No replies to this topic

[Metallica]

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is CheckAMap?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that CheckAMap 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 also uses browser push notifications and adds advertisements to your search results in the form of recommended searches.





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

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



and these warnings during install:





and this changed setting:



How did CheckAMap 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 CheckAMap?

Our program Malwarebytes can detect and remove this potentially unwanted 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 CheckAMap?

• No, Malwarebytes removes CheckAMap completely.
• If you have allowed the notifications you can read here how to disable them.

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 CheckAMap 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 Notifications: Default -> hxxps://install.checkamap.com
CHR DefaultSearchURL: Default -> hxxps://feed.checkamap.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=checkamap&barcodeid=596000000000000
CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> CheckAMap
CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.checkamap.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms}
CHR Extension: (CheckAMap) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc [2021-08-16]

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\nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc\1.2.0_0
       Adds the file manifest.json"="8/16/2021 2:07 PM, 2048 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc\1.2.0_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="8/16/2021 2:07 PM, 6255 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="8/10/2021 1:56 PM, 2049 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc\1.2.0_0\images
       Adds the file logo-white-text.png"="8/10/2021 1:56 PM, 0 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc\1.2.0_0\images\icons
       Adds the file 128x128.png"="8/16/2021 2:07 PM, 5756 bytes, A
       Adds the file 16x16.png"="8/16/2021 2:07 PM, 610 bytes, A
       Adds the file 64x64.png"="8/16/2021 2:07 PM, 2919 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc\1.2.0_0\scripts
       Adds the file background.js"="8/10/2021 1:56 PM, 516035 bytes, A
       Adds the file sitecontent.js"="8/10/2021 1:56 PM, 77 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc
       Adds the file 000003.log"="8/16/2021 2:07 PM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file CURRENT"="8/16/2021 2:07 PM, 16 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOCK"="8/16/2021 2:07 PM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOG"="8/16/2021 2:07 PM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="8/16/2021 2:07 PM, 41 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc"="REG_SZ", "F5C51F79DD4451D51A12E982DA59BEC30FF728A6CE5E0EA87E087EDF20DB4E13"

Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 8/16/21
Scan Time: 2:14 PM
Log File: 88b32a4a-fe8b-11eb-bf77-080027235d76.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.4.4.126
Components Version: 1.0.1413
Update Package Version: 1.0.44194
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: 258291
Threats Detected: 12
Threats Quarantined: 12
Time Elapsed: 1 min, 4 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|nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc, Quarantined, 16814, 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\nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc, Quarantined, 16814, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\NIBIBOKCCPMJGMMDDOMINKGEDODOCIJC, Quarantined, 16814, 799722, 1.0.44194, , ame, , , 

File: 9
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 16814, 799722, , , , , E3E38B508D509BA2EE1B6113C850AE9F, 78C7A6B6A64CAB8D37979FAB021F2A2767E0C286A56B01195A8D5C7BBADB9B4A
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 16814, 799722, , , , , C443D1162F84A4F83C5EB4DC3B9E26E3, AC808B536018A2AB045E726BC37CB17FA40DA1F1E9E8FE07BCEBCE72416AE111
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc\000003.log, Quarantined, 16814, 799722, , , , , 56381E5EEC424DCE3C7C51EC909C31E0, B7A9E29CE576C3BC44B67FDECE18A7FD09F7A386BF23F06D30FE8A8D4C0768EB
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc\CURRENT, Quarantined, 16814, 799722, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc\LOCK, Quarantined, 16814, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc\LOG, Quarantined, 16814, 799722, , , , , 622E8A6D9348DA29894CF561EAC98485, DDCF977A5AA520579C1F950A6AECA51225F0A76ABF2DF0362B8810AA562EB2B1
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\nibibokccpmjgmmddominkgedodocijc\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 16814, 799722, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\NIBIBOKCCPMJGMMDDOMINKGEDODOCIJC\1.2.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 16814, 799722, 1.0.44194, , ame, , 6ED92B0A9CEB12743235420E358B5B3B, 3E3A552577B5BA0A8BEBA79DCFCEA16CD4AB101CB3B9A5E670933335480BD19D
PUP.Optional.PushNotifications.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 201, 832955, 1.0.44194, , ame, , F74E7EC3161D9640C11AE0459F005189, B471CBB763B2330A6F3F7DA04BC8ED03E0E16EBE812FF29260A46A4EC55D9612

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.