Uplayer

Posted by Lisa Blanc on July 19, 2016

What is Uplayer?

Uplayer is a suspicious program that uses the interface and the iconic logo of the popular VLC media player. Although this program has its own unique logo, the VLC’s logo is used to attract users and make them more comfortable with this completely different media player. Anti-Spyware-101.com researchers identify it as a potentially unwanted program because of two main reasons. First of all, this PUP is capable of showing advertisements, and they could be misleading and unreliable. Second, it pushes to download unfamiliar software and a suspicious extension that introduces you to a potentially unreliable search provider. These are the main reasons we recommend removing Uplayer from your operating system, and if you want to learn more about this program or the steps that need to be taken to get rid of it, you should continue reading this report. Take note of any questions that arise when you are reading and post them into the comments section below if you want answers. test test test

How does Uplayer work?

The suspicious Uplayer was created by Full Spectrum Interactive; however, the executable that bundles this potentially unwanted program along with the accompanying software belongs to Sonny Sun Interactive. The main file of the PUP is called “uplayer.msi”, but accessing this file is not as straightforward as you might think. If you download the program from its official website, uplayer.us.com, you will be introduced to a pop-up asking to download additional software, such as the Findwide Search Engine for Mozilla Firefox or the new tab extension for Google Chrome. Although these additions are optional, the installer automatically checks the box indicating that you accept them, and if you do not notice it, you might install unwanted stuff without meaning to. Once you download the extension, the MSI file will be downloaded, and only then you will have the opportunity to install the media player. If you have not downloaded it from its official website, where DownloadAdminTM installer manages the whole thing, you might have acquired it using unfamiliar installers. In this case, you need to ask yourself if the suspicious installer was used to infiltrate other suspicious programs that might require removal. Considering that this could be done silently, we advise using a malware scanner to inspect your operating system.

Although users download Uplayer because it promises to play all kinds of video formats as well as DVDs, it seems that this media player was primarily created to introduce you to a suspicious New Tab search engine that is supposedly “Powered by Yahoo.” If you enter keywords into the search box, you will be routed to the yahoo search results page, but the results are likely to be modified. Fortunately, the links representing Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Yahoo Mail, and other services are authentic, but you do not need a strange extension providing you with these links, do you? Another thing to keep in mind is that Uplayer is supported by advertising, and so you are likely to see all kinds of ads, not just the ones mixed in your search results. Needless to say, it is risky to interact with software that can display unpredictable ads created by unknown parties who could use data collected by silent tracking cookies when creating them. Even if you come across legitimate, useful ads, do not forget that misleading and malicious ads could be shown as well.

How to eliminate Uplayer

Uplayer might be an easy-to-use, functioning media player, but it is not reliable, and it does not compare to other popular media players available. According to our research, this media player is ad-supported, which means that it generates revenue by showcasing ads. Whether you see pop-ups or sponsored links in your search results, interacting with these ads is considered risky because the parties working with the PUP are unknown. Furthermore, if you do not delete this PUP, it will introduce you to suspicious search tools and extensions that might track your virtual behavior and show the sponsored links. We suggest you remove the PUP and all of the additional software that might have been offered along with it. If you cannot erase this software manually, employ trusted anti-malware software for an automatic cleanout. Additionally, employ security software to have your PC guarded against malicious and unreliable programs in the future.