Wp20.ru Virus

Wp20.ru

Wp20.ru is an application that can be categorized as a browser hijacker and has some specifics which dictate its behavior. As a typical representative of this software category, Wp20.ru has the ability to attach itself to common browsers such as Chrome, Firefox and Edge and to alter their settings.

Wp20.ru Virus
The Wp20.ru Virus expose you to unfamiliar web links and low-quality pages

For instance, it may replace the homepage domain, search engine tool and toolbars, in order to display sponsored content. As a result of this, you may start seeing different pop-up ads, promotional links, banners and page-redirect prompts every time you start a new browsing session. Luckily, Wp20.ru is just an aggressive advertising application, which does not have harmful abilities and is not related to threats like ransomware, Trojans, rootkits and other nasty viruses.

The Wp20.ru Virus

The Wp20.ru virus pretty much resembles a regular browser extension and can be easily detected even without a security application because its ads and browser changes give it away. In fact, exactly these unwanted changes, obstructive redirects and aggressive ads can make you question the nature of the Wp20.ru Virus because they may prevent you from using your browser in an effective way.

For instance, they may constantly interrupt you and expose you to unfamiliar web links and low-quality pages. That’s why, instead of wondering how to remove the nagging pop-ups every time you open your browser, we suggest you take a look at the instructions in the removal guide below and follow the steps that will explain how to uninstall Wp20.ru from any browser that might have been affected.

Even though the browser hijackers aren’t real viruses and lack the harmful abilities of the representatives of typical malware categories such as Trojans, spyware or ransomware, we cannot omit the fact there are certain risks and potential security hazards which may be related to their activity. The greatest danger, in fact, does not come from the hijackers themselves (as we already mentioned above, they do not have harmful code in them that could damage your system) but from the randomly generated commercials that they display.

As you may know, methods like malvertising and spam distribution are some of the most common methods used by hackers to spread computer threats. And since applications like Wp20.ru and Lookmovie.ag  are programmed to display various advertisements from different third-party sources, technically, it is possible that malicious ads, misleading links and infected messages may also get displayed on your screen along with the rest of the online ads.

Unfortunately, there is no way of telling which ads are legitimate and which might be malicious and while some may be legit and may redirect you to some nice offers, others may land you on insecure web locations, low-quality pages and virus transmitters. That’s why, if you have a piece of software like Wp20.ru on your system, you should always keep in mind the potential risks of clicking on something misleading and take actions to remove the ads and uninstall their source in order to have full control over your browser and your web surfing experience.

SUMMARY:

NameWp20.ru
Type Browser Hijacker
Danger LevelMedium (nowhere near threats like Ransomware, but still a security risk)
Symptoms Your browser may start to flood your screen with various sponsored commercials. 
Distribution MethodFree download links, ads, shareware, freeware, and software bundling are some of the most common sources.
Detection Tool

Remove Wp20.ru Virus 

If you have a Windows virus, continue with the guide below.

If you have a Mac virus, please use our How to remove Ads on Mac guide.

If you have an Android virus, please use our Android Malware Removal guide.

If you have an iPhone virus, please use our iPhone Virus Removal guide


Step1

Some of the steps will likely require you to exit the page. Bookmark it for later reference.

Reboot in Safe Mode (use this guide if you don’t know how to do it).

Step2

WARNING! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!

Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC at the same time and go to the Processes Tab (the “Details” Tab on Win 8 and 10). Try to determine which processes are dangerous. 

malware-start-taskbar

Right click on each of them and select Open File Location. Then scan the files with our free online virus scanner:

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    After you open their folder, end the processes that are infected, then delete their folders. 

    Note: If you are sure something is part of the infection – delete it, even if the scanner doesn’t flag it. No anti-virus program can detect all infections. 

    Step3

    Hold together the Start Key and R. Type appwiz.cpl –> OK.

    appwiz

    You are now in the Control Panel. Look for suspicious entries. Uninstall it/them.

    Type msconfig in the search field and hit enter. A window will pop-up:

    msconfig_opt

    Startup —> Uncheck entries that have “Unknown” as Manufacturer or otherwise look suspicious.

    Step4

    Hold the Start Key and R –  copy + paste the following and click OK:

    notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts

    A new file will open. If you are hacked, there will be a bunch of other IPs connected to you at the bottom. Look at the image below:

    hosts_opt (1)

    If there are suspicious IPs below “Localhost” – write to us in the comments.

    Open the start menu and search for Network Connections (On Windows 10 you just write it after clicking the Windows button), press enter.

    1. Right-click on the Network Adapter you are using —> Properties —> Internet Protocol Version 4 (ICP/IP), click  Properties.
    2. The DNS line should be set to Obtain DNS server automatically. If it is not, set it yourself.
    3. Click on Advanced —> the DNS tab. Remove everything here (if there is something) —> OK.
    DNS

    Step5

    • After you complete this step, the threat will be gone from your browsers. Finish the next step as well or it may reappear on a system reboot.

    Right click on the browser’s shortcut —> Properties.

    NOTE: We are showing Google Chrome, but you can do this for Firefox and IE (or Edge).

    browser-hijacker-taskbar-properties

    Properties —–> Shortcut. In Target, remove everything after .exe.

    Browser Hijacker Removal Instructions

    ie9-10_512x512  Remove Wp20.ru  from Internet Explorer:

    Open IE, click  IE GEAR —–> Manage Add-ons.

    pic 3

    Find the threat —> Disable. Go to IE GEAR —–> Internet Options —> change the URL to whatever you use (if hijacked) —> Apply.

    firefox-512 Remove Wp20.ru  from Firefox:

    Open Firefoxclick  mozilla menu  ——-> Add-ons —-> Extensions.

    pic 6


    chrome-logo-transparent-backgroundRemove Wp20.ru  from Chrome:

    Close Chrome. Navigate to:

     C:/Users/!!!!USER NAME!!!!/AppData/Local/Google/Chrome/User Data. There is a Folder called “Default” inside:

    Rename the Folder to Backup Default

    Rename it to Backup Default. Restart Chrome.

    Step6

    Type Regedit in the windows search field and press Enter.

    Inside, press CTRL and F together and type the threat’s Name. Right click and delete any entries you find with a similar name. If they don’t show up this way, go manually to these directories and delete/uninstall them:

    • HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—–Random Directory. It could be any one of them – ask us if you can’t discern which ones are malicious.
      HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—Microsoft—-Windows—CurrentVersion—Run– Random
      HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—Microsoft—Internet Explorer—-Main—- Random

    If the guide doesn’t help, download the anti-virus program we recommended or try our free online virus scanner. Also, you can always ask us in the comments for help!


    About the author

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    Violet George

    Violet is an active writer with a passion for all things cyber security. She enjoys helping victims of computer virus infections remove them and successfully deal with the aftermath of the attacks. But most importantly, Violet makes it her priority to spend time educating people on privacy issues and maintaining the safety of their computers. It is her firm belief that by spreading this information, she can empower web users to effectively protect their personal data and their devices from hackers and cybercriminals.

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