What is SearchStreams?
The Malwarebytes research team has determined that SearchStreams is adware. These adware applications display advertisements not originating from the sites you are browsing.
This particular one hijacks your search results.
How do I know if my computer is affected by SearchStreams?
You may see these warnings during install:
This entry in your list of installed Chrome extensions:
this icon in your browsers' menu bar:
and this changed setting:
How did SearchStreams 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 SearchStreams?
Our program Malwarebytes can detect and remove this adware program.
- 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 SearchStreams completely.
We hope our application and this guide have helped you eradicate this adware.
As you can see below the full version of Malwarebytes would have protected you against the SearchStreams adware. It would have blocked their domain.
Technical details for experts
Possible signs in FRST logs:
CHR DefaultSearchURL: Default -> hxxps://feed.searchstreams.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=searchstreams&barcodeid=569870000000000 CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> SearchStreams CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.searchstreams.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms} CHR Extension: (SearchStreams) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj [2020-03-23]Significant changes 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\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj\1.1.0_0 Adds the file manifest.json"="3/23/2020 8:52 AM, 2096 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj\1.1.0_0\_metadata Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="3/23/2020 8:52 AM, 11801 bytes, A Adds the file verified_contents.json"="2/25/2020 3:11 PM, 2049 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj\1.1.0_0\images Adds the file logo-white-text.png"="2/25/2020 3:11 PM, 0 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj\1.1.0_0\images\icons Adds the file 128x128.png"="3/23/2020 8:52 AM, 7212 bytes, A Adds the file 16x16.png"="3/23/2020 8:52 AM, 585 bytes, A Adds the file 64x64.png"="3/23/2020 8:52 AM, 3354 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj\1.1.0_0\scripts Adds the file background.js"="2/25/2020 3:11 PM, 998868 bytes, A Adds the file sitecontent.js"="2/25/2020 3:11 PM, 77 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj Adds the file 000003.log"="3/23/2020 8:54 AM, 778 bytes, A Adds the file CURRENT"="3/23/2020 8:52 AM, 16 bytes, A Adds the file LOCK"="3/23/2020 8:52 AM, 0 bytes, A Adds the file LOG"="3/23/2020 8:54 AM, 184 bytes, A Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="3/23/2020 8:52 AM, 41 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Web Applications\_crx_pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj Adds the file SearchStreams.ico"="3/23/2020 8:52 AM, 189195 bytes, A Adds the file SearchStreams.ico.md5"="3/23/2020 8:52 AM, 16 bytes, A Registry details [View: All details] (Selection) ------------------------------------------------ [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings] "pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj"="REG_SZ", "825763FF885576CF8E3FA2AD12F43E1F5983C44D4945208DA2F8BE13EBF6055B"Malwarebytes log:
Malwarebytes www.malwarebytes.com -Log Details- Scan Date: 3/23/20 Scan Time: 9:02 AM Log File: 9b785a34-6cdc-11ea-93cc-00ffdcc6fdfc.json -Software Information- Version: 4.1.0.56 Components Version: 1.0.835 Update Package Version: 1.0.21216 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: 234587 Threats Detected: 14 Threats Quarantined: 14 Time Elapsed: 9 min, 48 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|pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj, Quarantined, 15078, 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\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj, Quarantined, 15078, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\PDGMALCKNOCFFEGNFOGAKHFAKKHGJKDJ, Quarantined, 15078, 799722, 1.0.21216, , ame, File: 11 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15078, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15078, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj\000003.log, Quarantined, 15078, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj\CURRENT, Quarantined, 15078, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj\LOCK, Quarantined, 15078, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj\LOG, Quarantined, 15078, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj\LOG.old, Quarantined, 15078, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pdgmalcknocffegnfogakhfakkhgjkdj\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 15078, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\PDGMALCKNOCFFEGNFOGAKHFAKKHGJKDJ\1.1.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 15078, 799722, 1.0.21216, , ame, PUP.Optional.PushNotifications, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 216, 802150, 1.0.21216, , ame, PUP.Optional.PushNotifications, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 216, 802150, 1.0.21216, , ame, 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