Bull, along with other browser-based threats like Quiknowledge and Linkey. Some of these programs are casually referred as viruses, but malware experts categorize all of them as adware, or programs that launch advertisements automatically. Bundles that install Savings Bull have histories of using misleading descriptions to misrepresent its real functions, and, in some cases, even may install Savings Bull automatically.

Savings Bull's dominant characteristics are much the same as any adware program that claims to provide shopping discounts, and may include:

Monitoring your Web traffic (which sites you visit, searches you make, et cetera).
Injecting hyperlinks to third-party advertisements on unrelated sites, usually by modifying specific keywords.
Loading 'coupon' pop-ups and other graphical elements as advertisements.

Savings Bull acts as if these advertisements will provide you potentially generous savings while you shop online. In actuality, malware experts found little effort on Savings Bull's part to organize advertisements according to appropriate savings, and its features are of little advantage to anyone who might be inclined to use them.

Dodging the Charge of Savings Bull Adware

Savings Bull may install itself to more than one Web browser simultaneously, and malware researchers verified its compatibility with Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox. Although reputable applications are easily uninstallable through any of a range of standardized methods, most computer users that installed Savings Bull have reported difficulties with removing Savings Bull, even to the extent of Savings Bull reopening itself habitually. However, robust anti-adware tools still should be able to detect and delete Savings Bull without many issues.

PC users who bother to monitor their download behavior will find themselves at less risk of being affected by Savings Bull and its accompanying advertisements. If you do need to upgrade your software, always use official sources, whenever possible, and avoid installing bundled products with checks for automatic installation. Anti-adware scanners also can detect possible bundles for Savings Bull, Linkey and Quiknowledge, which will let you avoid the risk before you've ever opened the file.

Technical Details

File System Modifications

Tutorials: If you wish to learn how to remove malware components manually, you can read the tutorials on how to find malware, kill unwanted processes, remove malicious DLLs and delete other harmful files. Always be sure to back up your PC before making any changes.

The following files were created in the system:

%PROGRAMFILES%\savingsbullfilter\savingsbullfilterservice64.exe

File name: savingsbullfilterservice64.exe
Size: 167.93 KB (167936 bytes)
MD5: 17012c1572fddf039bc6519cbdcd9faf
Detection count: 3,743
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %PROGRAMFILES%\savingsbullfilter\savingsbullfilterservice64.exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: April 28, 2021

%SYSTEMDRIVE%\AdwCleaner\Quarantine\C\Program Files\SavingsbullFilter\SavingsbullFilterService64.exe.vir

File name: SavingsbullFilterService64.exe.vir
Size: 210.43 KB (210432 bytes)
MD5: dcaaae1853705276bba8ba3298310f9b
Detection count: 874
Mime Type: unknown/vir
Path: %SYSTEMDRIVE%\AdwCleaner\Quarantine\C\Program Files\SavingsbullFilter\SavingsbullFilterService64.exe.vir
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: September 19, 2022

%WINDIR%\system32\drivers\netfilter64.sys

File name: netfilter64.sys
Size: 61.59 KB (61592 bytes)
MD5: 3e71b9d55ede56bf5e11e923c0d09874
Detection count: 855
File type: System file
Mime Type: unknown/sys
Path: %WINDIR%\system32\drivers\netfilter64.sys
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: March 14, 2023

c:\Program Files\SavingsBullFilter\SavingsbullFilterService.exe

File name: SavingsbullFilterService.exe
Size: 144.89 KB (144896 bytes)
MD5: f72e6d5a25bbd0a04e982361c88461e7
Detection count: 192
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: c:\Program Files\SavingsBullFilter\SavingsbullFilterService.exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: December 5, 2022

c:\windows\system32\drivers\netfilter64.sys

File name: netfilter64.sys
Size: 46.23 KB (46232 bytes)
MD5: 5fbdc88f22270fe741152a2fbd39b160
Detection count: 183
File type: System file
Mime Type: unknown/sys
Path: c:\windows\system32\drivers\netfilter64.sys
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: August 9, 2022

setup.exe

File name: setup.exe
Size: 644.73 KB (644736 bytes)
MD5: 069781880e105da2b62071a732270bf0
Detection count: 44
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: February 28, 2014

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

HKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}Software\AppDataLow\Software\Savings BullSoftware\AppDataLow\Software\SavingsBullSOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Features\1708EDD6AB4EB164A86999D0AF0ABE1DSOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Features\526AB318AF0B8D84B9579557C9882C91SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\1708EDD6AB4EB164A86999D0AF0ABE1DSOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\526AB318AF0B8D84B9579557C9882C91SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\UpgradeCodes\0AF447A0D1AB4F544A6C8E2761E4083FSOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\UpgradeCodes\622C9E6E584F99842A59BEAC785FA79CSOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\UpgradeCodes\622C9E6E584F99842A59BEAC785FA79C\526AB318AF0B8D84B9579557C9882C91Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions\{10AD2C61-0898-4348-8600-14A342F22AC3}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UpgradeCodes\0AF447A0D1AB4F544A6C8E2761E4083FSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UpgradeCodes\622C9E6E584F99842A59BEAC785FA79CSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UpgradeCodes\622C9E6E584F99842A59BEAC785FA79C\526AB318AF0B8D84B9579557C9882C91Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ext\CLSID\58EA3283-EBEE-43E4-9B29-44C6E16C6B48SOFTWARE\Savings BullSoftware\SavingsBullSOFTWARE\SavingsBull FilterSOFTWARE\SavingsbullFilterSOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\SavingsbullFilterSYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Eventlog\Application\SavingsBullFilterServiceSYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\eventlog\Application\SavingsbullFilterService64SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SavingsbullFilterServiceSYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\SavingsbullFilterService64SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Services\Eventlog\Application\SavingsBullFilterServiceSYSTEM\ControlSet002\Services\SavingsbullFilterServiceSYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\eventlog\Application\SavingsbullFilterService64SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SavingsbullFilterServiceSYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\SavingsbullFilterService64HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\[APPLICATION]\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall..{Uninstaller}{6DDE8071-E4BA-461B-8A96-990DFAA0EBD1}

Additional Information

The following directories were created:

%PROGRAMFILES%\Savings Bull%PROGRAMFILES%\SavingsBull%PROGRAMFILES%\SavingsbullFilter%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\Savings Bull%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\SavingsBull%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\SavingsbullFilter%WINDIR%\Installer\{6DDE8071-E4BA-461B-8A96-990DFAA0EBD1}%WINDIR%\Installer\{813BA625-B0FA-48D8-9B75-59759C88C219}

The following URL's were detected:

SavingsBull