Jump to content

Welcome to Geeks to Go
Geeks to Go Welcome
Create Account Login to Account
Photo

Removal instructions for MovieSearches

- - - - -
Started by Metallica , Sep 18 2020 03:10 AM

  • Please log in to reply
No replies to this topic

#1
Metallica
Posted 18 September 2020 - 03:10 AM

Metallica

    Spyware Veteran

  • GeekU Moderator
  • 33,101 posts
Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is MovieSearches?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that MovieSearches 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 MovieSearches?

You may see this entry in your list of installed Chrome extensions:

main.png

and this changed setting:

warning5.png

You may have noticed these warnings during install:

warning1.png

warning2.png

warning3.png

warning4.png

How did MovieSearches get on my computer?

Browser hijackers use different methods for distributing themselves. This particular one was downloaded from the webstore:

webstore.png

after a redirect from their website:

website.png

How do I remove MovieSearches?

Our program Malwarebytes can detect and remove this search hijacker.
  • 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.
Is there anything else I need to do to get rid of MovieSearches?
  • No, Malwarebytes removes MovieSearches completely.
How would the full version of Malwarebytes help protect me?

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 MovieSearches hijacker. It would have blocked their website, giving you a chance to stop it before it became too late.

protection1.png


protection2.png


Technical details for experts

Possible signs in FRST logs:

CHR DefaultSearchURL: Default -> hxxps://feed.movie-searches.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=moviesearches&barcodeid=577120000000000
CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> MovieSearches
CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.movie-searches.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms}
CHR Extension: (MovieSearches) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl [2020-09-18]
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\cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl\1.1.0_0
       Adds the file manifest.json"="9/18/2020 9:00 AM, 2102 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl\1.1.0_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="9/18/2020 9:00 AM, 6255 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="7/14/2020 1:52 PM, 2049 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl\1.1.0_0\images
       Adds the file logo-white-text.png"="7/14/2020 1:52 PM, 0 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl\1.1.0_0\images\icons
       Adds the file 128x128.png"="9/18/2020 9:00 AM, 9419 bytes, A
       Adds the file 16x16.png"="9/18/2020 9:00 AM, 646 bytes, A
       Adds the file 64x64.png"="9/18/2020 9:00 AM, 3872 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl\1.1.0_0\scripts
       Adds the file background.js"="7/14/2020 1:52 PM, 514595 bytes, A
       Adds the file sitecontent.js"="7/14/2020 1:52 PM, 77 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl
       Adds the file 000003.log"="9/18/2020 9:03 AM, 488 bytes, A
       Adds the file CURRENT"="9/18/2020 9:00 AM, 16 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOCK"="9/18/2020 9:00 AM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOG"="9/18/2020 9:00 AM, 183 bytes, A
       Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="9/18/2020 9:00 AM, 41 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Web Applications\_crx_cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl
       Adds the file MovieSearches.ico"="9/18/2020 9:00 AM, 191491 bytes, A
       Adds the file MovieSearches.ico.md5"="9/18/2020 9:00 AM, 16 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl"="REG_SZ", "FC9BDC613FFF80C6A659F68CC159C5D999BA1E5DC2D2B9B67066E70190AA25C0"
Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 9/18/20
Scan Time: 9:10 AM
Log File: 17964486-f97e-11ea-8c7c-00ffdcc6fdfc.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.2.0.82
Components Version: 1.0.1036
Update Package Version: 1.0.30017
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: 231541
Threats Detected: 11
Threats Quarantined: 11
Time Elapsed: 5 min, 19 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
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, HKCU\SOFTWARE\GOOGLE\CHROME\PREFERENCEMACS\Default\extensions.settings|cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl, Quarantined, 15332, 799722, , , , , , 

Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folder: 2
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Sync Extension Settings\cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl, Quarantined, 15332, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\CGGCBGMIBDHIEGCCPHBDLBGHFMAHEMKL, Quarantined, 15332, 799722, 1.0.30017, , ame, , , 

File: 8
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15332, 799722, , , , , A3170733D2C48C0044B2956545F3BF98, B8C3CD1FBD0264D03A272EF611A085C7016D6592BFB7658FC1D89BCB7ADA8B39
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15332, 799722, , , , , BCD96D234E300FFE0DB28AB15D759DE7, F72219E15A5492BFA7CB8EB389BF1EB46560B88C5E98ACC8DAD203AE793CE700
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl\000003.log, Quarantined, 15332, 799722, , , , , 46E9A978EA7952BC1992376D0F8011CA, C316563C9C98AB08BD9599EEE041B7BD9BD083111105010EA9CD566096D1744E
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl\CURRENT, Quarantined, 15332, 799722, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl\LOCK, Quarantined, 15332, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl\LOG, Quarantined, 15332, 799722, , , , , 5EE6670E4FFDB45F567E862219207685, 356543BE2DD8567C6DB32D3DD8CD86CBD9EC11FA798CD8D85A114201FC536E16
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\cggcbgmibdhiegccphbdlbghfmahemkl\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 15332, 799722, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\CGGCBGMIBDHIEGCCPHBDLBGHFMAHEMKL\1.1.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 15332, 799722, 1.0.30017, , ame, , 1CF8F6A26687D72197D16A2034C29D41, B41575CADACACFD8D58DADF95FA3AA5D014D83015EEDC4FB6B9537C1D0A44FDF

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
Save yourself the hassle and get protected.
  • 0

Advertisements

Back to Malware Removal Guides and Tutorials


0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

  1. Geeks to Go Community
  2. → Security
  3. → Malware Removal Guides and Tutorials

As Featured On:

featured
Malware Removal How to Guides Windows 7 System Building Download Files Register welcome

Never used a forum? Learn how.