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Removal instructions for Browse Safely

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Metallica

Metallica

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What is Browse Safely?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that Browse Safely 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 the default search engine.

How do I know if my computer is affected by Browse Safely?

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

main.png

You may have noticed these warnings during install:

warning1.png

warning2.png

warning3.png

and this changed setting:

warning5.png

How did Browse Safely 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 Browse Safely?

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 Browse Safely?

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

protection1.png


Technical details for experts

Possible signs in FRST logs:
  

CHR DefaultSearchURL: Default -> hxxps://www.browsesafelysearch.com/search/?category=web&s=yspr&vert=private&q={searchTerms}
CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> Browse Safely
CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://sug.browsesafelysearch.com/v1/sug/?yid=yspr&vert=private&q={searchTerms}
CHR Extension: (Browse Safely) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\mcfmgcffbobkodpgehgkppiclknnnoad [2021-07-07]

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\mcfmgcffbobkodpgehgkppiclknnnoad\3.0.0_0
       Adds the file config.js"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 1282 bytes, A
       Adds the file jquery.js"="1/21/2021 3:44 PM, 89475 bytes, A
       Adds the file manifest.json"="7/7/2021 8:32 AM, 2125 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\mcfmgcffbobkodpgehgkppiclknnnoad\3.0.0_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="7/7/2021 8:32 AM, 6783 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="1/21/2021 3:44 PM, 5365 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\mcfmgcffbobkodpgehgkppiclknnnoad\3.0.0_0\bg
       Adds the file background.html"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 170 bytes, A
       Adds the file background.js"="1/21/2021 3:44 PM, 2630 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\mcfmgcffbobkodpgehgkppiclknnnoad\3.0.0_0\content_script
       Adds the file contentScript.js"="1/21/2021 3:44 PM, 1026 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\mcfmgcffbobkodpgehgkppiclknnnoad\3.0.0_0\content_script\first_search
       Adds the file hint.html"="1/21/2021 3:44 PM, 2448 bytes, A
       Adds the file keep_changes.js"="1/21/2021 3:44 PM, 1835 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\mcfmgcffbobkodpgehgkppiclknnnoad\3.0.0_0\content_script\first_search\img
       Adds the file arrow.svg"="1/21/2021 3:44 PM, 1044 bytes, A
       Adds the file frame.svg"="1/21/2021 3:44 PM, 6926 bytes, A
       Adds the file keepchanges.svg"="1/21/2021 3:44 PM, 13056 bytes, A
       Adds the file keepit.svg"="1/21/2021 3:44 PM, 8238 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\mcfmgcffbobkodpgehgkppiclknnnoad\3.0.0_0\img
       Adds the file back-arrow.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 1 bytes, A
       Adds the file close-icon.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 313 bytes, A
       Adds the file how-it-works.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 94906 bytes, A
       Adds the file icon128.png"="7/7/2021 8:32 AM, 4795 bytes, A
       Adds the file icon16.png"="7/7/2021 8:32 AM, 619 bytes, A
       Adds the file icon48.png"="7/7/2021 8:32 AM, 1924 bytes, A
       Adds the file logo.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 15234 bytes, A
       Adds the file score-arrow.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 1375 bytes, A
       Adds the file score-line.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 14966 bytes, A
       Adds the file search.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 642 bytes, A
       Adds the file select-arrow.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 211 bytes, A
       Adds the file settings.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 3170 bytes, A
       Adds the file settings-icon.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file tooltip.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 707 bytes, A
       Adds the file wot-logo.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 17499 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\mcfmgcffbobkodpgehgkppiclknnnoad\3.0.0_0\img\engine-logos
       Adds the file bing.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 283 bytes, A
       Adds the file default.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 954 bytes, A
       Adds the file google.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 1344 bytes, A
       Adds the file yahoo.svg"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 1028 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\mcfmgcffbobkodpgehgkppiclknnnoad\3.0.0_0\popup
       Adds the file main.js"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 5750 bytes, A
       Adds the file popup.css"="1/17/2021 4:06 PM, 11803 bytes, A
       Adds the file popup.html"="1/21/2021 3:44 PM, 25797 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "mcfmgcffbobkodpgehgkppiclknnnoad"="REG_SZ", "3B5C87F138C509B15D220DC9253EA502A0E3A4C25E5B071A216B71164D551629"

Malwarebytes log:
  

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 7/7/21
Scan Time: 8:43 AM
Log File: b4f8b834-deee-11eb-a59a-080027235d76.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.4.2.123
Components Version: 1.0.1358
Update Package Version: 1.0.42786
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: 257711
Threats Detected: 5
Threats Quarantined: 5
Time Elapsed: 1 min, 37 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
PUP.Optional.BrowseSafely, HKCU\SOFTWARE\GOOGLE\CHROME\PREFERENCEMACS\Default\extensions.settings|mcfmgcffbobkodpgehgkppiclknnnoad, Quarantined, 16708, 956609, , , , , , 

Registry Data: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Data Stream: 0
(No malicious items detected)

Folder: 1
PUP.Optional.BrowseSafely, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\MCFMGCFFBOBKODPGEHGKPPICLKNNNOAD, Quarantined, 16708, 956609, 1.0.42786, , ame, , , 

File: 3
PUP.Optional.BrowseSafely, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 16708, 956609, , , , , 815EF2051D888F61C3DF31EC0585C3D5, 22DDD9A997725F036F52E0FFF6EBE4AF373BAC5EFB399EC58B72968F94971D6A
PUP.Optional.BrowseSafely, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 16708, 956609, , , , , 4CC293BCCA084F36D4350C866090A067, 39B314CA8AD3014D27459358C88BA3CB061FD1EDB2F6A21310B3729DD2E4FFC3
PUP.Optional.BrowseSafely, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\MCFMGCFFBOBKODPGEHGKPPICLKNNNOAD\3.0.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 16708, 956609, 1.0.42786, , ame, , 66635047DDFD56B6DB42ECBF76F4D031, 2009F6A4E2651B03344ABFFDDF314B5905491CBD0860E9476B8BE944BE96505F

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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