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HD Video Codec Missing Plug-in -Install HD Video Codec - Misleading Advertisement

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Apr. 16, 2013 2013-04-16T12:58:14-05:00
Jul. 7, 2014 2014-07-07T04:30:53-05:00

Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

HD Video Codec Missing Plug-in -Install HD Video Codec - Misleading Advertisement

The advertisement: "HD Video Codec Missing Plug-in: Install HD Video Codec," is misleading and contains adwares according to two antivirus software. This advertisement will be displayed at the top of your web browser window as a yellow bar, indicating that a video Codec is missing. This is a trick, used to impersonate a browser's notification bar that usually warns users when something is needed by the website that they are browsing.

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The Malicious Advertisement

HD Video Codec Missing Plug-in: Install HD Video Codec

Many persons browsing the internet would mistakenly think this advertisement is a notification displayed by their web browsers and click on it, thinking that their browsers would download the missing codec it indicated is missing.

But, clicking on this advertisement will take them to this malicious web page: www.installssource.com/ download/download_m11.php, where they will be asked to download this malicious file: codec_pack_94396_ch.exe.

I have scanned the file and two antivirus software indicated that the file contains adwares.

Here is the result of scan:

File name: codec_pack_94396_ch.exe
Detection ratio: 2 / 45
Analysis date: 2013-04-13
Threats detected:
Adware.Downware.902
CoolMirage Ltd (fs)

I DO NOT recommend installing this software, and recommend using AdwCleaner to remove any potentially unwanted programs this software may have installed on your computer. AdwCleaner is a very small program and doesn't require any installation.

Click here to dowload and use AdwCleaner.

This threat is similar to the following:

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Comments, Answers, Reviews or Questions

To protect your privacy, please remove sensitive or identifiable information from your comments, questions, or reviews. Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic.

Comments (8)

November 7, 2013 at 8:30 AM by info

You can download and install VLC Player at <a href="http://www.videolan.org/" target="_blank">http://www.videolan.org/</a>.

November 6, 2013 at 1:06 AM by an anonymous user from: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

so if I want to download any hd video codec, wich should I download?

September 20, 2013 at 1:52 AM by an anonymous user from: Nottingham, England, United Kingdom

I did alot to uninstall the programs the only one i can't is the one titled hdvid codec v1. I keep going to control panel and uninstall but it won't, it used to be prevented because it was blocked by avast because it kept trying to send me the adware, now after doing everything else it dosn't say it's blocking anything now but it still won't uninstall.

February 12, 2014 at 5:30 AM by an anonymous user from: LAquila, Abruzzo, Italy

The same goes for me... and it's a bit annoying.

July 31, 2013 at 3:47 AM by an anonymous user from: Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada

"The remove instructions from the HDVidCodec HD video plugin site does not work."<br/><br/>Because this pugin IS VIRUS, :)

May 27, 2013 at 3:49 PM by info

Also, try the free version of Malwarebytes: <a href="http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html?part=dl-10804572&subj=dl&tag=button" target="_blank">Click here to download it.</a>

May 27, 2013 at 3:46 PM by info

Have you tried AdwCleaner? <a href="http://www.onlinethreatalerts.com/article/2013/1/13/adwcleaner-delete-adware-toolbars-potentially-unwanted-programs-browser-hijackers/" target="_blank">Click here to download it</a>.

May 27, 2013 at 2:08 PM by an anonymous user from: Ashburn, Virginia, United States

The remove instructions from the HDVidCodec HD video plugin site does not work. My pc says it is removed but is still there!

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