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The Malwarebytes research team has determined that PDFConverterSearchHQ 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.

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

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

main.png

and this changed setting:

warning5.png

You may have noticed these warnings during install:

warning1.png

warning2.png

warning3.png

warning4.png

How did PDFConverterSearchHQ get on my computer?

Browser hijackers use different methods for distributing themselves. This particular one was downloaded from the webstore:

webstore.png

after a redirect from their website:

website.png

How do I remove PDFConverterSearchHQ?

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 PDFConverterSearchHQ?

  • No, Malwarebytes removes PDFConverterSearchHQ 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 PDFConverterSearchHQ hijacker. It would have blocked their website, giving you a chance to stop it before it became too late.


 

protection1.png

 

protection2.png

 

Technical details for experts

Possible signs in FRST logs:


 

CHR DefaultSearchURL: Default -> hxxps://feed.pdfconvertersearchhq.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=pdfconvertersearchhq&barcodeid=579860000000000
CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> PDFConverterSearchHQ
CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.pdfconvertersearchhq.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms}
CHR Extension: (PDFConverterSearchHQ) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo [2020-10-14]

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\bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo\1.1.0_0
       Adds the file manifest.json"="10/14/2020 9:11 AM, 2180 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo\1.1.0_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="10/14/2020 9:11 AM, 6255 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="9/1/2020 2:31 PM, 2049 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo\1.1.0_0\images
       Adds the file logo-white-text.png"="9/1/2020 2:31 PM, 0 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo\1.1.0_0\images\icons
       Adds the file 128x128.png"="10/14/2020 9:11 AM, 3756 bytes, A
       Adds the file 16x16.png"="10/14/2020 9:11 AM, 514 bytes, A
       Adds the file 64x64.png"="10/14/2020 9:11 AM, 1997 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo\1.1.0_0\scripts
       Adds the file background.js"="9/1/2020 2:31 PM, 514565 bytes, A
       Adds the file sitecontent.js"="9/1/2020 2:31 PM, 77 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo
       Adds the file 000003.log"="10/14/2020 9:15 AM, 488 bytes, A
       Adds the file CURRENT"="10/14/2020 9:12 AM, 16 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOCK"="10/14/2020 9:12 AM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOG"="10/14/2020 9:12 AM, 184 bytes, A
       Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="10/14/2020 9:12 AM, 41 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Web Applications\_crx_bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo
       Adds the file PDFConverterSearchHQ.ico"="10/14/2020 9:12 AM, 173487 bytes, A
       Adds the file PDFConverterSearchHQ.ico.md5"="10/14/2020 9:12 AM, 16 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo"="REG_SZ", "97288BE49BFA882D598489D7F170FA1B6E9A708B1AB23809736D5AF18A86E67D"

Malwarebytes log:
 

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 10/14/20
Scan Time: 9:21 AM
Log File: d67ae5cc-0ded-11eb-a5c6-080027235d76.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.2.1.89
Components Version: 1.0.1061
Update Package Version: 1.0.31314
License: Premium

-System Information-
OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1
CPU: x64
File System: NTFS
User: {computername}\{username}

-Scan Summary-
Scan Type: Threat Scan
Scan Initiated By: Manual
Result: Completed
Objects Scanned: 231724
Threats Detected: 11
Threats Quarantined: 11
Time Elapsed: 6 min, 0 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|bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo, Quarantined, 15232, 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\bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\BFOLLGHJLKLKDBLJKFLPFPKPIKBFALJO, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, 1.0.31314, , ame, , , 

File: 8
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 15232, 799722, , , , , 8E693EC6BAF9A6FE18F50BD521D39ED7, F5FD509E48FA462B3A188793CADA56CB5E11DC6C4414852D3BC5364ED9359E0E
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 15232, 799722, , , , , EFDCC5AD29E3B48AA6E39DD9E09A5DF7, D54186562AB9A1446C5BE6CA665E5A0AD85E10D43EA35ECC37DCEC13AA1EB3F2
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo\000003.log, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, , , , , ED80A604FB26FBEBAAE52B479D3118B5, 771E8FA3119A1F71E86C8C3CB47F651FBAEF654CBDF69554C133BCF7C04E8C3F
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo\CURRENT, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo\LOCK, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo\LOG, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, , , , , 68ED0C4A3CC8A4D3E167EA1A0593CF2E, B4EEB32DFD19645E846828C7B35114E36A1233C5D4D90B26EDCEF9140F4BA421
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\bfollghjlklkdbljkflpfpkpikbfaljo\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\BFOLLGHJLKLKDBLJKFLPFPKPIKBFALJO\1.1.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 15232, 799722, 1.0.31314, , ame, , 505D8FA76AC2852B7D9420038184EEA3, 84F378951B3099E46126142F60717EEC9997BC7AF0B0404EAEC8B52A538ABE0C

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.

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