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[Metallica]

Content is republished with permission from Malwarebytes.

What is StreamingSearch?

The Malwarebytes research team has determined that StreamingSearch 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.
This particular one also uses browser push notifications and adds advertisements to your search results in the form of Search Recommendations.





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

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



and these warnings during install:







and this changed setting:



How did StreamingSearch 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 StreamingSearch?

Our program Malwarebytes can detect and remove this potentially unwanted program.

• 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 StreamingSearch?

• No, Malwarebytes removes StreamingSearch completely.
• If you have allowed the notifications you can read here how to disable them.

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 StreamingSearch 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 Notifications: Default -> hxxps://get.streaming-search.com
CHR DefaultSearchURL: Default -> hxxps://feed.streaming-search.com/?q={searchTerms}&publisher=streamingsearch&barcodeid=573420000000000
CHR DefaultSearchKeyword: Default -> StreamingSearch
CHR DefaultSuggestURL: Default -> hxxps://api.streaming-search.com/suggest/get?q={searchTerms}
CHR Extension: (StreamingSearch) - C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam [2021-09-06]

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\padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam\1.1.0_0
       Adds the file manifest.json"="9/6/2021 1:00 PM, 2126 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam\1.1.0_0\_metadata
       Adds the file computed_hashes.json"="9/6/2021 1:00 PM, 6255 bytes, A
       Adds the file verified_contents.json"="5/25/2020 4:45 PM, 2049 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam\1.1.0_0\images
       Adds the file logo-white-text.png"="5/25/2020 4:45 PM, 0 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam\1.1.0_0\images\icons
       Adds the file 128x128.png"="9/6/2021 1:00 PM, 11193 bytes, A
       Adds the file 16x16.png"="9/6/2021 1:00 PM, 734 bytes, A
       Adds the file 64x64.png"="9/6/2021 1:00 PM, 4913 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam\1.1.0_0\scripts
       Adds the file background.js"="5/25/2020 4:45 PM, 514627 bytes, A
       Adds the file sitecontent.js"="5/25/2020 4:45 PM, 77 bytes, A
    Adds the folder C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam
       Adds the file 000003.log"="9/6/2021 1:05 PM, 127 bytes, A
       Adds the file CURRENT"="9/6/2021 1:00 PM, 16 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOCK"="9/6/2021 1:00 PM, 0 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOG"="9/6/2021 1:05 PM, 410 bytes, A
       Adds the file LOG.old"="9/6/2021 1:04 PM, 410 bytes, A
       Adds the file MANIFEST-000001"="9/6/2021 1:00 PM, 41 bytes, A

Registry details [View: All details] (Selection)
------------------------------------------------
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings]
       "padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam"="REG_SZ", "19F3A6DEF73B6B8777EE012D93D444178BD40340C4034B3CFB623F2D6244341F"

Malwarebytes log:

Malwarebytes
www.malwarebytes.com

-Log Details-
Scan Date: 9/6/21
Scan Time: 12:51 PM
Log File: 567acabc-0f00-11ec-aa4c-080027235d76.json

-Software Information-
Version: 4.4.5.130
Components Version: 1.0.1430
Update Package Version: 1.0.44692
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: 258463
Threats Detected: 12
Threats Quarantined: 12
Time Elapsed: 1 min, 58 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|padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam, Quarantined, 16894, 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\padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam, Quarantined, 16894, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\PADHFAOKFOFOCBNMCFPFCFFBBKLBIJAM, Quarantined, 16894, 799722, 1.0.44692, , ame, , , 

File: 9
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Secure Preferences, Replaced, 16894, 799722, , , , , 91BBC73D5E6E230DEB9B28F177BA9D2D, EC54C2D9453F9C68575318B4A2A143E381855F0B5AB07402782337C5378B5E8B
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 16894, 799722, , , , , F3947B9E7697D861F0B2A8B88E183821, 387EC9E3000E76BEDC18E64C24725D65182974AF2378909FDA5336A2D4FBC0A6
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam\000003.log, Quarantined, 16894, 799722, , , , , BA3269F98BFAD8DA631A9FD695906019, E73A67671CE078449855AA39ACF5ED2C3C69524F39A980A53F6A17A22D5F008E
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam\CURRENT, Quarantined, 16894, 799722, , , , , 46295CAC801E5D4857D09837238A6394, 0F1BAD70C7BD1E0A69562853EC529355462FCD0423263A3D39D6D0D70B780443
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam\LOCK, Quarantined, 16894, 799722, , , , , , 
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam\LOG, Quarantined, 16894, 799722, , , , , 14F7290833E2C65FE84E3C6A502437DB, 2BEE29AB97656ACD370D4909FE7A2FA0DEE4301FB634819B4E0AC324F32DBD92
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\padhfaokfofocbnmcfpfcffbbklbijam\MANIFEST-000001, Quarantined, 16894, 799722, , , , , 5AF87DFD673BA2115E2FCF5CFDB727AB, F9D31B278E215EB0D0E9CD709EDFA037E828F36214AB7906F612160FEAD4B2B4
Adware.SearchEngineHijack.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\DEFAULT\EXTENSIONS\PADHFAOKFOFOCBNMCFPFCFFBBKLBIJAM\1.1.0_0\MANIFEST.JSON, Quarantined, 16894, 799722, 1.0.44692, , ame, , F58BB45A52CE4F0B754EFF96D911879E, 841A0BD46F063DED0E3DF1E51F02F659EEE12E08F7886357C42EC572E08DD013
PUP.Optional.PushNotifications.Generic, C:\USERS\{username}\APPDATA\LOCAL\GOOGLE\CHROME\USER DATA\Default\Preferences, Replaced, 201, 832182, 1.0.44692, , ame, , F3947B9E7697D861F0B2A8B88E183821, 387EC9E3000E76BEDC18E64C24725D65182974AF2378909FDA5336A2D4FBC0A6

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.