What is GoIncognitoSearch?
The Malwarebytes research team has determined that GoIncognitoSearch 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 changes your default search engine and adds Search Recommendations.
How do I know if my computer is affected by GoIncognitoSearch?
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 GoIncognitoSearch 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 GoIncognitoSearch?
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 GoIncognitoSearch 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 GoIncognitoSearch 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.goincognitosearch.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=goincognitosearch&barcodeid=586400000000000 CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> GoIncognitoSearch CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.goincognitosearch.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms} CHR Extension: (GoIncognitoSearch) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj [2021-01-19]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\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj\1.1.0_0 Adds the file manifest.json"="1/19/2021 10:41 AM, 2144 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj\1.1.0_0\_metadata Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="1/19/2021 10:41 AM, 6725 bytes, A Adds the file verified_contents.json"="11/11/2020 11:17 AM, 2049 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj\1.1.0_0\images Adds the file logo-white-text.png"="11/11/2020 11:17 AM, 0 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj\1.1.0_0\images\icons Adds the file 128x128.png"="1/19/2021 10:41 AM, 4368 bytes, A Adds the file 16x16.png"="1/19/2021 10:41 AM, 506 bytes, A Adds the file 64x64.png"="1/19/2021 10:41 AM, 2112 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj\1.1.0_0\scripts Adds the file background.js"="11/11/2020 11:17 AM, 553484 bytes, A Adds the file sitecontent.js"="11/11/2020 11:17 AM, 77 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj Adds the file 000003.log"="1/19/2021 10:43 AM, 325 bytes, A Adds the file CURRENT"="1/19/2021 10:41 AM, 16 bytes, A Adds the file LOCK"="1/19/2021 10:41 AM, 0 bytes, A Adds the file LOG"="1/19/2021 10:42 AM, 410 bytes, A Adds the file LOG.old"="1/19/2021 10:41 AM, 410 bytes, A Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="1/19/2021 10:41 AM, 41 bytes, A Registry details [View: All details] (Selection) ------------------------------------------------ [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings] "nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj"="REG_SZ", "5D00279A6A4FCFBB0544285BDA956CDCACD4DA7498A1F36E93DAAD25508000AB"Malwarebytes log:
Malwarebytes www.malwarebytes.com -Log Details- Scan Date: 1/19/21 Scan Time: 9:52 AM Log File: 9eedccea-5a33-11eb-8b79-080027235d76.json -Software Information- Version: 4.3.0.98 Components Version: 1.0.1130 Update Package Version: 1.0.35943 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: 232897 Threats Detected: 12 Threats Quarantined: 12 Time Elapsed: 3 min, 41 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|nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj, 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\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\NKANJGIECDOOBILDHPMLMLNJKFMODPGJ, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, 1.0.35943, , ame, , , File: 9 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15230, 799722, , , , , 64AC390DE81570662D939C0A8778F1E9, 06203FB3E87055D1E70EF2F384455C471A1236FDD5B8A6C67E2536616D091D5A Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15230, 799722, , , , , 0D28F37987E244A485F800288C9492F0, 57108E45621C5B10AE2A7681C65956C562FC5D69C75939457F792D13F3EE561A Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj\000003.log, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , D22DF2194D5D2306B05EDF25FE84FAA2, D90040AE9BE98668795001D65DFE4FE93E7579ABCDD135C77B113FE8B1633596 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj\CURRENT, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj\LOCK, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj\LOG, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , CCF0CA2B2972D7194C4AE0E578054483, 2C7279AFF737C5D828B5DE527B7C0278367691644EBEAFD360D158B51ACA58CE Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj\LOG.old, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , C16544D016CB4995D4F43BEBAC5C366C, 135138F80F024CD447612BB93ABB39767B6AB8D36801DF87E91A7B87D0EE66B5 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\nkanjgiecdoobildhpmlmlnjkfmodpgj\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\NKANJGIECDOOBILDHPMLMLNJKFMODPGJ\1.1.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, 1.0.35943, , ame, , AA69585AA6593103F79DF362528BAD28, 5C72FA0C5CD10B00D77B10C042937EF5D3179F645392E0C86F62F860B5272BCC 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