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[Metallica]

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is FlashSearch?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that FlashSearch is adware. These adware applications display advertisements not originating from the sites you are browsing.

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

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



You may have noticed these warnings during install:





How did FlashSearch get on my computer?

Adware applications use different methods for distributing themselves. This particular one was downloaded from the webstore:



after a redirect from their website:



How do I remove FlashSearch?

Our program Malwarebytes can detect and remove this adware 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 FlashSearch?

• No, Malwarebytes removes FlashSearch completely.

How would the full version of Malwarebytes help protect me?

We hope our application and this guide have helped you eradicate this adware.

As you can see below Malwarebytes Browser Guard, and the full version of Malwarebytes would have protected you against the Name of the rogue 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: (FlashSearch) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg [2021-04-01]

Significant changes 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\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg\1.0_0
       Adds the file manifest.json"="4/1/2021 9:02 AM, 1210 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg\1.0_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="4/1/2021 9:02 AM, 1491 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="2/17/2021 8:12 PM, 2383 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg\1.0_0\common
       Adds the file contentscript.js"="2/17/2021 8:12 PM, 347 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg\1.0_0\img
       Adds the file logo.png"="2/17/2021 8:12 PM, 5273 bytes, A
       Adds the file logo_128x.png"="4/1/2021 9:02 AM, 5102 bytes, A
       Adds the file logo_16x.png"="2/17/2021 8:12 PM, 442 bytes, A
       Adds the file logo_48x.png"="4/1/2021 9:02 AM, 1125 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg\1.0_0\pages
       Adds the file popup.html"="2/17/2021 8:12 PM, 236 bytes, A
       Adds the file popupstyle.css"="2/17/2021 8:12 PM, 108 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg\1.0_0\release
       Adds the file browseraction_release.js"="2/17/2021 8:12 PM, 36949 bytes, A
       Adds the file enhancer_release.js"="2/17/2021 8:12 PM, 17350 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg
       Adds the file 000003.log"="4/1/2021 9:02 AM, 1189 bytes, A
       Adds the file CURRENT"="4/1/2021 9:02 AM, 16 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOCK"="4/1/2021 9:02 AM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOG"="4/1/2021 9:02 AM, 185 bytes, A
       Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="4/1/2021 9:02 AM, 41 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg"="REG_SZ", "86DE6F5BF4538767ECCF6A42C4403E4412FA1D0F3E313AE42D521BCB248E795C"

Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 4/1/21
Scan Time: 5:04 PM
Log File: 86c526f8-92fb-11eb-b2c9-080027235d76.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.3.0.98
Components Version: 1.0.1236
Update Package Version: 1.0.38976
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: 233697
Threats Detected: 12
Threats Quarantined: 12
Time Elapsed: 2 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
PUP.Optional.FlashSearch, HKCU\SOFTWARE\GOOGLE\CHROME\PREFERENCEMACS\Default\extensions.settings|ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg, Quarantined, 16181, 927175, , , , , , 

Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folder: 2
PUP.Optional.FlashSearch, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Local Extension Settings\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg, Quarantined, 16181, 927175, , , , , , 
PUP.Optional.FlashSearch, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\NCPIMACCODLLJBBLOINHAFPHKLMGJOEG, Quarantined, 16181, 927175, 1.0.38976, , ame, , , 

File: 9
PUP.Optional.FlashSearch, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 16181, 927175, , , , , 8977B6842678DC0D0B292133EC6ADD5D, F6EEE6BA507D549BB5CB49C1A2E029A9D4007CFDCED607BFF8D0F7A7CCE5FBEF
PUP.Optional.FlashSearch, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 16181, 927175, , , , , 3D8E29AECA518B2861A1C50F30EFA55A, 05949EAC8D7EDDEF59F0EFBBD2E5E85C1A8203B69BDB914D1DE3563ED3B9C263
PUP.Optional.FlashSearch, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg\000003.log, Quarantined, 16181, 927175, , , , , 39F493FC7301CD30AF4F6F44930C2C67, 4E4680E1E6D7558409C6089B7F265143C446FD2C467616FB1C8277B1803E86F0
PUP.Optional.FlashSearch, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg\CURRENT, Quarantined, 16181, 927175, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443
PUP.Optional.FlashSearch, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg\LOCK, Quarantined, 16181, 927175, , , , , , 
PUP.Optional.FlashSearch, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg\LOG, Quarantined, 16181, 927175, , , , , 8D5B442BF904780FF1880345425A29AE, 3CF2C08384E1C6B4386E6FBE2BF91A1D70C8C0C97974487A965499B727D9D2F1
PUP.Optional.FlashSearch, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg\LOG.old, Quarantined, 16181, 927175, , , , , 8471201DA06DEE6BC5262D8AF7DB3D74, FD874EBBA226A2259C7272144644A87D3408BAAC32C5158CF2B7ABDEF554FFB1
PUP.Optional.FlashSearch, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ncpimaccodlljbbloinhafphklmgjoeg\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 16181, 927175, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4
PUP.Optional.FlashSearch, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\NCPIMACCODLLJBBLOINHAFPHKLMGJOEG\1.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 16181, 927175, 1.0.38976, , ame, , ECD4859144D851D3B374024610D36831, AEC70238BAE46E2D55B7C871331044DEA98BF7C55C68C75385E2664C04351FD8

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.