Removal instructions for Less Notifications

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is Less Notifications?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that Less Notifications is a browser 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.

How do I know if my computer is affected by Less Notifications?

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

and this changed right-click menu:

You may have noticed these warnings during install:

How did Less Notifications 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 Less Notifications?

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 Less Notifications?

No, Malwarebytes removes Less Notifications 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 Less Notifications 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://search.lessnotifications.com/chrome/newtab/searchresults.aspx?src=ds&pid=slsno&q={searchTerms}&v=0.8&gid=985#chrome://newtab
CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> Notifications Search
CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://www.lessnotifications.com/ntapi/suggestions/rd?q={searchTerms}
CHR Extension: (Less Notifications) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn [2021-06-11]

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\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn\0.9_0
       Adds the file manifest.json"="6/11/2021 10:53 AM, 1906 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn\0.9_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="6/11/2021 10:53 AM, 1411 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="7/28/2020 6:39 PM, 2609 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn\0.9_0\common
       Adds the file contentscript.js"="7/28/2020 6:39 PM, 637 bytes, A
       Adds the file popup.js"="7/28/2020 6:39 PM, 97 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn\0.9_0\img
       Adds the file logo.png"="7/28/2020 6:39 PM, 13299 bytes, A
       Adds the file logo_128x.png"="6/11/2021 10:53 AM, 11949 bytes, A
       Adds the file logo_16x.png"="6/11/2021 10:53 AM, 821 bytes, A
       Adds the file logo_48x.png"="6/11/2021 10:53 AM, 3409 bytes, A
       Adds the file logo_48x2.png"="7/28/2020 6:39 PM, 138 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn\0.9_0\pages
       Adds the file popup.html"="7/28/2020 6:39 PM, 236 bytes, A
       Adds the file popupstyle.css"="7/28/2020 6:39 PM, 108 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn\0.9_0\release
       Adds the file browseraction_release.js"="7/28/2020 6:39 PM, 32075 bytes, A
       Adds the file script_release.js"="7/28/2020 6:39 PM, 1388 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn
       Adds the file 000003.log"="6/11/2021 11:05 AM, 1491 bytes, A
       Adds the file CURRENT"="6/11/2021 10:53 AM, 16 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOCK"="6/11/2021 10:53 AM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOG"="6/11/2021 10:53 AM, 369 bytes, A
       Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="6/11/2021 10:53 AM, 41 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn"="REG_SZ", "8AE6F6F17F5489FB68411531544AB6F8DDB1E94A718FC577F29FE18F7A46C067"

Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 6/11/21
Scan Time: 11:11 AM
Log File: 09b0c56a-ca95-11eb-9a2f-080027235d76.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.4.0.117
Components Version: 1.0.1318
Update Package Version: 1.0.41581
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: 234673
Threats Detected: 12
Threats Quarantined: 12
Time Elapsed: 1 min, 39 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.SearchHijacker, HKCU\SOFTWARE\GOOGLE\CHROME\PREFERENCEMACS\Default\extensions.settings|ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn, Quarantined, 300, 885170, , , , , , 

Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folder: 2
Adware.SearchHijacker, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Local Extension Settings\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn, Quarantined, 300, 885170, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchHijacker, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\EXTENSIONS\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn, Quarantined, 300, 885170, 1.0.41581, , ame, , , 

File: 9
Adware.SearchHijacker, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 300, 885170, , , , , D060313AF3557F594AE3F76625977B07, 3B70CB54514D087AE229DBD0709795C57FBCF37296271B5BB0E733975D89B67F
Adware.SearchHijacker, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 300, 885170, , , , , 0384FDB9B56D6BD3B908DCE4394CCA12, 6AD8A6E45D265375194405BA48240A8F4E9FB302F5E3556487F0FD47AE8CF6BF
Adware.SearchHijacker, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn\000003.log, Quarantined, 300, 885170, , , , , CCCC2D9EAF010E4F3B7BF684F15E2D72, 2EB11733A772495C7BE49EF258C9B994FA893CCDEE4FDAE6A6D893AD416C8B71
Adware.SearchHijacker, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn\CURRENT, Quarantined, 300, 885170, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443
Adware.SearchHijacker, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn\LOCK, Quarantined, 300, 885170, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchHijacker, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn\LOG, Quarantined, 300, 885170, , , , , 53CD069E5B17134EDDC45AA9D16AD7FA, CA2B6CCED72FCFEE8C9158946F85F535ED1CDF78BEC18E47523F5E46A81C75A7
Adware.SearchHijacker, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\ffdlfbiemgajjagapbhaajdldidhdhfn\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 300, 885170, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4
Adware.SearchHijacker, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 300, 885169, 1.0.41581, , ame, , D060313AF3557F594AE3F76625977B07, 3B70CB54514D087AE229DBD0709795C57FBCF37296271B5BB0E733975D89B67F
Adware.SearchHijacker, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 300, 885169, 1.0.41581, , ame, , D060313AF3557F594AE3F76625977B07, 3B70CB54514D087AE229DBD0709795C57FBCF37296271B5BB0E733975D89B67F

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.

#1
Metallica

Posted 11 June 2021 - 09:22 AM

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