FunctionNetwork Adware
Our researchers uncovered FunctionNetwork, a rogue application, during a routine examination of new file samples. Upon investigation, we identified FunctionNetwork as adware belonging to the AdLoad malware family. Its primary purpose is to generate revenue for its developers through advertising.
Adware, short for advertising-supported software, typically functions by displaying third-party graphical content such as pop-ups, coupons, overlays, banners, and other advertisements on websites visited or within various interfaces.
It's worth noting that this software may not deliver intrusive advertisement campaigns under certain conditions, such as incompatible browsers/systems or user geolocation, specific site visitation patterns, or other unsuitable conditions. However, FunctionNetwork poses a risk to device and user safety regardless of whether it displays advertisements.
Advertisements displayed by adware can promote online scams, unreliable or harmful software, and malware. Clicking on certain intrusive ads can trigger scripts that initiate downloads or installations without user consent.
It's important to recognize that any legitimate content encountered through these advertisements is likely being promoted by scammers seeking to earn illegitimate commissions through abuse of affiliate programs.
While AdLoad adware applications often include browser-hijacking capabilities, FunctionNetwork did not demonstrate these traits in our analysis.
Moreover, FunctionNetwork likely collects sensitive information, as data-tracking capabilities are standard for advertising-supported software. This targeted data can include browsing and search histories, Internet cookies, usernames, passwords, personally identifiable information, credit card numbers, and more. The collected information may be sold to third parties or exploited for profit.
What is the AdLoad Family of Adware Applications?
The AdLoad family refers to a group of adware applications known for displaying intrusive advertisements and potentially engaging in other malicious activities. AdLoad adware typically generates revenue for its developers by delivering advertisements to affected systems. Here are some key characteristics and behaviors associated with the AdLoad family:
Advertising: AdLoad adware is primarily designed to display various types of advertisements, including pop-ups, banners, coupons, overlays, and other graphical content. These ads can appear on websites visited by the user or within different interfaces of the operating system.
Revenue Generation: The main goal of AdLoad adware is to generate revenue through advertising. Advertisements displayed by AdLoad may lead users to click on affiliate links or engage with promoted content, thereby earning revenue for the adware operators.
Potentially Unwanted Behavior: While adware like AdLoad is focused on advertising, it may exhibit other unwanted behaviors. This can include collecting user data, modifying browser settings, redirecting web traffic, or installing additional unwanted software.
Browser Hijacking: Some variants of AdLoad adware are known to hijack web browsers, altering browser settings, changing the default search engine, or redirecting users to specific websites against their will.
Data Collection: AdLoad adware often includes data-tracking capabilities. It may collect information about the user's browsing habits, search queries, websites visited, IP addresses, geolocation data, and other potentially sensitive information. This data can be used for targeted advertising or sold to third-party advertisers.
Impact on Performance and Security: AdLoad adware can degrade system performance by consuming resources to display advertisements. Additionally, interactions with malicious ads or links promoted by the adware may expose users to further security risks, including malware infections.
To protect against AdLoad and similar adware applications, users should practice safe browsing habits, avoid downloading software from untrusted sources, keep their operating systems and applications updated, use reputable antivirus software with adware detection capabilities, and regularly scan their systems for potentially unwanted programs.
