View source for Software:Malwarebytes

{{Short description|Anti-malware software}}

{{Infobox software
| name = Malwarebytes
| logo = Malwarebytes logo stacked PMS2728.png
| caption = MBAM 3.0.5 Premium running on [[Software:Windows 10|Windows 10]]
| developer = [[Company:Malwarebytes|Malwarebytes Inc.]]
| released = {{start date and age|2006|1}} (as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware)
| latest release version = {{Multiple releases
  |branch1 = Windows
  |version1 = 4.6.8
  |date1 = {{Start date and age|2024|01|5}}<ref name="Malwarebytes_Windows">{{Cite web |url=https://support.malwarebytes.com/hc/en-us/sections/360005863113-Release-History-News |title=Malwarebytes for Windows – Release History & News |website=support.malwarebytes.com}}</ref>

  |branch2 = macOS
  |version2 = 4.21
  |date2 = {{Start date and age|2023|09|26}}<ref name="Malwarebytes_Mac">{{Cite web |url=https://support.malwarebytes.com/hc/en-us/sections/360005863193-Release-History-News |title=Malwarebytes for Mac – Release History & News |website=support.malwarebytes.com}}</ref>

  |branch3 = Android & ChromeOS
  |version3 = 5.4.0
  |date3 =<br/>{{Start date and age|2024|01|04}}<ref name="Malwarebytes_Android">{{Cite web |url=https://support.malwarebytes.com/hc/en-us/sections/360005837354 |title=Malwarebytes for Android & Chrome OS – Release History & News |website=support.malwarebytes.com}}</ref>

  |branch4 = iOS
  |version4 = 5.4
  |date4 =<br/>{{Start date and age|2024|01|15}}<ref name="Malwarebytes_iOS">{{Cite web |url=https://support.malwarebytes.com/hc/en-us/sections/360005863293 |title=Malwarebytes for Malwarebytes for iOS – Release History & News |website=support.malwarebytes.com}}</ref>}}
| operating system = [[Software:Windows 7|Windows 7]] and later,<br/>macOS 10.12 and later, Android 9.0 and up, [[Software:IOS 15|iOS 15]] and later, [[Software:ChromeOS|ChromeOS]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Antivirus for Windows 11 {{!}} Windows Antivirus {{!}} Malwarebytes Windows 11 |url=https://www.malwarebytes.com/premium |access-date=2022-11-26 |website=Malwarebytes |language=en}}</ref>
| platform = [[IA-32]], [[X86-64|x86-64]]
| size = Windows: 287 MB<br />Android: 31.13 MB
| language = Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish and Vietnamese
| language count = 30
| genre = Anti-malware
| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] ([[Finance:Freemium|Freemium]])
| website = {{URL|malwarebytes.com}}
}}

'''Malwarebytes''' (formerly '''Malwarebytes Anti-Malware''', abbreviated as '''MBAM''') is [[Antivirus software|anti-malware software]] for [[Software:Microsoft Windows|Microsoft Windows]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://windowsable.com/10-best-malware-removal-tools-for-windows-10/ |title=10 Best Malware Removal Tools for Windows 10 - Windows Able |website=windowsable.com |date=December 18, 2015 |access-date=August 24, 2016}}</ref> [[Software:MacOS|macOS]], [[Software:ChromeOS|ChromeOS]], [[Software:Android (operating system)|Android]], and [[Software:IOS|iOS]] that finds and removes [[Malware|malware]].<ref name="PCW"/> Made by [[Company:Malwarebytes|Malwarebytes Corporation]], it was first released in January 2006. This is available in a free version, which scans for and removes malware when started manually, and a paid version, which additionally provides scheduled scans, real-time protection and a flash-memory scanner.

==Overview==
Malwarebytes is primarily a scanner that scans and removes malicious software, including [[Rogue security software|rogue security software]], [[Adware|adware]], and [[Spyware|spyware]]. Malwarebytes scans in batch mode, rather than scanning all files opened, reducing interference if another on-demand anti-malware software is also running on the computer.<ref name="Malwarebytes">{{cite web |url=http://www.malwarebytes.org/company |title=Malwarebytes Corporation |publisher=MalwareBytes |access-date=August 18, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2356509,00.asp |title=Free Antivirus and Antispyware |author=Neil J. Rubenking |work=PC Magazine |date=July 6, 2010 |access-date=March 2, 2014}}</ref>

Malwarebytes is available in both a free{{update needed|date=January 2024}} and a paid version.<ref name="PCW">{{citation |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/231813/malwarebytes_antimalware.html |title=Malwarebytes Anti-Malware review at PCworld.com |date=December 21, 2010 |access-date=July 22, 2014}}</ref> The free version can be run manually by the user when desired, whereas the paid version can perform scheduled scans, automatically scan files when opened, block [[IP address]]es of malicious web sites, and scan only those [[Software:Windows service|services]], programs and [[Device driver|device driver]]s that are currently in use.

==Security vulnerabilities==
On February 2, 2016, Project Zero discovered four vulnerabilities in the Malwarebytes flagship product, including lack of server-side encryption for update files and lack of proper payload signing within encrypted data; the combination of which allowed an attacker to recompile the encrypted payload with exploits.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Leyden |first1=John |title=Google ninjas go public with security holes in Malwarebytes antivirus |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/02/malwarebytes_0day/ |website=The Register |access-date=February 6, 2016}}</ref> Malwarebytes responded one day before disclosure in a blog article detailing the extreme difficulty in executing these attacks, as well as revealing that the announced server-side and encryption issues were resolved within days of private disclosure and were not outstanding at the time Project Zero published their research.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://blog.malwarebytes.com/malwarebytes-news/2016/02/malwarebytes-anti-malware-vulnerability-disclosure/ |title=Malwarebytes Anti-Malware vulnerability disclosure |first=Marcin |last=Kleczynski |date=February 1, 2016 |website=Malwarebytes Labs}}</ref> Malwarebytes also published information on how to protect current users until a patch was released. This event also resulted in the establishment of a formal [[Bug bounty program|bug bounty program]] by Malwarebytes, which offers up to $1000 per disclosure {{as of|2018|lc=on}}, depending on severity and exploitability.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.malwarebytes.com/secure/ |title=Malwarebytes Bug Bounty |access-date=July 6, 2018}}</ref>

==Dispute with IObit==
On November 2, 2009, Malwarebytes accused IObit, a Chinese company that offers similar products, of incorporating the database of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (and several products from other vendors, which were not named) into its security software IObit Security 360.<ref>{{Cite web |last=RubbeR DuckY (psudeonym) |date=November 2, 2009 |title=IOBit Steals Malwarebytes' Intellectual Property |url=https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/29681-iobit-steals-malwarebytes-intellectual-property/ |access-date=February 23, 2022 |website=Malwarebytes Forums}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mills |first=Elinor |date=November 3, 2009 |title=Malwarebytes accuses rival of software theft |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/malwarebytes-accuses-rival-of-software-theft/ |access-date=February 23, 2022 |publisher=CNET |language=en}}</ref> IObit denied the accusation and stated that the database is based on user submissions, and sometimes the same signature names that are in Malwarebytes get placed into the results. They said that they did not have time to filter out the signature names that are similar to Malwarebytes. IObit also stated that Malwarebytes did not have convincing proof, and declared that the databases were not stolen. After the declaration from IObit, Malwarebytes replied that they are not convinced of the argument from IObit. Malwarebytes claims to have served DMCA infringement notices against CNET, [[Download.com]] and Majorgeeks in order to have the download sites remove the IObit software. IObit said that as of version 1.3, their database has been updated to address those accusations of intellectual property theft made earlier by Malwarebytes.

==See also==
* [[Comparison of computer viruses]]
* [[Internet security]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
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{{Antivirus software}}

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{{Sourceattribution|Malwarebytes (software)|1}}