Remove Temposearch virus in Chrome, Firefox, IE, Safari

Here is how to stop browser redirects to Temposearch.com or Ru.temposearch.com in Chrome and other browsers after installing a toxic extension.

1. What is Temposearch.com?
2. Automated removal of Temposearch virus
3. Temposearch.com redirect removal for Android
4. Restore web browser settings to their original defaults

What is Temposearch.com?

As of September 2021, numerous users are reporting extremely obnoxious browser redirect activity that leads to a knock-off search engine Temposearch.com or its different localized variants. This kind of foul play has been a pivot of traffic reorganization schemes for more than a decade. It aims to monetize hijacked web navigation sessions on as many computers and mobile devices as possible. This particular issue manifests itself in the following way: when trying to look up information on Google via popular browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari, the victims are forwarded to Ru.temposearch.com or another version of this pseudo-service based on region.

The authors of Temposearch advertise it as a one-stop engine to find information across multiple sources, including Yahoo, Bing, Wikipedia, YouTube, and Entireweb, so that customers get the most comprehensive results. This sounds like a good thing, but with a huge caveat. Users hardly ever visit that page intentionally. Instead, they are rerouted without being asked for permission. Once a request is typed in Google or the browser’s address bar when Google is specified as the default search provider, the victim goes to Ru.temposearch.com (the prefix may vary) in the aftermath of a series of interstitial redirects.

This predicament is mostly isolated to Chrome, with the other browsers on the same computer being unaffected in some cases. In-depth research shows that it stems from shenanigans of a booby-trapped extension that may have been installed knowingly or behind the user’s back. Here is a list of the reported culprits that set this ruse in motion once added to the browser:

• Color Picker Plus
• Image Downloader Plus
• Page Ruler
• Pic-in-Pic
• Rainbow Color Picker
• Rapid Translator
• Smart Site Blocker
• Volume Booster
• Volume Control Center
• Web Paint
• YouTube Ad Skipper

Additionally, a variety of VPN extensions have been caught red-handed changing people’s Internet surfing settings without consent. It appears that the cybercrime gang has found a way to bypass regular checks and spawned numerous helper objects throughout heavily used extension marketplaces. Another theory is that the crooks have spotted and exploited vulnerabilities in legitimate apps to inject malicious code that turns one’s customizations upside down. The good news is that most of these add-ons have been removed from the official Chrome Web Store and are no longer available, probably owing to abuse reports from disgruntled users. However, new ones are appearing non-stop.

What is the motivation of Temposearch operators? Predictably enough, it comes down to money. First off, the search results displayed on that service are full of ads above the fold. The more people view or click them, the higher the threat actors’ profit. Furthermore, the infection is a powerful instrument for data harvesting. A double-dealing extension at the core of the attack has extensive capabilities to collect personally identifiable information (PII). This includes details about the interaction with different websites, IP address, operating system build used, hardware configuration, and quite possibly keystrokes. Therefore, not only is this attack a nuisance, but it is also a privacy threat.

To pull the plug on this hoax, it is recommended to audit the list of the installed extensions for a start. If anything suspicious is found, disable it and see if the problem is still there. Focus on recent objects you don’t remember adding to the browser. In the event that this tactic doesn’t help, use the following steps to purge the underlying malware and rectify the abruptly hijacked search settings.

Use Combo Cleaner for Windows to remove Temposearch virus

When faced with malware like Temposearch, one of the best shortcuts in terms of removal is to use Combo Cleaner, a lightweight and incredibly effective application with PC security and optimization features under the hood. It detects and thoroughly deletes threats while giving you insights into the overall health of your computer.

This program’s protection power spans modules that forestall all known types of malware, including ransomware and browser hijackers, and take your online security to the next level by blocking phishing sites and other suspicious web pages. Follow these simple steps to eliminate the infection for good:

1. Download Combo Cleaner installer.

Download Temposearch virus remover

^{Combo Cleaner scans your PC with no strings attached, but you’ll have to buy its fully functional version to remove the threats it detects. The disk optimization tools that find large files and duplicates are free to use.}

2. Open the CCSetup.exe file to get started. Several subsequent screens will allow you to make initial customizations so that the program works exactly as you need from the get-go.

3. The installation will be followed by an update of malware signatures. Once this process is through, click the Start Scan button in the left-hand sidebar.

4. Combo Cleaner will then check system locations that are most often polluted by Windows malware. The first scan can take a while to finish.

5. Combo Cleaner will display a system tray notification as soon as the scan is over. Click the Resolve found threats button to view the results.

6. The scan summary shows the names and types of the detected threats as well as their statuses and locations. Click the Remove all threats button and follow further on-screen prompts to get rid of these items.

Use Control Panel to get rid of Temposearch virus

• Open up the Control Panel from your Start menu in Windows. Depending on the OS build, select Uninstall a program (Windows 10, 7 and Vista) or Add or Remove Programs (Windows 8).

• 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.

Temposearch.com redirect removal for Android

Here’s a walkthrough to sort out the Temposearch virus issue on an Android device, which might also be a target in this malvertising campaign. Keep in mind, though, that uninstall attempts in regular mode may be futile due to the mechanics of this persistent infection. Therefore, you need to perform the procedure in safe mode. Go ahead and do the following:

• Press and hold the Power button. Then, tap and hold the Power off option on the screen. Doing so will boot your device into safe mode.

• Android will ask you to confirm that you’d like to enter safe mode. Tap OK on the dialog.

• You will now see the Safe mode inscription at the bottom left of your screen. Go to Settings and choose Apps.

• Scroll down the list of applications, focusing on the ones that were installed recently. Find Temposearch or another sketchy entry with a different name that could as well be the culprit.

• Select the misbehaving app and tap Uninstall.

• Confirm removal on the relevant dialog box and reboot your device. By default, Android will get you back into regular mode. You should now be good to go – the Temposearch virus won’t be triggering any redirects or irritating popups anymore.

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 the Temposearch virus.

Reset Google Chrome

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

• Click Advanced in the sidebar, scroll down to Reset and clean up, and select this option.

• Click 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 Manage Website Data button.

• Click the Remove All button to purge all website data. Be advised this will log you out of online services and undo personalized web browser settings such as saved passwords, etc. If you aren’t okay with this, proceed to the next step.

• Safari also allows deleting data for specific sites rather than all sites in general. To use this option, select the unwanted site in the ‘Manage Website Data’ list and click Remove. Then, click Done.

• Click the Develop menu in the Finder bar and select Empty Caches.

• Finally, expand the History menu from the Finder bar and click Clear History.

• Make sure all history is selected on the dialog that will appear and click Clear History to get rid of cookies and other potentially unwanted data.

• Restart Safari.

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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