Second time adware is installed with the Evernote.exe file!

[Nikatron 1]

Has anyone else had issues with adware being installed together with the Evernote.exe file???

This is the second time this happens to me, so I'm seriously starting to develop a phobia of updating Evernote.
The first time those two malicious files executed themselves was when I accepted an automatic update, and the second time exactly the same thing happened when I tried to reinstall Evernote instead of updating the existing software on my computer.

These are the names of the files which install themselves completely silently, which is very frustrating:

DisocOunttLuOcator.exe

reaLdeeal.exe

These two completely highjack your browser, installing all kinds of ads and offering coupons (they also install a couple of browser add-ons).  And they gather (and send out) information from your computer, according to what I've read online.
I got the installation file from the Evernote website, so it shouldn't contain adware, so if this is intentional - no bueno.  Has anyone else had this issue???

[gazumped 11,664]

Never had any such problems with any installation going back 6 years or so.  It could be that you have picked up some other malware that downloaded these files.

 

Have you tried any of the free online scanners to identify and remove any unfriendly software?

Emsisoft              http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/eek/
ESET                  http://www.eset.com/us/online-scanner/
F-Secure            https://www.f-secure.com/en/web/labs_global/tools-beta

McAfee Stinger   http://www.mcafee.com/us/downloads/free-tools/stinger.aspx
Microsoft             http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx
Trend                  http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
 

[Frank.dg 1,385]

Could you check your browser history and copy the exact URL here of the "Evernote" site you downloaded the file from? "You fool me once, shame on you..."

[Nikatron 1]

Thank you guys so much for your quick replies.  I really appreciate it, because I find it hard to believe that those two files came with the Evernote.exe file.  It's just that I don't know what I could have done wrong.  I never download installers from "unofficial" sites and I'm 100% sure that I did go to "evernote.com" for that file (the second time, when I decided to fully reinstall the software).

@gazumped Thank you so much for all the links to the free scanners.  I only knew of two of the ones you referred me to.  Definitely will use those in the future.  I did remove the adware, but I was mostly upset that it got installed in the first place.  That's why the second time around I decided to fully reinstall Evernote, but downloading the .exe file from their site, but the same thing happened.

@Frank.dg I will definitely paste that URL in this thread when I get back home (I'm away until tomorrow night), but I'm pretty sure it was "evernote.com".  

And by the way, you guys, the only reason I even noticed that those two were installed along with Evernote is because I use "Yr Uninstaller" and it usually prompts me with newly installed software.  Otherwise I probably wouldn't even know where those two came from.  Although it was pretty obvious the first time, because as soon as Evernote updated my Chrome restarted a couple of times and it was "highjacked" with those shopping ad-ons, collecting all kinds of info from my PC.

[Nikatron 1]

Could you check your browser history and copy the exact URL here of the "Evernote" site you downloaded the file from? "You fool me once, shame on you..."

Hey Frank.dg,

 

This is the link I have in my download history:  https://cdn1.evernote.com/win5/public/Evernote_5.8.1.6061.exe.

I even went back to "evernote.com", followed the path to download and clicked again to make sure that it would bring me to the same page, because I was a little suspicious about the "cdn1" part...

 

Thank you again for such a quick reply...

[Frank.dg 1,385]

@Nikatron,

You do in fact have the right link and the right download page. That is the official Evernote download link for the latest desktop version.

 

What's puzzling is that you say that file (and the automatic update) brought with it the adware. There was one case of a lady a short while ago who had exactly the same problem... however, she had downloaded Evernote from an unauthorized site. Is it possible that the adware was pre-existing to your Evernote install? It's just that this is the first time I've heard that anyone has had this kind of problem downloading from the Evernote site itself. 

 

More pressing would be to get rid of the malicious software that installed itself. If you're on Windows, and if you haven't uninstalled or gotten rid of the files mentioned (which cannot be uninstalled as browser extensions) take a look at your Control Panel > Uninstall and take a peek at the install date. See if that coincides with the date of the Evernote software install.

 

Either way, I'm sure you're on top of things and have used those links above that @Gazumped posted.

 

Good luck!! 

[Nikatron 1]

@Nikatron,

You do in fact have the right link and the right download page. That is the official Evernote download link for the latest desktop version.

 

What's puzzling is that you say that file (and the automatic update) brought with it the adware. There was one case of a lady a short while ago who had exactly the same problem... however, she had downloaded Evernote from an unauthorized site. Is it possible that the adware was pre-existing to your Evernote install? It's just that this is the first time I've heard that anyone has had this kind of problem downloading from the Evernote site itself. 

 

More pressing would be to get rid of the malicious software that installed itself. If you're on Windows, and if you haven't uninstalled or gotten rid of the files mentioned (which cannot be uninstalled as browser extensions) take a look at your Control Panel > Uninstall and take a peek at the install date. See if that coincides with the date of the Evernote software install.

 

Either way, I'm sure you're on top of things and have used those links above that @Gazumped posted.

 

Good luck!! 

 

Thank you for your reply, Frank.dg...

 

I'll try to "Google" some more to figure out how this might have happened, but yes I did check the time and date before uninstalling those.  All three (including Evernote) were installed at the same time and the only .exe file I clicked on was the Evernote installation file.  It was also very obvious that this had happened all at the same time because as soon as Evernote got installed my browser closed and reopened two times and came back on with those add-ons, advertising all sorts of coupons and deals that I might be interested in, covering half of my screen...  

I'm just curious at this point as well, because I consider myself pretty careful (I've learnt from many mistakes in the past) when it comes to sources of anything I download.  I don't know if it's somehow possible to allow a simultaneous downloads of other software by clicking on a legitimate download link...  Maybe there is another "culprit" on my system that somehow does that?...  And then that additional software I unknowingly downloaded installs itself when I click on the file I actually meant to download?...  

Anyways, these are questions for myself I guess...  I don't mean for you to answer them in this thread...  You've been very helpful by letting me know that this hasn't happened to anyone else.

 

Thank you again!

[rprisock 0]

I downloaded Evernote from the App Store and also gained Adware on my machine as well. It was downloaded into a private file on my root level user. This Spyware was up to no good for sure. I deleted the content. But something to certainly be aware of, if I had not been using a virus scanner I would not have known.