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[Metallica]

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is Search Button?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that Search Button 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 closes your search tab and opens a new one with their own search engine. It also adds recommended searches to the search results.



How do I know if my computer is affected by Search Button?

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



You may have noticed these warnings during install:







How did Search Button 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 Search Button?

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 Search Button?

• No, Malwarebytes removes Search Button 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 Search Button 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 Extension: (Search Button) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\imomoaphompmapmhcdioafbdmgnmdagk [2021-03-24]

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\imomoaphompmapmhcdioafbdmgnmdagk\2.2.6_0
       Adds the file gainsay.js"="3/21/2021 8:57 AM, 9310 bytes, A
       Adds the file harmonised.html"="3/20/2021 11:40 AM, 1721 bytes, A
       Adds the file jquery-3.5.1.min.js.js"="3/19/2021 10:48 PM, 89502 bytes, A
       Adds the file manifest.json"="3/24/2021 4:08 PM, 1034 bytes, A
       Adds the file postpones.js"="3/19/2021 10:48 PM, 2296 bytes, A
       Adds the file recrystallized.css"="3/19/2021 10:48 PM, 2949 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\imomoaphompmapmhcdioafbdmgnmdagk\2.2.6_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="3/24/2021 4:08 PM, 2303 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="3/21/2021 8:56 AM, 2545 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\imomoaphompmapmhcdioafbdmgnmdagk\2.2.6_0\icons
       Adds the file camp.png"="3/19/2021 10:48 PM, 1910 bytes, A
       Adds the file gate.png"="3/24/2021 4:08 PM, 3253 bytes, A
       Adds the file happen.png"="3/24/2021 4:08 PM, 1300 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\imomoaphompmapmhcdioafbdmgnmdagk\2.2.6_0\img
       Adds the file fists.png"="3/19/2021 10:48 PM, 1310 bytes, A
       Adds the file pry.svg"="3/19/2021 10:48 PM, 298 bytes, A
       Adds the file search.svg"="3/19/2021 10:48 PM, 298 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "imomoaphompmapmhcdioafbdmgnmdagk"="REG_SZ", "BEC687613EEEBB2297178BE6DD85EF64FCCE284D2D22BD5FF37D174EA80CA3F5"

Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 3/25/21
Scan Time: 11:14 AM
Log File: daac21b2-8d52-11eb-b800-080027235d76.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.3.0.98
Components Version: 1.0.1217
Update Package Version: 1.0.38671
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: 233550
Threats Detected: 5
Threats Quarantined: 5
Time Elapsed: 2 min, 3 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
PUP.Optional.SearchEngineHijack, HKCU\SOFTWARE\GOOGLE\CHROME\PREFERENCEMACS\Default\extensions.settings|imomoaphompmapmhcdioafbdmgnmdagk, Quarantined, 336, 924465, , , , , , 

Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folder: 1
PUP.Optional.SearchEngineHijack, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\IMOMOAPHOMPMAPMHCDIOAFBDMGNMDAGK, Quarantined, 336, 924465, 1.0.38671, , ame, , , 

File: 3
PUP.Optional.SearchEngineHijack, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 336, 924465, , , , , F4F2AE6742A7D8C80D7F3EF2D07B4CBA, 43C75C105017B56B7496F10DD750088134A6C6F27F525D5C3F3A544D613246C3
PUP.Optional.SearchEngineHijack, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 336, 924465, , , , , A2B83484A45AC33AE42249E4266B743F, 61ADEB434A1EF8669FA325E562C2660C14DBFA3AB87CD07FE7E320BFB31D2994
PUP.Optional.SearchEngineHijack, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\IMOMOAPHOMPMAPMHCDIOAFBDMGNMDAGK\2.2.6_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 336, 924465, 1.0.38671, , ame, , CB9C0AA8BFDD23518B8C921009854FC8, 5BAA333D0F4B591E641C0C9E90EDC1B485394B47CE57C14E9542E4C1631FBBF4

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.