Windows Tips Tool - What Is VSToolbar (VSAdd-in.dll)?

1. From fileinfo.prevx.com/fileinfo.asp?PXC=f77250043136, it was an information page about VSAdd-in.dll:

DEFINITION OF: VSADD-IN.DLL
* Safety Rating: Known Malware, do not run
* Malware Family: Part of Malware group - Adware VSToolbar
* Malware Form: EXPLOIT
* Protection: Prevx1 is a very powerful PC security product,
it will protect, disinfect, cleanup and remove VSADD-IN.DLL
and safeguard your PC against viruses, trojans, worms, spyware,
rootkits and adware
* New Users: You can download the full Prevx1 product and use it to cleanup and remove VSADD-IN.DLL and other infections free of charge, then leave it to monitor your PC for other infections
* First seen: Oct 26 2006 (GMT)
* Last seen: Oct 26 2006 (GMT)
* File Size: 126,976 bytes

2. From www.castlecops.com/t170608-VSAdd_in_dll.html, it was a forum post dated on Oct 31, 2006. The post reported that VSAdd-in toolbar links to hxxp://xxx.searchcolours.com, and searching for antispyware products spawns numerous rogue antispyware applications.

3. From www.techspot.com/vb/topic62105.html, it was a forum post dated on Nov 2, 2006, reporting a case of infection with 3 related entries in HijackThis report:

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {46A4E9D9-B30E-452A-8157-DBBEC8573B03}
- C:\Program Files\VSAdd-in\VSAdd-in.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {F18F04B0-9CF1-4b93-B004-77A288BEE28B}
- C:\WINDOWS\system32\rvxjdqom.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &VSAdd-in - {74DD705D-6834-439C-A735-A6DBE2677452}
- C:\Program Files\VSAdd-in\VSAdd-in.dll


4. From forums.techguy.org/security/514824-i-am-direneed-help-vsadd.html, it was a forum post dated on Nov 2, 2006, reporting a case of infection with 3 related entries in HijackThis report:

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {46A4E9D9-B30E-452A-8157-DBBEC8573B03}
- C:\Program Files\VSAdd-in\VSAdd-in.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {F18F04B0-9CF1-4b93-B004-77A288BEE28B}
- C:\WINDOWS\system32\gfbfpnyc.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &VSAdd-in - {74DD705D-6834-439C-A735-A6DBE2677452}
- C:\Program Files\VSAdd-in\VSAdd-in.dll

It was interesting to see that Norton Internet Security was also installed on the infected system, offering no protection at all:

O2 - BHO: Norton Internet Security - {9ECB9560-04F9-4bbc-943D-298...}
- C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec ...\AdBlocking\NISShExt.dll
O2 - BHO: NAV Helper - {BDF3E430-B101-42AD-A544-FADC6B084872}
- C:\Program Files\Norton Internet ...\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Norton Internet Security - {0B53EAC3-8D69-4b9e-9B19...}
- C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec ...\AdBlocking\NISShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Norton AntiVirus - {42CDD1BF-3FFB-4238-8AD1-7859DF0...}
- C:\Program Files\Norton Internet ...\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll


Conclusion: VSAdd-in.dll is a very new adware. It is possible that VSAdd-in.dll infects Windows systems through existing Trojan Vundo infections.