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[Metallica]

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is ShortcutTab?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that ShortcutTab 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 ShortcutTab?

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 ShortcutTab get on my computer?

Browser hijackers use different methods for distributing themselves. This particular one was downloaded from the webstore:



after a redirect from an ad-rotator.

How do I remove ShortcutTab?

Our program Malwarebytes can detect and remove this potentially unwanted 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.

Is there anything else I need to do to get rid of ShortcutTab?

• No, Malwarebytes removes ShortcutTab 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 ShortcutTab 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://s.advancedsearchlab.com/search?gd=SY1002099&searchsource=58&q={searchTerms}
CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> sct
CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://s.advancedsearchlab.com/search/suggestions?format=json&q={searchTerms}&gd=SY1002099
CHR Extension: (SCT) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\jaddjodppjmbpmgjcedejcidpnpladgb [2020-07-08]

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\jaddjodppjmbpmgjcedejcidpnpladgb\1.0.5_0
       Adds the file background.js"="4/17/2020 1:07 PM, 778 bytes, A
       Adds the file index.html"="4/17/2020 12:31 PM, 17210 bytes, A
       Adds the file manifest.json"="7/8/2020 8:41 AM, 1866 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\jaddjodppjmbpmgjcedejcidpnpladgb\1.0.5_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="7/8/2020 8:41 AM, 4291 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="4/21/2020 4:58 PM, 2296 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\jaddjodppjmbpmgjcedejcidpnpladgb\1.0.5_0\c
       Adds the file s.css"="4/18/2020 3:23 PM, 19556 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\jaddjodppjmbpmgjcedejcidpnpladgb\1.0.5_0\icons
       Adds the file button.png"="7/8/2020 8:41 AM, 941 bytes, A
       Adds the file icon128.png"="7/8/2020 8:41 AM, 16644 bytes, A
       Adds the file icon48.png"="7/8/2020 8:41 AM, 286 bytes, A
       Adds the file icon64.png"="7/8/2020 8:41 AM, 6589 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\jaddjodppjmbpmgjcedejcidpnpladgb\1.0.5_0\s
       Adds the file jquery.js"="4/17/2020 12:20 PM, 166921 bytes, A
       Adds the file s.js"="4/18/2020 3:22 PM, 113530 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "jaddjodppjmbpmgjcedejcidpnpladgb"="REG_SZ", "9419C82A35423C4BEEF257BB09722AAB3E10D3AE031E8B88E0A1B35BEBE4E5FD"

Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 7/8/20
Scan Time: 8:58 AM
Log File: 7b43b690-c0e8-11ea-b0af-00ffdcc6fdfc.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.1.2.73
Components Version: 1.0.976
Update Package Version: 1.0.26569
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: 232080
Threats Detected: 5
Threats Quarantined: 5
Time Elapsed: 8 min, 37 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.AdvancedSearchLab, HKCU\SOFTWARE\GOOGLE\CHROME\PREFERENCEMACS\Default\extensions.settings|jaddjodppjmbpmgjcedejcidpnpladgb, Quarantined, 15259, 838237, , , , 

Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folder: 1
PUP.Optional.AdvancedSearchLab, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\JADDJODPPJMBPMGJCEDEJCIDPNPLADGB, Quarantined, 15259, 838237, 1.0.26569, , ame, 

File: 3
PUP.Optional.AdvancedSearchLab, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15259, 838237, , , , 
PUP.Optional.AdvancedSearchLab, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15259, 838237, , , , 
PUP.Optional.AdvancedSearchLab, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\JADDJODPPJMBPMGJCEDEJCIDPNPLADGB\1.0.5_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 15259, 838237, 1.0.26569, , 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

Save yourself the hassle and get protected.