What is ConvertMySearch?
The Malwarebytes research team has determined that ConvertMySearch 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 ConvertMySearch?
You may see this entry in your list of installed Chrome extensions:
and this changed setting:
You may have noticed these warnings during install:
How did ConvertMySearch 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 ConvertMySearch?
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.
- No, Malwarebytes removes ConvertMySearch 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 ConvertMySearch 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://feed.convertmysearch.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=convertmysearch&barcodeid=574990000000000 CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> ConvertMySearch CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.convertmysearch.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms} CHR Extension: (ConvertMySearch) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib [2020-10-30]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\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib\1.1.0_0 Adds the file manifest.json"="10/30/2020 8:44 AM, 2121 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib\1.1.0_0\_metadata Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="10/30/2020 8:44 AM, 6255 bytes, A Adds the file verified_contents.json"="6/17/2020 12:49 PM, 2049 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib\1.1.0_0\images Adds the file logo-white-text.png"="6/17/2020 12:49 PM, 0 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib\1.1.0_0\images\icons Adds the file 128x128.png"="10/30/2020 8:44 AM, 7793 bytes, A Adds the file 16x16.png"="10/30/2020 8:44 AM, 754 bytes, A Adds the file 64x64.png"="10/30/2020 8:44 AM, 3496 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib\1.1.0_0\scripts Adds the file background.js"="6/17/2020 12:49 PM, 514626 bytes, A Adds the file sitecontent.js"="6/17/2020 12:49 PM, 77 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib Adds the file 000003.log"="10/30/2020 8:47 AM, 564 bytes, A Adds the file CURRENT"="10/30/2020 8:44 AM, 16 bytes, A Adds the file LOCK"="10/30/2020 8:44 AM, 0 bytes, A Adds the file LOG"="10/30/2020 8:46 AM, 407 bytes, A Adds the file LOG.old"="10/30/2020 8:44 AM, 184 bytes, A Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="10/30/2020 8:44 AM, 41 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Web Applications\_crx_imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib Adds the file ConvertMySearch.ico"="10/30/2020 8:44 AM, 196897 bytes, A Adds the file ConvertMySearch.ico.md5"="10/30/2020 8:44 AM, 16 bytes, A Registry details [View: All details] (Selection) ------------------------------------------------ [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings] "imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib"="REG_SZ", "49C29F838EF4FA393C58E46209D90F396759048447D7C0A457ABDA0B76B76A93"Malwarebytes log:
Malwarebytes www.malwarebytes.com -Log Details- Scan Date: 10/30/20 Scan Time: 8:55 AM Log File: 565869c4-1a85-11eb-95c1-080027235d76.json -Software Information- Version: 4.2.1.89 Components Version: 1.0.1070 Update Package Version: 1.0.32238 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: 231860 Threats Detected: 12 Threats Quarantined: 12 Time Elapsed: 3 min, 3 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|imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib, Quarantined, 15501, 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\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib, Quarantined, 15501, 799722, , , , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\IMBDKPOBFGEAIGGBLIEBJHNODEGPHOIB, Quarantined, 15501, 799722, 1.0.32238, , ame, , , File: 9 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15501, 799722, , , , , EC31CD5D82894D3D916F13B415974F8A, C469D3EE58B01BB56132604417C65CA37A8B041EDEBE7D425B289E24E2899044 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15501, 799722, , , , , A66BF7989261A35F3E4120227523805C, 67F6D24864688B088C4975C9BB69BEA379A51D2A067111B158C07D81E5C2DEB5 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib\000003.log, Quarantined, 15501, 799722, , , , , 7FB9FFEF7C82F69EBBF356FB7995056D, 6B36968A9E3935F4C504C616ECF9CFDFA6B8BA7040FBC8680D7E07248431CFD7 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib\CURRENT, Quarantined, 15501, 799722, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib\LOCK, Quarantined, 15501, 799722, , , , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib\LOG, Quarantined, 15501, 799722, , , , , 258213A379F30AED909446F9DD13AD13, 588CB600593FAE0E259EDC4E9925727093F1FAA131515EF2B659473AC5030081 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib\LOG.old, Quarantined, 15501, 799722, , , , , A684F25397926C6EE6B7CB50F6A3E450, 94FCFE399F7EDDF94E56C118008988270CBD328645CDB2195D2E8C5DD88F08B4 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\imbdkpobfgeaiggbliebjhnodegphoib\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 15501, 799722, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\IMBDKPOBFGEAIGGBLIEBJHNODEGPHOIB\1.1.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 15501, 799722, 1.0.32238, , ame, , 38A149E40F5411172569A9DD7FB66F1F, 50D35F366AA7176CF908AB14BA6F4A33C77A8B96BA4FD088742945C14DC4D708 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