It is noteworthy that AdLoad apps tend to have browser-hijacking qualities, although SharedFormat did not exhibit any during testing.įurthermore, advertising-supported software usually collects sensitive data, and this may be true of SharedFormat. However, even if SharedFormat does not display adverts – its presence on a system endangers device/user safety. It is most probable that this promotion is undertaken by scammers abusing the content's affiliate programs in order to obtain illegitimate commissions.Īdware may need specific conditions to run intrusive advertisement campaigns (e.g., compatible browser/system or user geolocation, visits to particular websites, etc.). Note that any legitimate products/services encountered through these ads are highly unlikely to be endorsed by their developers/creators. When clicked on, some intrusive adverts can execute scripts to perform downloads/installations without user consent. The displayed advertisements promote online scams, unreliable/harmful software, and even malware. It enables the placement of third-party graphical content (e.g., pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys, and other intrusive ads) on visited websites and/or different interfaces.

This app is designed to display advertisements, and it may have additional harmful functionalities.Īdware stands for advertising-supported software.

After examining this piece of software, we determined that it is adware belonging to the AdLoad malware family. While inspecting new submissions to VirusTotal, our research team discovered the SharedFormat application.

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