Bargain Buddy

Bargain Buddy is an Adware program developed by Exact Advertising. Bargain Buddy software monitors Internet usage and displays advertisements based on the websites a user views. The software may also display ads for Exact Advertising programs such as FunGameDownloads and PhotoGizmo.


Method of Infection/Variants

The program is downloaded as a Browser Helper Object (BHO) as part of software bundles via the Internet, through free downloads such as games, wallpapers and screensavers. Bargain Buddy may also be known as CashBackBuddy, Bullseye Software, eXact Searchbar and NaviSearch.


Affected Operating Systems

Bargain Buddy is only known to infect computers running the Microsoft Windows Operating System, specifically integrating with the Internet Explorer web browser. The following Windows systems may be infected:

* Windows 2000
* Windows 95
* Windows 98
* Windows Me
* Windows NT
* Windows Server 2003
* Windows XP


Symptoms of infection

In a typical installation, the following files are created: bbchk.exe & bargains.exe. The Registry is also modified so the software runs at system startup.


Removal

Exact Advertising insists that users should only attempt to remove Bargain Buddy and other Exact Advertising products through the Add/Remove programs applet, in the Control Panel. Symantec has released a tool to help remove the program. It may also be removed by PC Tools Spyware Doctor, the Norton Family of Security products, and Spybot Search & Destroy.

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