In the short-term, Malwarebytes says AdwCleaner will be given a "facelift" and the company will work to enhance its detection and analysis abilities. AdwCleaner is free software which scans PC systems to remove PUPs, adware, browser hijackers, and other nuisance software. These unwanted programs can also be a security risk as they may act beyond their original scope to perform functions such as browser injections, data collection, and installing root certificates without consent.įinancial terms of the deal were not disclosed.įounded in 2011 by three French students, AdwCleaner has been downloaded over 20 million times and averages at 200,000 downloads per day worldwide.
PUPs, often bundled into legitimate downloads, include bloatware which siphons off PC resources, adware which forces users to deal with continual adverts and pop-ups, and crapware which could install further programs you do not want, such as shopping applications or games. In a blog post, Malwarebytes said snapping up AdwCleaner is part of the company's mission to become "more aggressive" in the hunt for Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) which are often a nuisance and can be frustrating for consumers. The cybersecurity firm revealed the purchase on Wednesday. Malwarebytes has acquired AdwCleaner in a deal designed to improve the capabilities of the firm's Malwarebytes Anti-Malware product. Ukrainian developers share stories from the war zone Linux distros for beginners: You can do this! Got questions about crypto? Ask the Coachįor Mom: The best flower delivery services How ransomware attacks threaten our food supply