No replies to this topic

[Metallica]

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is SearchConverterInc?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that SearchConverterInc 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.
This particular one is a search hijacker and uses web push notifications. It also adds advertisements to your search results in the form of recommended searches.





How do I know if my computer is affected by SearchConverterInc?

You may see this entry in your list of installed Chrome extensions:



and these warnings during install:





and these changed settings:





How did SearchConverterInc 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 SearchConverterInc?

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 SearchConverterInc?

• No, Malwarebytes removes SearchConverterInc completely.
• If you have allowed the notifications you can read here how to disable them.

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 SearchConverterInc 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 Notifications: Default -> hxxps://install.searchconverterinc.com
CHR DefaultSearchURL: Default -> hxxps://feed.searchconverterinc.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=searchconverterinc&barcodeid=588570000000000
CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> SearchConverterInc
CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.searchconverterinc.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms}
CHR Extension: (SearchConverterInc) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb [2021-01-14]

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\omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb\1.1.0_0
       Adds the file manifest.json"="1/14/2021 9:03 AM, 2156 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb\1.1.0_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="1/14/2021 9:03 AM, 6725 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="12/16/2020 11:07 AM, 2049 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb\1.1.0_0\images
       Adds the file logo-white-text.png"="12/16/2020 11:07 AM, 0 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb\1.1.0_0\images\icons
       Adds the file 128x128.png"="1/14/2021 9:03 AM, 8155 bytes, A
       Adds the file 16x16.png"="1/14/2021 9:03 AM, 648 bytes, A
       Adds the file 64x64.png"="1/14/2021 9:03 AM, 3655 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb\1.1.0_0\scripts
       Adds the file background.js"="12/16/2020 11:07 AM, 553493 bytes, A
       Adds the file sitecontent.js"="12/16/2020 11:07 AM, 77 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb
       Adds the file 000003.log"="1/14/2021 9:08 AM, 823 bytes, A
       Adds the file CURRENT"="1/14/2021 9:03 AM, 16 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOCK"="1/14/2021 9:03 AM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOG"="1/14/2021 9:03 AM, 184 bytes, A
       Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="1/14/2021 9:03 AM, 41 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Web Applications\_crx_omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb
       Adds the file SearchConverterInc.ico"="1/14/2021 9:03 AM, 194494 bytes, A
       Adds the file SearchConverterInc.ico.md5"="1/14/2021 9:04 AM, 16 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb"="REG_SZ", "ED3DAFC264CEBC301F50542ED0C3DB6DE20B886197717AB52FEEC0E87D2B8074"

Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 1/14/21
Scan Time: 9:13 AM
Log File: 69616966-5640-11eb-a8ec-080027235d76.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.3.0.98
Components Version: 1.0.1130
Update Package Version: 1.0.35717
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: 232851
Threats Detected: 12
Threats Quarantined: 12
Time Elapsed: 3 min, 21 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|omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb, Quarantined, 15230, 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\omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\OMAMIOJLLKILCLJBCJMFLIACDIADKGBB, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, 1.0.35717, , ame, , , 

File: 9
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15230, 799722, , , , , EF6DAC21CE379DA81B88AB06F139B4F4, 340A9A2D9157D4430E72D6F25675A01AE4DB78A4A44C29AE200CACF7CF22F38E
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15230, 799722, , , , , 21620F87B69B37775EAF44487FDD1256, DD4105E73B3F683FD9C48969FD5E9D84ECDF0A0811E9AE984DA347F267920E9E
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb\000003.log, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , 5F91D45C0D04F823D10FBA45A508793A, E51E3F5D4F5867F41B6D85F2732DBD20931B0C8D39B4FC82AAEE9FD63A970D47
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb\CURRENT, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb\LOCK, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb\LOG, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , 35CC7597AEECB020C98BCE4CBFB34A49, 82EA1C51E979627FA5AE29B911379662811EF85003BDDE20804696750ED670CC
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\omamiojllkilcljbcjmfliacdiadkgbb\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\OMAMIOJLLKILCLJBCJMFLIACDIADKGBB\1.1.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, 1.0.35717, , ame, , 9CCE412F8256B5A64A200DF822162C53, AB146C922C2A7C25E5B215481B4BBE6BC9AD50048CF0C699271D257BDFFC462F
PUP.Optional.PushNotifications.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15847, 832955, 1.0.35717, , ame, , 21620F87B69B37775EAF44487FDD1256, DD4105E73B3F683FD9C48969FD5E9D84ECDF0A0811E9AE984DA347F267920E9E

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.