What is SearchPDFConverter?
The Malwarebytes research team has determined that SearchPDFConverter 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 changes your default search engine and uses Notifications.
How do I know if my computer is affected by SearchPDFConverter?
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 SearchPDFConverter 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 SearchPDFConverter?
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 SearchPDFConverter completely.
- If you have allowed the notifications you can read here how to disable them.
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 SearchPDFConverter 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.searchpdfconverter.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=searchpdfconverter&barcodeid=586510000000000 CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> SearchPDFConverter CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.searchpdfconverter.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms} CHR Extension: (SearchPDFConverter) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak [2021-01-20]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\lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak\1.1.0_0 Adds the file manifest.json"="1/20/2021 9:25 AM, 2156 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak\1.1.0_0\_metadata Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="1/20/2021 9:25 AM, 6725 bytes, A Adds the file verified_contents.json"="11/18/2020 8:48 AM, 2049 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak\1.1.0_0\images Adds the file logo-white-text.png"="11/18/2020 8:48 AM, 0 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak\1.1.0_0\images\icons Adds the file 128x128.png"="1/20/2021 9:25 AM, 5013 bytes, A Adds the file 16x16.png"="1/20/2021 9:25 AM, 551 bytes, A Adds the file 64x64.png"="1/20/2021 9:25 AM, 2559 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak\1.1.0_0\scripts Adds the file background.js"="11/18/2020 8:48 AM, 553493 bytes, A Adds the file sitecontent.js"="11/18/2020 8:48 AM, 77 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak Adds the file 000003.log"="1/20/2021 9:29 AM, 832 bytes, A Adds the file CURRENT"="1/20/2021 9:25 AM, 16 bytes, A Adds the file LOCK"="1/20/2021 9:25 AM, 0 bytes, A Adds the file LOG"="1/20/2021 9:25 AM, 183 bytes, A Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="1/20/2021 9:25 AM, 41 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Web Applications\_crx_lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak Adds the file SearchPDFConverter.ico"="1/20/2021 9:25 AM, 180477 bytes, A Adds the file SearchPDFConverter.ico.md5"="1/20/2021 9:25 AM, 16 bytes, A Registry details [View: All details] (Selection) ------------------------------------------------ [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings] "lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak"="REG_SZ", "27EFC5E606F05A33B660423A82D701FD075B68030EB5A5AF63061D95A20378F7"Malwarebytes log:
Malwarebytes www.malwarebytes.com -Log Details- Scan Date: 1/20/21 Scan Time: 9:34 AM Log File: 40de88b6-5afa-11eb-9c45-080027235d76.json -Software Information- Version: 4.3.0.98 Components Version: 1.0.1146 Update Package Version: 1.0.35989 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: 232894 Threats Detected: 11 Threats Quarantined: 11 Time Elapsed: 2 min, 11 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|lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak, Quarantined, 15230, 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\lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\LCLCLDPKDBELOJHLDLPHAPHMHOFEGDAK, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, 1.0.35989, , ame, , , File: 8 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15230, 799722, , , , , 29F95728F95C708AFB32985FE02B0EB6, 2640C73AD155610D85B920FBB3AFC1FD007768ADEF3EAE7783BBEF8E24C0B134 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15230, 799722, , , , , 3FD82800A00D6EF37D049E0F1F945898, 53B06A5942B530E6CBCDDE167BF7824A0956E7B8DFAF2285C4506E60056AC289 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak\000003.log, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , D85D7A48531D7C957CC25FA21E8D58B6, 557A07C11D8338B9CCDF515AD478FD45D41C43DA13742AFDE6B4617564DBF75C Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak\CURRENT, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak\LOCK, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak\LOG, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , 3306A2B7BBFC83EA4A6AEEDEB253B15A, 84008C13A0F66D37216C502167CF0EA2998C66FD4B437504D0144EFFF134DE7D Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\lclcldpkdbelojhldlphaphmhofegdak\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\LCLCLDPKDBELOJHLDLPHAPHMHOFEGDAK\1.1.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, 1.0.35989, , ame, , 93114D86C82519A11F2D2FF2ED4D96C4, 6CE3B51C25F1C5BCDD38D6E70E4325BFEE604AFFE3936E444B41B3EB5438D88F 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