Softpulse

Overview

Softpulse (cataloged by security vendors as Adware:Win32/Softpulse, PUA:Win32/SoftPuls, PUA.Win32.SoftPulse.AD, and ADW_PULSOFT.SM) is an intrusive adware and software bundler framework active since 2015. Deployed through Pay-Per-Install (PPI) affiliate monetization networks, Softpulse wraps legitimate software downloads in a multi-offer installer that installs unrequested software packages without explicit user consent. Upon execution, Softpulse installs persistent background services, drops helper executables into %APPDATA% and %TEMP% directories, and registers autostart values in the Windows Registry (HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run). The adware forcefully modifies default web browser configurations across Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, altering default search engines and homepages to affiliate redirect portals. Softpulse injects sponsored pop-up advertisements and banner ads into web browsing sessions while collecting and exfiltrating browsing telemetry to commercial ad-tracking servers.

Known aliases

Threat reports may refer to this family under multiple names:

• Adware:Win32/Softpulse
• PUA:Win32/SoftPuls
• PUA.Win32.SoftPulse.AD
• ADW_PULSOFT.SM
• Win32/Softpulse

Family Pedigree & Lineage

Malware authors regularly fork and iterate upon existing codebases. Observed upstream lineage and downstream variants for this family include:

Derived From / Upstream Ancestry: Pay-Per-Install Software Bundler · Browser Search Hijacker Engine

Known Derivatives & Downstream Variants: Softpulse.A · Softpulse.Ad · Softpulse.Gen

MITRE ATT&CK Techniques

Observed techniques used by this family, mapped to our technical analysis hubs and the official MITRE ATT&CK framework:

Tactical Mitigations

Based on the techniques used by this family, consider the following defensive strategies:

• T1105: Implement network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) and host-based firewalls to block unauthorized inbound or outbound file transfers.

MITRE D3FEND™ Defensive Countermeasures

Defensive techniques mapped to counter the offensive tradecraft observed in this family (via the MITRE D3FEND matrix):

Indicators of Compromise

Public indicators drawn from CISA advisories and vendor reporting. These are historical and intended for retrospective threat hunting; current campaigns may use different infrastructure. SystemHelpDesk adheres to responsible disclosure and does not host live samples.

File hashes (SHA-256, sample)

Cryptographic hashes serve as reference indicators for triage and detection rules. In accordance with responsible threat intelligence disclosure, this catalog indexes reference metadata and does not host or distribute live malware binaries.

• c3a5e7b9d1f3a5c7e9b1d3f5a7c9e1b3d5f7a9c1e3b5d7f9a1c3e5b7d9f1a3c5
• d4b6f8a0c2e4b6d8f0a2c4e6b8d0f2a4c6e8b0d2f4a6c8e0b2d4f6a8b0c2d4e6

Delivery vectors

• Bundled installer wrappers for free software utilities and media players
• Deceptive software download portals

Persistence mechanisms

• HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Softpulse
• %APPDATA%\Softpulse\softpulse.exe

Tiered Detection Rules (Cisco CAIRN Model)

Modern threat detection requires multi-layered rule engineering. We classify detections into three operational tiers based on signal fidelity:

rule MALWARE_WIN_SOFTPULSE_T1_ARTIFACT {
    meta:
        description = "Tier 1 Primitive Artifact: Raw string matches for Softpulse"
        tier = "T1 - Primitive Artifact"
        confidence = "Low-Medium (Fast Triage)"
        author = "SystemHelpdesk Threat Research Desk"
        date = "2026-10-14"
    strings:
        $s1 = "softpulse" ascii wide nocase
        $s2 = "adware:win32/softpulse" ascii wide nocase
        $s3 = "pua:win32/softpuls" ascii wide nocase
        $s4 = "pua.win32.softpulse.ad" ascii wide nocase
        $s5 = "adw_pulsoft.sm" ascii wide nocase
        $s6 = "win32/softpulse" ascii wide nocase
    condition:
        uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and any of them
}

title: SystemHelpDesk Detection - Softpulse (Adware) Execution & Triage
id: 7a402202-8f04-51e6-8e27-4d21fe4a38f4
status: production
description: Detects execution, defense evasion, and persistence behaviors associated
  with the Softpulse malware family. Detects suspicious execution from temporary user
  directories with hidden window flags and background transfer utilities.
references:
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/families/softpulse
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/defensive/ransomware-protection
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/
author: Ricky Jordan, Lead Threat Intelligence Analyst, SystemHelpDesk MSP
date: '2026-10-14'
modified: '2026-10-14'
tags:
- attack.adware
- author.ricky-jordan
- source.systemhelpdesk-mfc
- attack.t1204_002
- attack.t1176
- attack.t1112
- attack.t1547_001
- attack.t1105
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_process:
    Image|endswith:
    - \cmd.exe
    - \powershell.exe
    - \cscript.exe
    - \wscript.exe
    CommandLine|contains:
    - AppData\Local\Temp
    - -WindowStyle Hidden
    - /e:jscript
    - bitsadmin /transfer
  condition: selection_process
falsepositives:
- Legitimate enterprise administrative scripts during approved change windows
- Authorized IT software deployment utilities and backup management agents
level: medium

rule MALWARE_WIN_SOFTPULSE_T3_ATTRIBUTION {
    meta:
        description = "Tier 3 Attribution Fingerprint: Heuristic detection for Softpulse tradecraft"
        tier = "T3 - Attribution Fingerprint"
        confidence = "High (Confirmed Family Signature)"
        author = "SystemHelpdesk Threat Research Desk"
        date = "2026-10-14"
    strings:
        // Core family identifier & heuristic payload signatures
        $attrib_str = "softpulse" ascii wide nocase
        $pe_magic = "MZ" ascii
        $net_marker = "http" ascii nocase
    condition:
        uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and ($attrib_str and $net_marker) and filesize < 15MB
}

Containment & Response Steps

Ordered checklist for responders. Adapt to your environment and engage professional support for active incidents.

1. Disconnect the affected host from the network to halt advertising telemetry and sponsored software downloads.
2. Uninstall recently installed freeware applications and companion toolbars via Windows Settings > Installed Apps.
3. Inspect installed browser extensions in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, removing any unfamiliar add-ons and resetting search defaults.
4. Execute an on-demand antimalware scan using Microsoft Defender or Trend Micro to purge residual registry keys and files.

What to Avoid

Common mistakes during response to this family that can destroy evidence, spread the infection, or worsen recovery.

1. Do not rush through software installation wizards; inspect custom settings to uncheck bundled third-party programs.
2. Avoid downloading utilities from portals that enforce custom download wrappers.

References & External Analysis

• Microsoft Defender Security Intelligence - Adware:Win32/Softpulse
• Trend Micro Threat Encyclopedia - PUA.Win32.SoftPulse.AD
• Search "softpulse" on VirusTotal (External Analysis)
• Search "softpulse" on Any.Run (Sandbox Sandbox)
• Search "softpulse" on MalwareBazaar (Malware Samples)

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Threats (Category: Adware)

Explore other documented threats in the same operational category:

• Unwaders
• Dealply
• Boilod
• Zdengo
• Temonde
• Vkontaktedj
• Indiloadz
• Spigot

Machine-readable

Get this profile as JSON: https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/api/softpulse.json

Ecosystem & Interactive Environments

This profile is part of the Malware Families Catalog, a public dataset of 2,899 malware families. The catalog is also published across our ecosystem: Hugging Face, Kaggle, Zenodo, Replit, StackBlitz, CodeSandbox, and CodePen.