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[Metallica]

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is TheVideoSearch?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that TheVideoSearch 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 TheVideoSearch?

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 TheVideoSearch 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 TheVideoSearch?

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.

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

• No, Malwarebytes removes TheVideoSearch 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 TheVideoSearch 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.thevideosearch.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=thevideosearch&barcodeid=579950000000000
CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> TheVideoSearch
CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.thevideosearch.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms}
CHR Extension: (TheVideoSearch) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie [2021-01-21]

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\bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie\1.1.0_0
       Adds the file manifest.json"="1/21/2021 9:16 AM, 2108 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie\1.1.0_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="1/21/2021 9:16 AM, 6255 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="9/2/2020 2:26 PM, 2049 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie\1.1.0_0\images
       Adds the file logo-white-text.png"="9/2/2020 2:26 PM, 0 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie\1.1.0_0\images\icons
       Adds the file 128x128.png"="1/21/2021 9:16 AM, 7722 bytes, A
       Adds the file 16x16.png"="1/21/2021 9:16 AM, 646 bytes, A
       Adds the file 64x64.png"="1/21/2021 9:16 AM, 3473 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie\1.1.0_0\scripts
       Adds the file background.js"="9/2/2020 2:26 PM, 514511 bytes, A
       Adds the file sitecontent.js"="9/2/2020 2:26 PM, 77 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie
       Adds the file 000003.log"="1/21/2021 9:20 AM, 808 bytes, A
       Adds the file CURRENT"="1/21/2021 9:16 AM, 16 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOCK"="1/21/2021 9:16 AM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOG"="1/21/2021 9:16 AM, 183 bytes, A
       Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="1/21/2021 9:16 AM, 41 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Web Applications\_crx_bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie
       Adds the file TheVideoSearch.ico"="1/21/2021 9:16 AM, 192585 bytes, A
       Adds the file TheVideoSearch.ico.md5"="1/21/2021 9:16 AM, 16 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie"="REG_SZ", "0DE0DD77E680E9B1FACB129A0C03FEAA1BC1724EFC0B1ADED14819BECE9CA731"

Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 1/21/21
Scan Time: 9:27 AM
Log File: 856e0470-5bc2-11eb-9195-080027235d76.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.3.0.98
Components Version: 1.0.1146
Update Package Version: 1.0.36031
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: 232909
Threats Detected: 11
Threats Quarantined: 11
Time Elapsed: 3 min, 22 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|bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie, 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\bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\BJMIIKAFJJJBMFNPHOODPDJMBFIJDEIE, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, 1.0.36031, , ame, , , 

File: 8
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15230, 799722, , , , , 54E7A9D070F8F8206C414AC0C07255EC, 16A748AA56208802D4FCADB69D7A804D315930C07B76EB76E69B54F5EE3B1C83
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15230, 799722, , , , , 6E76E0D03487ED0809B4DF7541133AEB, 0E8CFB2739F468BB9B5EF802A235A8155474760FBD353AEFB52BC0B07079E7F3
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie\000003.log, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , C7860AEF57E615289487482DD3A86E44, 972F5572F042967631746010BD516D6FBCFA3E5B08746CAEC6895838D3D33923
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie\CURRENT, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie\LOCK, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie\LOG, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , 968D39AD7D7202496B76CB640AF1703C, E08AAA10803B85736C31EA69DAD14637A254050C09AE06DB2FF184F0C222A59A
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bjmiikafjjjbmfnphoodpdjmbfijdeie\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\BJMIIKAFJJJBMFNPHOODPDJMBFIJDEIE\1.1.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 15230, 799722, 1.0.36031, , ame, , E2E0F5F7593C78396E51E8556B27B48D, A6EA36D370709C18B59FF42915809E5C961689C805984A351990E5A492F33ACF

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.