Search.searchmabb.com

Search.searchmabb.com might replace the user’s default start page, search engine, or new tab page without him even realizing how it happened. If the situation appears to be quite familiar to you, we urge you to read more about this suspicious application. Because of the described behavior, our researchers categorized it as a browser hijacker, and if it has taken over your browser as well, there are some dangers you should be aware of before even considering to surf the Internet with Search.searchmabb.com. As you read the rest of the article, you will learn what you could expect while using this browser hijacker. Users who decide not to take any chances with the threat will also have an opportunity to remove it manually since we will add deletion instructions below the text as well.

Lately, our specialists have encountered quite a lot of similar browser hijackers, for example, Search.searchflm.com, Search.searchcounn.com, Search.searchleasier.com, Search.searchnda.com, and many others. What we did notice is that often such threats are distributed with doubtful extensions compatible with Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. Their descriptions could promise users to provide them with useful tools, such as applications capable of finding directions, converting text documents from one file type to another, showing TV content through the browser, and so on. Unfortunately, after installation these extensions might appear to be rather useless and to make matters worse they could also allow software like Search.searchmabb.com to hijack your browser.

Therefore, we believe Search.searchmabb.com might be distributed bundled with suspicious browser add-ons or other untrustworthy programs too. In the future, you can protect your system from such questionable applications by being more attentive while picking what software to install and carefully reading terms on the setup wizard. Additionally, it would be advisable to stay away from file-sharing web pages and pop-up ads promoting doubtful apps as they might provide you with bundled malicious installers that could carry suggestions of similar browser hijackers, adware, potentially unwanted programs, and other unreliable software. Also, you may want to think about the installation of a reliable antimalware tool. It could warn you about untrustworthy applications or help you get rid of possible threats that might be already installed on the computer.

The hijacker should settle on the browser by replacing particular settings we mentioned at the beginning of the article (default search engine, start page, or new tab page). As a result, when you search for something on the Internet your query could go through Search.searchmabb.com. The application should also redirect it to yahoo.com search engine. Even though Yahoo is a reliable search tool, in this case, the suspicious application might be using a modified version of it. Thus, the results you receive could be modified as well. For instance, there might be suspicious sponsored links, banners, or other unreliable-looking advertisements from unknown sources. By clicking such ads, users may enter web pages that could distribute similar threats or contain malware, such as viruses, Trojans, ransomware, etc.

Naturally, because of these risks we advise not just to avoid advertisements displayed by the hijacker, but also get rid of Search.searchmabb.com as well. The search engine can be replaced with the original yahoo.com or any other reliable search tool. If you decide to eliminate the application, we can help you erase it manually if you follow the instructions located below. They will show you how to restore settings that might have been modified by the application. However, if it appears to be too difficult to fix them manually, we urge you to use a reliable antimalware tool instead. It can locate the hijacker automatically along with other possible threats on the system. All you have to do is allow it to perform a full system scan. Afterward, the antimalware software should place a deletion button which you can click to remove all detections at the same time.

Eliminate Search.searchmabb.com

Internet Explorer

1. Press Win+R.
2. Type Regedit into the given box.
3. Select OK and use the Registry Editor to locate this path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
4. Right-click a value name called Start Page.
5. Click Modify and replace http://search.searchmabb.com with a trustworthy website.
6. Press OK and go to this directory: HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{0633EE93-D776-472f-A0FF-E1416B8B2E3A}
7. Search for value names called FaviconURL, FaviconURLFallback, FaviconURLFallback, and URL.
8. Right-click these value names separately and press Modify.
9. Replace their value data with links of web pages you prefer and select OK.
10. Close the Registry Editor.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Press Win+E.
2. Use the Explorer to navigate to this path: %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{user profile}
3. Right-click a file called prefs.js and open it as a Notepad document.
4. Find a specific line: user_pref(“browser.startup.homepage”, “http://search.searchmabb.com”).
5. Replace http://search.searchmabb.com with a trustworthy website and press Ctrl+S.
6. Close the file.

Google Chrome

1. Press Win+E.
2. Look for the given directory: %LocalAppData%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
3. Find files named as Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data.
4. Then right-click them separately and choose Delete.