An infection with the dangerous searchied.club browser hijacker leads to serious security issues. Victims can restore and protect their computers by following our complete removal guide.
searchied.club Browser Hijacker Description
The searchied.club browser hijacker is a dangerous malware that is made in the form of a malicious web brower add-on. The criminals behind it have made versions of it for the most famous web browsers: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari and Microsoft Edge. Upon their installation the searchied.club browser hijacker starts to harvest sensitive data from the affected computers.
The searchied.club browser hijacker and its associated site poses as a video downloader for the popular Vimeo video sharing site. There are numerous sites that are similar and we presume that this particular threat is part of a worldwide affiliate network.
The searchied.club site offers a generic template-based “About Us” page that indicates that the criminals behind it do not actually operate a legitimate business. The company that operates the service bears the same name as the hijacker (searchied LTD.) and mentions that there may be other sites connected to it. The privacy policy sums up some of the dangers when it comes to information harvesting.
When the user has been infected with the searchied.club browser hijacker the criminal operators receive detailed information about the users: hardware and software information, location, IP address, anonymous user identities, device configuration and all configuration files and settings associated with the infected web browsers and connected software. Its important to mention the fact that the malicious engine is also able to gain access to used social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Usage data is also harvested and the hackers behind the searchied.club browser hijackers also mark every infected user with an unique infection ID, a tactic that is frequently used by ransomware and other computer virus threats.
The threat can be distributed on hacker-controlled sites, the official extensions repositories (under various names) or linked in email spam messages.
SpyHunter anti-malware tool will diagnose all current threats on the computer. By purchasing the full version, you will be able to remove all malware threats instantly. Additional information about SpyHunter / Help to uninstall SpyHunter
Possible Updates To The searchied.club Browser Hijacker
There are various types of browser hijackers. Depending on the type of malware a future update can include any of the following features:
- Rogue Application Presentation – Some types of browser hijackers create counterfeit notification prompts which aim to scare the victims into thinking that their computer has been infected by viruses. The hijackers redirect them to a product page or download portal where they are offered a solution.
- Endless Redirection – Browser hijacker typically redirect the users to hacker-controlled sites for various reasons. However some of them do this in a way which makes browsing practically impossible. Examples of such strains process all user queries through non-existent sites. As a result it is impossible to browser any site.
- Stealth Installation Hijackers – These hijackers attempt to show no sign of infection and attempt to hide themselves from the users as much as possible. They change the application settings to pass traffic through hacker-controlled sites however no obvious preferences are modified.
- Information Stealing Trojan Browser Hijackers – Advanced forms of browser hijacker can include code that is able to harvest sensitive information from the victims. This includes not only their stored account credentials, browsing history, cookies, preferences, saved form data and etc., but also files from their computers.
- Additional Payload Delivery – The malicious extension can be used to deliver viruses to the infected computer.
- Obtrusive Ads – The browser hijacker can directly display ads in various forms (text, graphics, in-page, hybrid and etc.) of paying customers. This tactic generates revenue for the hijacker operators based on the amount of infected victims and frequency of interaction with the advertised service.
- Performance Impact – Other types of malware can cause delibrate performance issues. This can include anything from slow-downs to application crashes and even operating system boot up problems.
- Security Software Bypass – Advanced hijackers are found to disable the installed security solutions. This means that the hijackers can be used as a first-stage infection in a complex malware installation attempt. This is particularly useful for ransomware.
- Persistent Installation – The virus can achieve a persistent state of execution which makes removal possible with the use of a quality anti-spyware solution.
- Identity Spoofing – A notable example of such behavior was a particular strain of browser hijackers which stole cookies that were used to conduct malicious activities. The hijacker used the cookie to install malicious Android app onto the user’s phone without their consent.
Using a quality anti-spyware solution Internet users can defend themselves against possible virus installations. All active threats can be removed using only a few mouse clicks.
Protect Yourself From Hijackers like searchied.club
To completely eliminate the threat we suggest that all infected users use a quality anti-spyware tool as it can both delete active infections with only a few mouse clicks and provide strong protection against all kinds of threats.
SpyHunter anti-malware tool will diagnose all current threats on the computer. By purchasing the full version, you will be able to remove all malware threats instantly. Additional information about SpyHunter / Help to uninstall SpyHunter
searchied.club Removal Guide
Manual removal of searchied.club requires being familiar with system files and registries. Removal of any important data can lead to permanent system damage. You could prevent this troublesome effect and delete searchied.club browser hijacker with SpyHunter malware removal tool.
STEP I: Start the PC in Safe Mode with Network
This will isolate all files and objects created by the browser hijacker so they will be removed efficiently.
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1) Hit WIN Key + R
- 2) A Run window will appear. In it, write “msconfig” and then press Enter
3) A Configuration box shall appear. In it Choose the tab named “Boot”
4) Mark “Safe Boot” option and then go to “Network” under it to tick it too
5) Apply -> OK
Or check our video guide – “How to start PC in Safe Mode with Networking”
STEP II: Remove searchied.club from Windows
Here’s a way to remove the program. This method will work regardless if you’re on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP. Simply selecting the program and pressing delete won’t work, as it’ll leave a lot of small files. That’s bad because these leftovers can linger on and cause all sorts of problems. The best way to delete a program is to uninstall it. Here’s how you can do that:
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1) Hold the “Windows” button (It’s between CTRL and Alt on most keyboards) and press “R”. You’ll see a pop-up window.
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2) In the textbox, type “appwiz.cpl”, then press“ Enter ”.
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3) The “Programs and features” menu should now appear. It’s a list of all the programs installed on the PC. Here you can find the program, select it, and press “Uninstall“.
STEP III: Remove searchied.club From Your Browser
Before resetting your browser’s settings, you should know that this action will wipe out all your recorded usernames, passwords, and other types of data. Make sure to save them in some way.
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1) Start Mozilla Firefox. In the upper right corner, click on the Open menu icon and select “Add-ons“.
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2) Inside the Add-ons Manager select “Extensions“. Search the list of extensions for suspicious entries. If you find any, select them and click “Remove“.
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3) Click again on the Open menu icon, then click “Options“.
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4) In the Options window, under “General” tab, click “Restore to Default“.
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5) Select “Search” in the left menu, mark the unknown search engine and press “Remove”.
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1) Start Google Chrome. On the upper-right corner, there a “Customize and Control” menu icon. Click on it, then click on “Settings“.
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2) Click “Extensions” in the left menu. Then click on the trash bin icon to remove the suspicious extension.
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3) Again in the left menu, under Chrome, Click on “Settings“. Go under “On Startup” and set a new page.
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4) Afterward, scroll down to “Search“, click on “Manage search engines“.
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5) In the default search settings list, find the unknown search engine and click on “X“. Then select your search engine of choice and click “Make default“. When you are ready click “Done” button in the right bottom corner.
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1) Start Internet Explorer. Go to the “Tools” menu and click on “Manage add-ons“.
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2) In the “Manage add-ons” window, bellow “Add-on Types“, select “Toolbars and Extensions“. If you see a suspicious toolbar, select it and click “Remove“.
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3) Then again in the “Manage Add-ons” window, in “Add-on Types“, Select “Search Providers“. Chose a search engine and click “Set as default“. Select the unknown search engine and click “Remove and Close”.
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4) Open the Tools menu, select “Internet Options”.
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5) In the “General” tab, in “Home page”, enter your preferred page. Click “Apply” and “OK”.
STEP IV: Remove Completely searchied.club Browser Hijacker Using SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
SpyHunter anti-malware tool will diagnose all current threats on the computer. By purchasing the full version, you will be able to remove all malware threats instantly. Additional information about SpyHunter / Help to uninstall SpyHunter
STEP V: Repair Windows Registry
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1) Again type simultaneously the Windows Button + R key combination
2) In the box, write “regedit”(without the inverted commas) and hit Enter
3) Type the CTRL+F and then write the malicious name in the search type field to locate the malicious executable
4) In case you have discovered registry keys and values related to the name, you should delete them, but be careful not to delete legitimate keys
Further help for Windows Registry repair
STEP VI: Preventive Security Measures
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1) Enable and properly configure your Firewall.
2) Install and maintain reliable anti-malware software.
3) Secure your web browser.
4) Check regularly for available software updates and apply them.
5) Disable macros in Office documents.
6) Use strong passwords.
7) Don’t open attachments or click on links unless you’re certain they’re safe.
8) Backup regularly your data.
