FastMP3Search Plugin

This application report reviews the FastMP3Search Plugin, produced and distributed by FastMP3Search.com.

We find that FastMP3Search Plugin is badware because it behaves as a Trojan horse application, installing additional applications without disclosure. These additional applications are not only undisclosed, they also reportedly behave as badware themselves. The plugin and its bundled applications change the configuration of user settings in many ways, including, but not limited to: disabling Windows Firewall, changing the homepage, redirecting valid web addresses, running the bundled applications on startup, and running processes in the background. The user is also bombarded with pop-up advertisements, mostly from rogue anti-spyware and anti-virus applications that are reportedly bundled with badware, in an attempt to deceive the user to download even more badware applications onto their system. FastMP3Search is also difficult or impossible for the average user to uninstall. In addition, after installing FastMP3Search, our testing system slowed down immensely and tended to freeze -- leaving us with no other option but to shut the computer down manually by powering off. On those occasions when our computer did not freeze, the system would instead restart without notification.

We currently recommend that users do not download the version of FastMP3Search Plugin that we tested, unless the user is comfortable with the level of risk we identify or until the application is updated consistent with the recommendations in this report.

For the full text of this report, please visit http://www.stopbadware.org/reports/reportdisplay?reportname=fastmp3search