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Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is Pro Search?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that Pro 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.
This particular one closes your initial search tab and opens a new one with the same querie on their own search domain. More details in this blogpost.

How do I know if my computer is affected by Pro Search?

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



You may have noticed these warnings during install:





How did Pro 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 Pro Search?

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 Pro Search?

• No, Malwarebytes removes Pro Search 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 Pro 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 Extension: (Pro Search) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\pnjfbdohpcpnjefnliiokjcglckkfhkn [2020-11-05]

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\pnjfbdohpcpnjefnliiokjcglckkfhkn\2.1.1_0
       Adds the file background.js"="8/12/2020 10:10 PM, 8071 bytes, A
       Adds the file manifest.json"="11/5/2020 8:45 AM, 1706 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\pnjfbdohpcpnjefnliiokjcglckkfhkn\2.1.1_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="11/5/2020 8:45 AM, 404 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="8/12/2020 10:25 PM, 1648 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\pnjfbdohpcpnjefnliiokjcglckkfhkn\2.1.1_0\icons
       Adds the file icon128.png"="11/5/2020 8:45 AM, 2188 bytes, A
       Adds the file icon48.png"="11/5/2020 8:45 AM, 253 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pnjfbdohpcpnjefnliiokjcglckkfhkn
       Adds the file 000003.log"="11/5/2020 8:46 AM, 45 bytes, A
       Adds the file CURRENT"="11/5/2020 8:46 AM, 16 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOCK"="11/5/2020 8:46 AM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOG"="11/5/2020 8:46 AM, 184 bytes, A
       Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="11/5/2020 8:46 AM, 41 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "pnjfbdohpcpnjefnliiokjcglckkfhkn"="REG_SZ", "0C45ACA1297C106E8FE517C8F679C04F44C2226EBC4BF2038BB650926634DC8C"

Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 11/5/20
Scan Time: 8:54 AM
Log File: 270d82b0-1f3c-11eb-8aee-080027235d76.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.2.2.95
Components Version: 1.0.1096
Update Package Version: 1.0.32488
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: 231929
Threats Detected: 11
Threats Quarantined: 11
Time Elapsed: 3 min, 29 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.SearchDimension.Generic, HKCU\SOFTWARE\GOOGLE\CHROME\PREFERENCEMACS\Default\extensions.settings|pnjfbdohpcpnjefnliiokjcglckkfhkn, Quarantined, 15473, 776625, , , , , , 

Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folder: 2
PUP.Optional.SearchDimension.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pnjfbdohpcpnjefnliiokjcglckkfhkn, Quarantined, 15473, 776625, , , , , , 
PUP.Optional.SearchDimension.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\PNJFBDOHPCPNJEFNLIIOKJCGLCKKFHKN, Quarantined, 15473, 776625, 1.0.32488, , ame, , , 

File: 8
PUP.Optional.SearchDimension.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15473, 776625, , , , , 585BB213E4737D24EDACE08F4113F5A6, 317C1ADCDB3C93DAC19BB61200967D4BCAB3680DFC309599EFC5467BED3382C9
PUP.Optional.SearchDimension.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15473, 776625, , , , , 0983ED3A151D1AFAFA28B7465D4A079C, 52DD16C154A0307DE45AC1625A13C4909EEEC72F10B5C72D38BE08C762256AB3
PUP.Optional.SearchDimension.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pnjfbdohpcpnjefnliiokjcglckkfhkn\000003.log, Quarantined, 15473, 776625, , , , , 6CF8D25F8054E6931A26AA283B5F2BB6, C8BB385056413BD63B1CD77683D873D5372D4C3C6379C2765ED2A53DC13463B1
PUP.Optional.SearchDimension.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pnjfbdohpcpnjefnliiokjcglckkfhkn\CURRENT, Quarantined, 15473, 776625, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443
PUP.Optional.SearchDimension.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pnjfbdohpcpnjefnliiokjcglckkfhkn\LOCK, Quarantined, 15473, 776625, , , , , , 
PUP.Optional.SearchDimension.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pnjfbdohpcpnjefnliiokjcglckkfhkn\LOG, Quarantined, 15473, 776625, , , , , EF527E60CBE19D25C1F9EA1FECFC452D, 04EAF1145413EB72BCA2992107ACCF5E623E1F2BA1C3E8F51470A0EC271ED9DA
PUP.Optional.SearchDimension.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pnjfbdohpcpnjefnliiokjcglckkfhkn\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 15473, 776625, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4
PUP.Optional.SearchDimension.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\PNJFBDOHPCPNJEFNLIIOKJCGLCKKFHKN\2.1.1_0\BACKGROUND.JS, Quarantined, 15473, 776625, 1.0.32488, , ame, , 5FD917BFED19B161AF3E17C529F8DED1, 3814E7891547ADE88592F6CBD07742BBBA67FB38D8CB2814AA35003C61E4B1E6

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.