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Parasite: DailyToolbar

This record last updated Tue Sep 20 2005 00:34:15

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Description

DailyToolbar is an adware toolbar stored as DailyToolbar.dll in the Downloaded Program Files folder. DailyToolbar is controlled by Authorized Search Agents (authorizedsearchagents.com, 247adagency.com) and distributed by porn group Beano Publishing’s Niche Toolbars programme (nichetoolbars.com). ASA and Beano are run by EBT Marketing Inc (ebtmarketing.com).

Variants

DailyToolbar/Daily, Anime, Asian, BBW, BDSM, BigTit, Ebony, Fetish, GayXXX, Hardcore, Lesbian, Mature, Niche, Shemale, Twink and Voyeur are essentially the same, but with different program names, and different settings to show toolbar links for the relevant porn type.

Distribution

Installed through an ‘aggressive’ ActiveX drive-by-downloader script (refuses to take no for an answer) from pages on Niche Toolbars sites (including the main entry page; exercise caution). DailyToolbar/Daily is distributed from dailytoolbar.com, DailyToolbar/Anime from animetoolbar.com and so on, but the filename and controlling server is always ‘DailyToolbar’.

What it does

Advertising

Yes. Opens porn pop-ups periodically, dictated by its controlling server dailytoolbar.com.

Also acts as an IE homepage and search-bar hijacker pointed at topsearchdog.com, and can add bookmarks to the Favorites menu.

Privacy violation

No.

Security issues

None known.

Stability problems

May in some circumstances cause the filer to crash with ‘Explorer has caused an error in DailyToolbar.dll’.

Removal

There should be an entry in the Control Panel’s Add/Remove Programs list named after the variant of DailyToolbar installed. This should remove the software correctly. You can then reset your home page and search settings from Internet Options->Programs->Reset Web Settings, and remove any unwanted bookmarks from the Favorites menu.

Manual removal

Open a Command Prompt window (from the Accessories submenu in [All] Programs on the Start menu) and enter the following commands:

cd %WinDir%\System
regsvr32 /u "..\Downloaded Program Files\DailyToolbar.dll"

Restart the computer and you should be able to delete the file DailyToolbar.dll from the Downloaded Program Files folder. As this cannot be seen in the Windows filer, open a Command Prompt window and enter:

del "%WinDir%\Downloaded Program Files\DailyToolbar.dll"

To clean up, you can also open the registry (click ‘Start’, choose ‘Run’, enter ‘regedit’) and delete the keys HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\NIX Solutions and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\NIX Solutions.