Remove MySearch virus in Chrome/Firefox/IE/Safari

Out of all malware scenarios, being infected with a redirect virus like MySearch is among the biggest nuisances, so learn how to remove it from PC now.

1. What is the MySearch virus?
2. Automated removal of MySearch malware
3. Restore web browser settings to their original defaults

What is the MySearch virus?

There are computer viruses such as data wipers or ransomware that might cause irreversible damage. Infections like browser hijackers are on the opposite side of the threat map in terms of the impact, but when it comes to annoyance they outstrip most of the competition. The latter category of malicious code isn’t homogeneous: some of these PUPs splash onto the stage and vanish shortly due to the landing pages being blacklisted by major browsers; but some last for years. The culprit referred to as MySearch, for instance, has been up and running since 2016 and keeps on spreading digital mayhem now in 2019. Such a durability is a rare case for sure. For the record, the web page proper isn’t dangerous, so the denomination of the malware is kind of inaccurate. It’s an underlying strain of malware that actually causes problems by redirecting users’ Internet journeys to mysearch.com or www-mysearch.com without permission.

Here’s what happens when this attack is underway. The pest cripples the way the victim’s web browsers operate. What makes matters worse is the cross-browser gist of the dodgy entity resulting in the hijack of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari to the same extent and with identical symptoms. The virus is materialized on a host system as a plugin that modifies browser preferences. In particular, it skews the start page, default search provider and new tab. The adverse influence is about hard-coding the mysearch.com value in the above settings so that the user recurrently visits the site without ever planning to. One more serious drag is that the same URL gets inserted in the Target field of the shortcut settings for Internet navigation tools and random programs running on the workstation. This way, every instance of browser launching will be returning the same web page. Those who think it’s no big deal as they can simply configure the skewed parameters back to their previous state by hand are, obviously, missing the point – they are facing a hijacker that will redo the prank regardless. This hallmark is derivative of the fact that the baddie defines a scheduled task to persevere with its raid.

When the web traffic forwarding occurs, the plagued user ends up on the destination page backed by the fraud. It appears to be a custom search engine that’s “enhanced by Google”. Keyword lookup history along with several quick links to popular sites below the search bar are probably aimed at instilling a sense of legitimacy about the web resource in question. The references to Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, plus the company name APN, LLC, must be pursuing the same objective. Long story short, the page looks regular and doesn’t get any clear red flags raised at first sight. When a query is entered in there, it further diverts to search.mysearch.com, where the number of results is nearly the same as the quantity of ads above the fold. This is a clue about the goals of the fraud campaign operators: they look to monetize the traffic intercepted in an unethical way.

The only known way for MySearch virus to enter PCs is via bundling. As hackneyed as this technique has become over time, it works wonders for adware distributors. The catch is entirely in the recommended setup option accompanying freeware installs. While simplifying the process, this mode might obfuscate the presence of drive-by items that will be installed as part of the combo without the user realizing it. Therefore, to prevent this prolific redirect malware from infecting a computer, people should rethink their app install habits. If the compromise has already taken place, use the following tips to purge your system of the MySearch intruder.

Automated removal of MySearch malware

Owing to an up-to-date database of malware signatures and intelligent behavioral detection, the recommended software can quickly locate the infection, eradicate it and remediate all harmful changes. So go ahead and do the following:

1. Download and install the antimalware tool. Open the solution and have it check your PC for PUPs and other types of malicious software by clicking the Start Computer Scan button

Download MySearch virus remover

2. Rest assured the scan report will list all items that may harm your operating system. Select the detected entries and click Fix Threats to get the troubleshooting completed.

Use Control Panel to uninstall the MySearch virus

• Open up the Control Panel from your Start menu in Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 and select Uninstall a program

• To facilitate the process of locating the threat, sort the programs list by date to get the latest ones displayed at the very top. Find an unfamiliar, suspicious entry under the Name column, click Uninstall and follow further directions to get the removal done

Restore web browser settings to their original defaults

In the circumstances of a complex browser hijack like this, executing a reset makes the most sense despite a few obvious downsides. Customizations such as saved passwords, bookmarked pages etc. will be gone, but so will all the changes made by the potentially unwanted program. The instructions below address the workflow for the web browsers most targeted by MySearch virus.

Reset Google Chrome

• Open Chrome, expand the Customize and control Google Chrome menu and choose Settings

• Scroll down the settings screen and click Advanced down at the bottom

• Move on to the Reset and clean up sub-section and select the option that says Restore settings to their original defaults

• Finally, confirm the restoration by clicking Reset settings on the warning message

• Restart Chrome.

Reset Mozilla Firefox

• Open Firefox, type about:support in the URL area and press Enter. Alternatively, you can click on the Open menu icon in the top right-hand part of the browser window, then select the Help option and proceed to Troubleshooting Information

• On the Troubleshooting Information screen, spot the Refresh Firefox button and click on it

• Follow subsequent directions to reset Firefox to its original settings

• Restart the browser.

Reset Internet Explorer

• Select Internet options under IE’s Tools (Alt+X)

• Proceed by clicking on Advanced tab, then select Reset

• To confirm the intended changes, click Reset on the Reset Internet Explorer Settings screen after ascertaining that the Delete personal settings checkbox is enabled

• Reboot the machine to fully implement the fix.

Reset Safari

• Go to the Safari menu and select Preferences

• When on the Preferences screen, select the Privacy tab and hit the Remove All Website Data button if you are up to erasing all website data stored on your Mac. Otherwise, you can use a site-specific removal option described below

• A dialog will appear, asking you to validate your choice. Click the Remove Now button if you are sure. Be advised this will log you out of online services and undo personalized web browser settings such as saved passwords, etc.

• Safari also allows deleting data for specific sites rather than all sites in general. To use this option, click the Details button under Privacy tab

• Select the websites for which you would like to erase data and click the Remove button

• Click the Done button to confirm and exit. You can also select the Remove All option to remove all data stored by the listed websites.

Revise your security status

Post-factum assessment of the accuracy component in malware removal scenarios is a great habit that prevents the comeback of harmful code or replication of its unattended fractions. Make sure you are good to go by running an additional safety checkup.

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