What is PDFConvertersSearch?
The Malwarebytes research team has determined that PDFConvertersSearch 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 PDFConvertersSearch?
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 PDFConvertersSearch 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 PDFConvertersSearch?
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.
- No, Malwarebytes removes PDFConvertersSearch completely.
We hope our application and this guide have helped you eradicate this hijacker.
As you can see below Malwarebytes Browser Guard, as well as the full version of Malwarebytes would have protected you against the PDFConvertersSearch 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.pdfconverters-search.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=pdfconverterssearch&barcodeid=573630000000000 CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> PDFConvertersSearch CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.pdfconverters-search.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms}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\bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma\1.1.0_0 Adds the file manifest.json"="7/13/2020 8:58 AM, 2175 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma\1.1.0_0\_metadata Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="7/13/2020 8:58 AM, 6255 bytes, A Adds the file verified_contents.json"="6/2/2020 12:26 PM, 2049 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma\1.1.0_0\images Adds the file logo-white-text.png"="6/2/2020 12:26 PM, 0 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma\1.1.0_0\images\icons Adds the file 128x128.png"="7/13/2020 8:58 AM, 25018 bytes, A Adds the file 16x16.png"="7/13/2020 8:58 AM, 687 bytes, A Adds the file 64x64.png"="7/13/2020 8:58 AM, 6153 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma\1.1.0_0\scripts Adds the file background.js"="6/2/2020 12:26 PM, 514691 bytes, A Adds the file sitecontent.js"="6/2/2020 12:26 PM, 77 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma Adds the file 000003.log"="7/13/2020 9:03 AM, 806 bytes, A Adds the file CURRENT"="7/13/2020 8:58 AM, 16 bytes, A Adds the file LOCK"="7/13/2020 8:58 AM, 0 bytes, A Adds the file LOG"="7/13/2020 9:03 AM, 183 bytes, A Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="7/13/2020 8:58 AM, 41 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Web Applications\_crx_bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma Adds the file PDFConvertersSearch.ico"="7/13/2020 8:58 AM, 250286 bytes, A Adds the file PDFConvertersSearch.ico.md5"="7/13/2020 8:58 AM, 16 bytes, A Registry details [View: All details] (Selection) ------------------------------------------------ [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings] "bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma"="REG_SZ", "FC323E472C2C1020AE0F4AA9249BA1B4DB9357E18A4955604572A9D2619FDE23"Malwarebytes log:
Malwarebytes www.malwarebytes.com -Log Details- Scan Date: 7/13/20 Scan Time: 9:19 AM Log File: 35c1e494-c4d9-11ea-84c2-00ffdcc6fdfc.json -Software Information- Version: 4.1.2.73 Components Version: 1.0.976 Update Package Version: 1.0.26757 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: 231959 Threats Detected: 11 Threats Quarantined: 11 Time Elapsed: 8 min, 46 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|bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma, Quarantined, 15209, 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\bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma, Quarantined, 15209, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\BIPAHNFABDBLOCACOCOBNIFAAIHELKMA, Quarantined, 15209, 799722, 1.0.26757, , ame, File: 8 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15209, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15209, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma\000003.log, Quarantined, 15209, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma\CURRENT, Quarantined, 15209, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma\LOCK, Quarantined, 15209, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma\LOG, Quarantined, 15209, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bipahnfabdblocacocobnifaaihelkma\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 15209, 799722, , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\BIPAHNFABDBLOCACOCOBNIFAAIHELKMA\1.1.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 15209, 799722, 1.0.26757, , 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