RiskWare.SetDefaultBrowser
ThreatDown is now the name of the Malwarebytes line of business products. References to Malwarebytes below reflect the amazing technology used to first identify the threat.
Short bio
RiskWare.SetDefaultBrowser is Malwarebytes’ detection name for a specific family of browser hijackers that change the user’s default browser.
Type of infection
This software is sometimes installed by system administrators to control the default browser on the endpoints under their control, but it can also be abused by others. In those cases it often comes as bundleware.
Malicious behavior
Even though RiskWare.SetDefaultBrowser can be found under variooius filenames, the original filename under Properties > Details will be SetDefaultBrowser.exe. RiskWare.SetDefaultBrowser can be used to change the default browser to Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Internet Explorer.
Protection
Malwarebytes blocksĀ RiskWare.SetDefaultBrowser to give users a chance to review the consequences before using it.
Home remediation
Malwarebytes can detect and remove RiskWare.SetDefaultBrowser without further user interaction.
- PleaseĀ download MalwarebytesĀ to your desktop.
- Double-clickĀ MBSetup.exeĀ and follow the prompts to install the program.
- When yourĀ Malwarebytes for WindowsĀ installation completes, the program opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen.
- Click on theĀ Get startedĀ button.
- ClickĀ ScanĀ to start aĀ Threat Scan.
- ClickĀ QuarantineĀ to remove the found threats.
- Reboot the system if prompted to complete the removal process.
Add an exclusion
Should users wish to keep this program and exclude it from being detected in future scans, they can add the program to the exclusions list. Hereās how to do it.
- Open Malwarebytes for Windows.
- Click theĀ Detection History
- Click theĀ Allow List
- To add an item to theĀ Allow List, clickĀ Add.
- Select the exclusion typeĀ Allow a file or folderĀ and use theĀ Select a folderĀ button to select the main folder for the software that you wish to keep.
- Repeat this for any secondary files or folder(s) that belong to the software.
If you want to allow the program to connect to the Internet, for example to fetch updates, also add an exclusion of the type Allow an application to connect to the internet and use the Browse button to select the file you wish to grant access.