What is Music World Search?
The Malwarebytes research team has determined that Music World Search is a search hijacker. These so-called "hijackers" manipulate your browser(s), for example to change your startpage or searchscopes, so that the affected browser visits their site or one of their choice.
How do I know if my computer is affected by Music World Search?
You may see this entry in your list of installed Chrome extensions:
this icon in the Chrome menu-bar:
this changed setting:
You may have noticed these warnings during install:
How did Music World Search get on my computer?
Browser hijackers use different methods for distributing themselves. This particular one was downloaded from the webstore:
after a redirect from their website:
How do I remove Music World Search?
Our program Malwarebytes can detect and remove this potentially unwanted program.
- Please download Malwarebytes for Windows to your desktop.
- Double-click MBSetup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
- When your Malwarebytes for Windows installation completes, the program opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen.
- Click on the Get started button.
- Click Scan to start a Threat Scan.
- When the scan is finished click Quarantine to remove the found threats.
- Reboot the system if prompted to complete the removal process.
- No, Malwarebytes removes Music World Search completely.
We hope our application and this guide have helped you eradicate this hijacker.
As you can see below Malwarebytes Browser Guard, and the full version of Malwarebytes would have protected you against the Music World Search hijacker. It would have blocked their website, giving you a chance to stop it before it became too late.
Technical details for experts
Possible signs in FRST logs:
CHR DefaultSearchURL: Default -> hxxps://music.world-search.net/search/?category=web&s=r4ds&vert=music&q={searchTerms} CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> Music World Search CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://sug.world-search.net/search/index_sg.php?q={searchTerms} CHR Extension: (Music World Search) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omjnggdhheknjbdpljeajooiphfpialm [2020-05-26]Alterations made by the installer:
File system details [View: All details] (Selection) --------------------------------------------------- Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omjnggdhheknjbdpljeajooiphfpialm\3.0.0_0 Adds the file config.js"="3/8/2020 11:06 AM, 1471 bytes, A Adds the file manifest.json"="5/26/2020 9:00 AM, 2008 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omjnggdhheknjbdpljeajooiphfpialm\3.0.0_0\_metadata Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="5/26/2020 9:00 AM, 3851 bytes, A Adds the file verified_contents.json"="3/8/2020 11:06 AM, 3097 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omjnggdhheknjbdpljeajooiphfpialm\3.0.0_0\bg Adds the file background.html"="9/15/2019 1:31 PM, 146 bytes, A Adds the file background.js"="3/8/2020 11:09 AM, 941 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omjnggdhheknjbdpljeajooiphfpialm\3.0.0_0\browser_action Adds the file browser_action.html"="9/15/2019 12:57 PM, 1983 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omjnggdhheknjbdpljeajooiphfpialm\3.0.0_0\browser_action\js Adds the file main.js"="9/15/2019 12:35 PM, 260 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omjnggdhheknjbdpljeajooiphfpialm\3.0.0_0\img Adds the file icon128.png"="5/26/2020 9:00 AM, 3959 bytes, A Adds the file icon16.png"="5/26/2020 9:00 AM, 484 bytes, A Adds the file icon48.png"="5/26/2020 9:00 AM, 1534 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omjnggdhheknjbdpljeajooiphfpialm\3.0.0_0\img\rateshare Adds the file close.png"="1/1/2018 4:27 PM, 1920 bytes, A Adds the file rate.jpg"="1/1/2018 4:27 PM, 102155 bytes, A Adds the file rate1.png"="1/1/2018 4:27 PM, 12334 bytes, A Adds the file share.jpg"="1/1/2018 4:27 PM, 17633 bytes, A Adds the file share1.png"="1/1/2018 4:27 PM, 4466 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omjnggdhheknjbdpljeajooiphfpialm\3.0.0_0\js Adds the file rate.js"="3/8/2020 11:07 AM, 2004 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omjnggdhheknjbdpljeajooiphfpialm\3.0.0_0\js\jquery Adds the file jquery.min.js"="8/12/2018 6:26 AM, 83100 bytes, A Registry details [View: All details] (Selection) ------------------------------------------------ [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings] "omjnggdhheknjbdpljeajooiphfpialm"="REG_SZ", "A8F3E913083147B2482F9B437ECDC6A149857B3B558E5FC42C694508A6F3ECB9"Malwarebytes log:
Malwarebytes www.malwarebytes.com -Log Details- Scan Date: 5/26/20 Scan Time: 9:30 AM Log File: b7f3bc80-9f22-11ea-834c-00ffdcc6fdfc.json -Software Information- Version: 4.1.0.56 Components Version: 1.0.920 Update Package Version: 1.0.24458 License: Premium -System Information- OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 CPU: x64 File System: NTFS User: {computername}\{username} -Scan Summary- Scan Type: Threat Scan Scan Initiated By: Manual Result: Completed Objects Scanned: 232548 Threats Detected: 7 Threats Quarantined: 7 Time Elapsed: 2 min, 30 sec -Scan Options- Memory: Enabled Startup: Enabled Filesystem: Enabled Archives: Enabled Rootkits: Disabled Heuristics: Enabled PUP: Detect PUM: Detect -Scan Details- Process: 0 (No malicious items detected) Module: 0 (No malicious items detected) Registry Key: 0 (No malicious items detected) Registry Value: 1 PUP.Optional.WorldSearchHub, HKCU\SOFTWARE\GOOGLE\CHROME\PREFERENCEMACS\Default\extensions.settings|omjnggdhheknjbdpljeajooiphfpialm, Quarantined, 468, 822567, , , , Registry Data: 0 (No malicious items detected) Data Stream: 0 (No malicious items detected) Folder: 1 PUP.Optional.WorldSearchHub, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\OMJNGGDHHEKNJBDPLJEAJOOIPHFPIALM, Quarantined, 468, 822567, 1.0.24458, , ame, File: 5 PUP.Optional.WorldSearchHub, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 468, 822567, , , , PUP.Optional.WorldSearchHub, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 468, 822567, , , , PUP.Optional.WorldSearchHub, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\OMJNGGDHHEKNJBDPLJEAJOOIPHFPIALM\3.0.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 468, 822567, 1.0.24458, , ame, PUP.Optional.WorldSearchHub, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 468, 822568, 1.0.24458, , ame, PUP.Optional.WorldSearchHub, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 468, 822568, 1.0.24458, , ame, Physical Sector: 0 (No malicious items detected) WMI: 0 (No malicious items detected) (end)As mentioned before the full version of Malwarebytes could have protected your computer against this threat.
We use different ways of protecting your computer(s):
- Dynamically Blocks Malware Sites & Servers
- Malware Execution Prevention