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[Metallica]

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is Best-Converter?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that Best-Converter is a browser 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 provider.

How do I know if my computer is affected by Best-Converter?

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 Best-Converter 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 Best-Converter?

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 Best-Converter?

• No, Malwarebytes removes Best-Converter 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 Best-Converter 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.best-converter.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=best-converter&barcodeid=594720000000000
CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> Best-Converter
CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.best-converter.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms}
CHR Extension: (Best-Converter) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\falafkefhfgmcdaclmghpdimoohebecg [2021-12-15]

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\falafkefhfgmcdaclmghpdimoohebecg\1.0.2_0
       Adds the file background.js"="8/16/2021 3:33 PM, 9828 bytes, A
       Adds the file content-script.js"="7/14/2021 10:54 AM, 77 bytes, A
       Adds the file manifest.json"="12/15/2021 11:33 AM, 1845 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\falafkefhfgmcdaclmghpdimoohebecg\1.0.2_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="12/15/2021 11:33 AM, 341 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="8/18/2021 12:00 PM, 1904 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\falafkefhfgmcdaclmghpdimoohebecg\1.0.2_0\images\icons
       Adds the file 128x128.png"="12/15/2021 11:33 AM, 4101 bytes, A
       Adds the file 16x16.png"="12/15/2021 11:33 AM, 469 bytes, A
       Adds the file 64x64.png"="12/15/2021 11:33 AM, 1911 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\falafkefhfgmcdaclmghpdimoohebecg
       Adds the file 000003.log"="12/15/2021 11:33 AM, 525 bytes, A
       Adds the file CURRENT"="12/15/2021 11:33 AM, 16 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOCK"="12/15/2021 11:33 AM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOG"="12/15/2021 11:33 AM, 369 bytes, A
       Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="12/15/2021 11:33 AM, 41 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "falafkefhfgmcdaclmghpdimoohebecg"="REG_SZ", "5C0D917B02DE8B40270310582C77660435F97A68F9773BA77F940F093EFD778B"

Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 12/15/21
Scan Time: 11:43 AM
Log File: d034d708-5d93-11ec-884a-080027235d76.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.5.0.152
Components Version: 1.0.1538
Update Package Version: 1.0.48630
License: Premium

-System Information-
OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1
CPU: x64
File System: NTFS
User: {username}-PC\{username}

-Scan Summary-
Scan Type: Threat Scan
Scan Initiated By: Manual
Result: Completed
Objects Scanned: 242106
Threats Detected: 13
Threats Quarantined: 13
Time Elapsed: 1 min, 16 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|falafkefhfgmcdaclmghpdimoohebecg, Quarantined, 15729, 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\falafkefhfgmcdaclmghpdimoohebecg, Quarantined, 15729, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\FALAFKEFHFGMCDACLMGHPDIMOOHEBECG, Quarantined, 15729, 799722, 1.0.48630, , ame, , , 

File: 8
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15729, 799722, , , , , 0CDE36A0A89B6E0F260A966A2E04AD75, BDB961CCDF5AD5043BC30CBF132B228EDF4E36DB56D2A24EDC0FC4C35BF34A2B
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15729, 799722, , , , , 6F660D8D0FF90B732C2B248FECD18F4B, 9F1E555A510F9286B61CEA604FF88EC9B649F66B8135D8F2234310D3C6579A32
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\falafkefhfgmcdaclmghpdimoohebecg\000003.log, Quarantined, 15729, 799722, , , , , 2C992068EAF8E515460CDD77D286FE2A, E7902417FED1BE7EC789023E38AE3F5431E0485A4504457F0D9267B105345574
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\falafkefhfgmcdaclmghpdimoohebecg\CURRENT, Quarantined, 15729, 799722, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\falafkefhfgmcdaclmghpdimoohebecg\LOCK, Quarantined, 15729, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\falafkefhfgmcdaclmghpdimoohebecg\LOG, Quarantined, 15729, 799722, , , , , 65BF91BF394206DBCF311EE0BA161D1F, D3F83593E0EED9491BE7A517A9A6F0431CD5A7FF74947EBEA2D4E227557D9763
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\falafkefhfgmcdaclmghpdimoohebecg\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 15729, 799722, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\FALAFKEFHFGMCDACLMGHPDIMOOHEBECG\1.0.2_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 15729, 799722, 1.0.48630, , ame, , 09B19B9BF2C70560FAF1A1B34F9A42AC, 792BC79934A649F687DB7D523C6AB8D232BE9FD88796E6AA5DB01B822F6A0D76

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.