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[Metallica]

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is Key Tag?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that Key Tag 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.
This particular one changes your default search provider.

How do I know if my computer is affected by Key Tag?

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



and this setting:



You may have noticed these warnings during install:









How did Key Tag 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 Key Tag?

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 Key Tag?

• No, Malwarebytes removes Key Tag 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 Key Tag 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://www.keysearchs.com/search.php?src=ktgg&type=ds&q={searchTerms}
CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> key
CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://www.keysearchs.com/suggest.php?q={searchTerms}
CHR Extension: (Key Tag) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\eoddhgjaoadhpdlfaepfnbalbhbkicpb [2022-02-11]

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\eoddhgjaoadhpdlfaepfnbalbhbkicpb\1.3.1_0
       Adds the file bg.js"="12/15/2021 11:07 PM, 1183 bytes, A
       Adds the file manifest.json"="2/11/2022 1:02 PM, 1441 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\eoddhgjaoadhpdlfaepfnbalbhbkicpb\1.3.1_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="2/11/2022 1:02 PM, 128 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="1/19/2022 10:14 PM, 1640 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\eoddhgjaoadhpdlfaepfnbalbhbkicpb\1.3.1_0\icons
       Adds the file image128.png"="2/11/2022 1:02 PM, 3469 bytes, A
       Adds the file image16.png"="2/11/2022 1:02 PM, 412 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "eoddhgjaoadhpdlfaepfnbalbhbkicpb"="REG_SZ", "EF49889A4BFF3398968D680355469D4E81AC2A4983DC42E680C88E777C1EDB4D"

Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 2/15/22
Scan Time: 9:23 AM
Log File: 82493662-8e38-11ec-b9bb-080027235d76.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.5.4.168
Components Version: 1.0.1599
Update Package Version: 1.0.51145
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: 239409
Threats Detected: 5
Threats Quarantined: 5
Time Elapsed: 1 min, 33 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|eoddhgjaoadhpdlfaepfnbalbhbkicpb, Quarantined, 15734, 1018877, , , , , , 

Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folder: 1
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\EODDHGJAOADHPDLFAEPFNBALBHBKICPB, Quarantined, 15734, 1018877, 1.0.51145, , ame, , , 

File: 3
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15734, 1018877, , , , , 3C22B844FC36E83CF36B1C2881FFC294, F6F0FE2E7BD98A83709A893BE476C634863C47F9A6BD638C190CFA156830F268
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15734, 1018877, , , , , DFC8FEBDE62600979DBD07571ACDD08A, 610680AFDA4DAF317A1066F704427FF4DEE88F215D073A5D846FCC604D5219EC
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\EODDHGJAOADHPDLFAEPFNBALBHBKICPB\1.3.1_0\BG.JS, Quarantined, 15734, 1018877, 1.0.51145, , ame, , 694DC1146BF786367CBAB261D684BF35, A57D0D213B1B4A960E06C98379E6558BD006B151D37EDB1C280FEF18867FA7B4

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.