What is GetSearchConverter?
The Malwarebytes research team has determined that GetSearchConverter 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 GetSearchConverter?
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 GetSearchConverter 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 GetSearchConverter?
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 GetSearchConverter 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 GetSearchConverter 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.getsearchconverter.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=getsearchconverter&barcodeid=585360000000000 CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> GetSearchConverter CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.getsearchconverter.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms} CHR Extension: (GetSearchConverter) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk [2021-02-05]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\jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk\1.1.0_0 Adds the file manifest.json"="2/5/2021 9:13 AM, 2156 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk\1.1.0_0\_metadata Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="2/5/2021 9:13 AM, 6725 bytes, A Adds the file verified_contents.json"="10/21/2020 10:25 AM, 2049 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk\1.1.0_0\images Adds the file logo-white-text.png"="10/21/2020 10:25 AM, 0 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk\1.1.0_0\images\icons Adds the file 128x128.png"="2/5/2021 9:13 AM, 5162 bytes, A Adds the file 16x16.png"="2/5/2021 9:13 AM, 570 bytes, A Adds the file 64x64.png"="2/5/2021 9:13 AM, 2560 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk\1.1.0_0\scripts Adds the file background.js"="10/21/2020 10:25 AM, 553493 bytes, A Adds the file sitecontent.js"="10/21/2020 10:25 AM, 77 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk Adds the file 000003.log"="2/5/2021 9:16 AM, 507 bytes, A Adds the file CURRENT"="2/5/2021 9:13 AM, 16 bytes, A Adds the file LOCK"="2/5/2021 9:13 AM, 0 bytes, A Adds the file LOG"="2/5/2021 9:13 AM, 183 bytes, A Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="2/5/2021 9:13 AM, 41 bytes, A Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Web Applications\_crx_jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk Adds the file GetSearchConverter.ico"="2/5/2021 9:13 AM, 180849 bytes, A Adds the file GetSearchConverter.ico.md5"="2/5/2021 9:13 AM, 16 bytes, A Registry details [View: All details] (Selection) ------------------------------------------------ [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings] "jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk"="REG_SZ", "739D98E6B24218437ACDB8EC6101F1A27736CCDEC2FD2CAFAC1CE3C15C19B008"Malwarebytes log:
Malwarebytes www.malwarebytes.com -Log Details- Scan Date: 2/5/21 Scan Time: 9:22 AM Log File: 39bf3114-678b-11eb-a7f5-080027235d76.json -Software Information- Version: 4.3.0.98 Components Version: 1.0.1157 Update Package Version: 1.0.36749 License: Premium -System Information- OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 CPU: x64 File System: NTFS User: {username}-PC\{username} -Scan Summary- Scan Type: Threat Scan Scan Initiated By: Manual Result: Completed Objects Scanned: 233145 Threats Detected: 11 Threats Quarantined: 11 Time Elapsed: 2 min, 15 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|jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk, Quarantined, 15232, 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\jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, , , , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\JFPAAAILCOGMDHDPBLNKDHJGNHLKKMNK, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, 1.0.36749, , ame, , , File: 8 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15232, 799722, , , , , 3CE06379B581CD90E2F463C03DF2A513, 6DE7DAB05A7D948827AF930FD4FDA9D990B97B0B89E53837F757173D33D6D20B Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15232, 799722, , , , , 6AB11521839C41C887AE837FFF30A166, 964C92106174A2B914083FAD84DC8CFFCDE44C1B419004778DEED1ABE3728766 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk\000003.log, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, , , , , 7E15B0F3D1CCD211C761105ADAA2F5EA, 534D4A5DA34A150C178DC2367816317175DBB03649EDF3CE325851D4C0379053 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk\CURRENT, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk\LOCK, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, , , , , , Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk\LOG, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, , , , , CF335F38CF0330CFE920FE3FAC28BEA5, F6AFF312DDB6FF889814E1CEFCD9C4C59E21B4CC117EB69872E33BCD57C586F2 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\jfpaaailcogmdhdpblnkdhjgnhlkkmnk\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4 Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\JFPAAAILCOGMDHDPBLNKDHJGNHLKKMNK\1.1.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, 1.0.36749, , ame, , 8EFD5116E0667B8DADA9D5B1E2569BFA, F70AB1EC1365EB40DC3038575A89975EB5792DF2E59C7A399F61FFD54514F77F 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