What is SearchProConverter?
The Malwarebytes research team has determined that SearchProConverter 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 SearchProConverter?
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 SearchProConverter 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 SearchProConverter?
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 SearchProConverter completely.
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 SearchProConverter 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.searchproconverter.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=searchproconverter&barcodeid=574970000000000 CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> SearchProConverter CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.searchproconverter.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms} CHR Extension: (SearchProConverter) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam [2020-09-04]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\gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam\1.1.0_0 Adds the file manifest.json"="9/4/2020 9:19 AM, 2157 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam\1.1.0_0\_metadata Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="9/4/2020 9:19 AM, 6255 bytes, A Adds the file verified_contents.json"="6/17/2020 12:30 PM, 2049 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam\1.1.0_0\images Adds the file logo-white-text.png"="6/17/2020 12:30 PM, 0 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam\1.1.0_0\images\icons Adds the file 128x128.png"="9/4/2020 9:19 AM, 4703 bytes, A Adds the file 16x16.png"="9/4/2020 9:19 AM, 610 bytes, A Adds the file 64x64.png"="9/4/2020 9:19 AM, 2435 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam\1.1.0_0\scripts Adds the file background.js"="6/17/2020 12:30 PM, 514674 bytes, A Adds the file sitecontent.js"="6/17/2020 12:30 PM, 77 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam Adds the file 000003.log"="9/4/2020 9:21 AM, 768 bytes, A Adds the file CURRENT"="9/4/2020 9:19 AM, 16 bytes, A Adds the file LOCK"="9/4/2020 9:19 AM, 0 bytes, A Adds the file LOG"="9/4/2020 9:19 AM, 184 bytes, A Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="9/4/2020 9:19 AM, 41 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Web Applications\_crx_gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam Adds the file SearchProConverter.ico"="9/4/2020 9:19 AM, 180720 bytes, A Adds the file SearchProConverter.ico.md5"="9/4/2020 9:19 AM, 16 bytes, A Registry details [View: All details] (Selection) ------------------------------------------------ [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings] "gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam"="REG_SZ", "4093BB755E5A80A9033C26EEDA86F729DA6D7F2C57DE493BD5B08C4BE9129C15"Malwarebytes log:
Malwarebytes www.malwarebytes.com -Log Details- Scan Date: 9/4/20 Scan Time: 9:26 AM Log File: 0502fd72-ee80-11ea-9eb6-00ffdcc6fdfc.json -Software Information- Version: 4.2.0.82 Components Version: 1.0.1025 Update Package Version: 1.0.29423 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: 231389 Threats Detected: 11 Threats Quarantined: 11 Time Elapsed: 5 min, 30 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|gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam, Quarantined, 15272, 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\gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam, Quarantined, 15272, 799722, , , , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\GMEJDGNGIAEBCDGPKECABPKAPIDCLOAM, Quarantined, 15272, 799722, 1.0.29423, , ame, , , File: 8 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15272, 799722, , , , , F18928A0A028C92BC712F6673446139C, DA7503D7FA4710B002C9F33D1A76D258BFE6893BAADDCD6E2109BB6ACB3EC852 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15272, 799722, , , , , 62973410723CE4E36076877D7E7AD4D5, DE1CE7E3207DE3A80069B0C17A870AB0CF0910B0584EDEBE6FDF547611256DB2 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam\000003.log, Quarantined, 15272, 799722, , , , , 73207671B0423ADCD9CC0CB2F9C333AD, 8EFABED04440DB64CB5BF820E4B90B66F12B7584CA4D3B06DAD6D6AF517C793C Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam\CURRENT, Quarantined, 15272, 799722, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam\LOCK, Quarantined, 15272, 799722, , , , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam\LOG, Quarantined, 15272, 799722, , , , , FB5DE384CBAE28B3B61A3145DA78EB8C, 69146900FE11392ED6B34150361ADEC14E8BE0BD2110945A9C933CD4A559916A Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\gmejdgngiaebcdgpkecabpkapidcloam\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 15272, 799722, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\GMEJDGNGIAEBCDGPKECABPKAPIDCLOAM\1.1.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 15272, 799722, 1.0.29423, , ame, , 8EE4A58B34E7912E32AC1E67A45ECCDE, 3A391D0AB4E2C74A19564C76C9E36FFA9096ADFF8FBB75236752DDD993E01D91 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