adware because they enter target computers to inject your browser with commercial advertisements. By forcing you to open a particular affiliated website, a browser hijacker increases its traffic at the same time adding up to its advertising revenue.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p2" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Therefore, the reason browser hijackers are rampant these days is money. They are  sometimes created to push unsuspecting users into opening unfamiliar websites or clicking customized commercial advertisements. It is mostly done so because browser hijacker hanker for the clicks, but the problem is that it may lead to severe computer security issues or questionable actions.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p3" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <h3>Where Do Browser Hijackers Come From?</h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Browser hijackers have evolved from aggressive forms of advertising. They could be downloaded from official vendor’s websites, third-party file-sharing pages, or come bundled with freeware applications via drive-by downloads.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p4" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">In some cases, browser hijackers may have spyware qualities. It is not unheard of for a browser hijacker to have a software-type keylogger that can gather banking information such as logins and passwords. What’s more, some hijackers are known to make permanent changes to the Windows registry, which negatively affects the system and its performance. Thus, it is obvious why users should be concerned about their system security, and removing a browser hijacker should be at the top of their agenda.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p5" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <h3>Why Do Users Install Browser Hijackers?</h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">No user would want their browser settings changed without their permission. However, the problem with browser hijackers is that they employ a particular modus operandi that basically tricks the user into installing them.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p6" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Some browser hijackers do not display any kind of notification about the oncoming installation. Also, they usually do not have any uninstall option, and they certainly will not offer opt-out instructions that would allow the user to avoid the payload.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p7" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">On the other hand, there may also be some browser hijackers that include the opt-out option, and users can choose NOT to install them, but there is a tendency to go through the installation process automatically, and that is how most of the browser hijackers manage to settle down in our computers. Sheer negligence is often to blame in this situation.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p8" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <h3>How Does a Browser Hijacker Affect My Computer?</h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">As mentioned, a browser hijacker modifies your browser settings. This modification occurs without your permission. Different types of hijackers may affect your browser and your system in various ways. Nevertheless, the most common hijacker infection symptoms usually include:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Bookmark list modification</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Default search engine modification</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Denied access to specific pages</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Forceful redirection</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Homepage modification</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Slow web browser</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Third-party ads</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Third-party toolbars</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Aside from the visible signs of infection mentioned above, there are also other aspects common to many browser hijackers. We must mention that such programs often employ tracking cookies (check out our entry on Tracking Cookie </span><a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/threat-database/trackingcookie/">Ask Search</b></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Ask Search is a good example of how a legitimate search engine can become part of a browser hijacking campaign. This search engine is known to have been employed by Mindspark toolbars. Mindspark toolbars is a huge <a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/potentially-unwanted-programs/">PUP family that was prominent in 2015, and there are still apps from this group popping up every now and then to this day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The criticism of this program arises from the fact that users have to deselect the toolbar and search engine installation themselves. In other words, going through standard installation without any customization modifies the default browser settings. Subsequently, users may encounter unwanted third-party content via the Ask Search engine, especially if the engine is misused by malevolent third parties.</span></p> <p><a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/searchconduitcom-removal/">Conduit Search</b></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The classification of Conduit Search heavily depends on a researcher. In some cases, this program may be categorized as a <a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/threat-database/potentially-unwanted-programs/">potentially unwanted program</a>, too. In the past, it may have also had <a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/threat-database/browser-helper-object/">Browser Helper Object’s</a> features, especially if it needed to affect the Internet Explorer settings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The problem is that upon the installation of any Conduit application, the additional program called “Search Protect by conduit” denies access to modify browser settings via the settings page. What’s more, after removal, Conduit Search leaves leftover files in the start-up registry, which should not happen with a reliable application.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">To boot it all, people who have allowed installation of Conduit Search components have reported phishing attacks, onslaughts of spam email messages, and telemarketing flood. This just proves that browser hijackers could be highly intrusive, especially if users engage with them up to a particular level.</span></p> <p><a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/searchdimension-removal/">Search Dimension</strong></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Search Dimension is a newer group of browser hijackers. It has been around since 2017, but it still manages to affect target systems. This browser hijacker mostly targets Chrome browser users, and up until recently, it was also possible to find the Search Dimension app in the Chrome Web Store. In fact, it is quite common for browser hijackers to have an entry on the official browser app store. The entry eventually gets removed, of course, but while it is there, it gives the impression that the said app is reliable.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Thus, Search Dimension and other similar threats trick users into thinking that they are useful apps that provide users with the necessary tools and functions. Consequently, they may collect information about user’s browsing history and promote potentially harmful third-party content. The point is that if a program resists removal and if you do not remember having installed the program, you most probably have a threat on your system.</span></p> <h3>How to Avoid Browser Hijackers?</h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Keeping in mind their distribution methods, it would be wise to stay away from third-party file-sharing websites to avoid being affected by a browser hijacker. Also, reading the steps on your installation wizard should also help you prevent undesirable intruders from entering your PC. Refrain from clicking on new tabs and pop-up windows that you encounter when you browse an ad-heavy website. Don’t forget that surfing a page that offers “free” content could also be risky as such pages are bound to be associated with <a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/threat-database/potentially-unwanted-programs/">PUPs, <a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/threat-database/adware/">adware, browser hijackers, and other potential security threats.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">What’s more, please consider disabling particular add-ons you have on your browser. Quite a few browser hijackers come from the add-on software, including browser extensions, browser helper objects, and toolbars. Albeit these items can customize and improve your web browsing experience, they may also be exploited by cybercriminals for their financial gains. In other words, take a moment to think it over before you install a new “must-have” application.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Finally, investing in a legitimate anti-malware tool may also help you in this case. As mentioned, browser hijackers often come with unwanted and potentially dangerous software, and it might be too much of a task for you to deal with it entirely on your own. Allow an automated anti-malware tool to solve this for you.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:after_content" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div>" /> adware because they enter target computers to inject your browser with commercial advertisements. By forcing you to open a particular affiliated website, a browser hijacker increases its traffic at the same time adding up to its advertising revenue.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p2" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Therefore, the reason browser hijackers are rampant these days is money. They are  sometimes created to push unsuspecting users into opening unfamiliar websites or clicking customized commercial advertisements. It is mostly done so because browser hijacker hanker for the clicks, but the problem is that it may lead to severe computer security issues or questionable actions.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p3" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <h3>Where Do Browser Hijackers Come From?</h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Browser hijackers have evolved from aggressive forms of advertising. They could be downloaded from official vendor’s websites, third-party file-sharing pages, or come bundled with freeware applications via drive-by downloads.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p4" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">In some cases, browser hijackers may have spyware qualities. It is not unheard of for a browser hijacker to have a software-type keylogger that can gather banking information such as logins and passwords. What’s more, some hijackers are known to make permanent changes to the Windows registry, which negatively affects the system and its performance. Thus, it is obvious why users should be concerned about their system security, and removing a browser hijacker should be at the top of their agenda.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p5" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <h3>Why Do Users Install Browser Hijackers?</h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">No user would want their browser settings changed without their permission. However, the problem with browser hijackers is that they employ a particular modus operandi that basically tricks the user into installing them.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p6" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Some browser hijackers do not display any kind of notification about the oncoming installation. Also, they usually do not have any uninstall option, and they certainly will not offer opt-out instructions that would allow the user to avoid the payload.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p7" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">On the other hand, there may also be some browser hijackers that include the opt-out option, and users can choose NOT to install them, but there is a tendency to go through the installation process automatically, and that is how most of the browser hijackers manage to settle down in our computers. Sheer negligence is often to blame in this situation.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:p8" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div> <h3>How Does a Browser Hijacker Affect My Computer?</h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">As mentioned, a browser hijacker modifies your browser settings. This modification occurs without your permission. Different types of hijackers may affect your browser and your system in various ways. Nevertheless, the most common hijacker infection symptoms usually include:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Bookmark list modification</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Default search engine modification</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Denied access to specific pages</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Forceful redirection</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Homepage modification</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Slow web browser</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Third-party ads</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400"><span style="font-weight: 400">Third-party toolbars</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Aside from the visible signs of infection mentioned above, there are also other aspects common to many browser hijackers. We must mention that such programs often employ tracking cookies (check out our entry on Tracking Cookie </span><a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/threat-database/trackingcookie/">Ask Search</b></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Ask Search is a good example of how a legitimate search engine can become part of a browser hijacking campaign. This search engine is known to have been employed by Mindspark toolbars. Mindspark toolbars is a huge <a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/potentially-unwanted-programs/">PUP family that was prominent in 2015, and there are still apps from this group popping up every now and then to this day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The criticism of this program arises from the fact that users have to deselect the toolbar and search engine installation themselves. In other words, going through standard installation without any customization modifies the default browser settings. Subsequently, users may encounter unwanted third-party content via the Ask Search engine, especially if the engine is misused by malevolent third parties.</span></p> <p><a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/searchconduitcom-removal/">Conduit Search</b></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The classification of Conduit Search heavily depends on a researcher. In some cases, this program may be categorized as a <a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/threat-database/potentially-unwanted-programs/">potentially unwanted program</a>, too. In the past, it may have also had <a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/threat-database/browser-helper-object/">Browser Helper Object’s</a> features, especially if it needed to affect the Internet Explorer settings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">The problem is that upon the installation of any Conduit application, the additional program called “Search Protect by conduit” denies access to modify browser settings via the settings page. What’s more, after removal, Conduit Search leaves leftover files in the start-up registry, which should not happen with a reliable application.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">To boot it all, people who have allowed installation of Conduit Search components have reported phishing attacks, onslaughts of spam email messages, and telemarketing flood. This just proves that browser hijackers could be highly intrusive, especially if users engage with them up to a particular level.</span></p> <p><a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/searchdimension-removal/">Search Dimension</strong></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Search Dimension is a newer group of browser hijackers. It has been around since 2017, but it still manages to affect target systems. This browser hijacker mostly targets Chrome browser users, and up until recently, it was also possible to find the Search Dimension app in the Chrome Web Store. In fact, it is quite common for browser hijackers to have an entry on the official browser app store. The entry eventually gets removed, of course, but while it is there, it gives the impression that the said app is reliable.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Thus, Search Dimension and other similar threats trick users into thinking that they are useful apps that provide users with the necessary tools and functions. Consequently, they may collect information about user’s browsing history and promote potentially harmful third-party content. The point is that if a program resists removal and if you do not remember having installed the program, you most probably have a threat on your system.</span></p> <h3>How to Avoid Browser Hijackers?</h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Keeping in mind their distribution methods, it would be wise to stay away from third-party file-sharing websites to avoid being affected by a browser hijacker. Also, reading the steps on your installation wizard should also help you prevent undesirable intruders from entering your PC. Refrain from clicking on new tabs and pop-up windows that you encounter when you browse an ad-heavy website. Don’t forget that surfing a page that offers “free” content could also be risky as such pages are bound to be associated with <a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/threat-database/potentially-unwanted-programs/">PUPs, <a href=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/threat-database/browser-hijackers/3/"/threat-database/adware/">adware, browser hijackers, and other potential security threats.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">What’s more, please consider disabling particular add-ons you have on your browser. Quite a few browser hijackers come from the add-on software, including browser extensions, browser helper objects, and toolbars. Albeit these items can customize and improve your web browsing experience, they may also be exploited by cybercriminals for their financial gains. In other words, take a moment to think it over before you install a new “must-have” application.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400">Finally, investing in a legitimate anti-malware tool may also help you in this case. As mentioned, browser hijackers often come with unwanted and potentially dangerous software, and it might be too much of a task for you to deal with it entirely on your own. Allow an automated anti-malware tool to solve this for you.</span></p><div class="rotatead-container" data-group="location:after_content" data-title="Browser Hijackers"></div>" />

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Malware Research Threat Database Browser Hijackers

Browser Hijackers

Most Trending Browser Hijackers in the Last 2 Weeks

# Threat Name Severity Level Alias(es) Detections
1. Newgensearch.com 20 % (Normal) 90
2. Dollarsurvey.top 20 % (Normal) 1
3. Recutasseuccars.com 20 % (Normal) 142
4. SearchUp
5. Newsfeedhome.com 20 % (Normal) 301
6. Dating-universe.top 20 % (Normal) 123
7. LeadingAdviceSearch
8. Oataltaul.com 20 % (Normal) 91,458
9. SearchBrowserSky
10. Kryopage Browser Extension
11. Agacelebir.com
12. Oojk.pro
13. Unonontate.com 20 % (Normal) 1
14. Wingman Clock Browser Extension
15. SmartSportSearch
16. Getanswers.com
17. Fastcheck.top 20 % (Normal) 249
18. Data Shield for Chrome
19. Click.allow.mobi
20. Captcha-smart.top
21. Propprethosnis
22. Film Links Now
23. 'pure dark' Hijacker 50 % (Medium) 204
24. SpecialSearchOption
25. Trovi.com 50 % (Medium) 129,510
26. Onlinergpgeek.com
27. Deepteep.com 50 % (Medium) 10,992
28. eBook Search Browser Extension
29. FilterSoftware
30. Topadvastudio

Last updated: 2023-07-03

Threat Name Severity Level Detections
'855-337-003' Pop-Ups
'855-486-0354' Pop-Ups
'855-511-8200' Pop-Ups
'855-637-3156' Pop-Ups
'855-666-8851' Pop-Ups 80 % (High) 6
'855-671-5317' Pop-Ups
'855-790-1710' Pop-Ups
'855-813-2335' Pop-Ups
'855-855-6173' Pop-Ups
'855-910-5732' Pop-Ups
'855-912-7932' Pop-Ups
'866-291-9960' Pop-Ups
'866-523-6556' Pop-Ups
'866-808-0989' Pop-Ups
'866-836-6745' Pop-Ups
'877-550-1811' Pop-Ups
'877-646-9990' Pop-Ups
'877-897-5126' Pop-Ups
'877-958-0330' Pop-Ups
'888-262-9519' Pop-Ups
'888-403-7927' Pop-Ups
'888-414-4284' Pop-Ups
'888-447-4192' Pop-Ups
'888-479-3649' Pop-Ups
'888-540-4641' Pop-Ups
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