When it
comes to surfing the web, some things are inviolable.
For instance, it’s
supposed to be the user’s decision what sites to visit by default when certain
actions are performed, such as opening the browser, navigating to a new tab and
searching for stuff online.
These settings are in essence the inalienable
components of customization. In the meanwhile, applications like Searchult
violate those fundamentals without even asking the user for consent.
The
above-mentioned program is a browser extension that twists web browsing
preferences on the infected computer. No matter if you are using Chrome,
Firefox or IE – the settings will be altered without permission so that
searchult.com becomes one of the most visited sites, even though it’s not in
your interest, obviously. That’s a rather typical example of adware activity,
which is intended to make people constantly view ads regardless of their own
wish. The malicious process is as follows: the potentially unwanted program
(PUP) bypasses your authorization when modifying the homepage, new tab page and
default search settings. As a result, the browser will keep taking you to a
landing page powered by Yahoo! BOSS Search API, a technology that allows
building custom search products based on outsourcing the respective
functionality to a third-party engine. The ill-minded people in charge of the
Searchult campaign can then simply complement their results pages with
sponsored links. That’s what advertisers pay for, so the only task left is to
attract user hits. The fraudsters use adware for the latter purpose.
Similarly
to the rest of its activity, Searchult does not clearly ask the user when its
payload is entering their PC. It bundles with other tools, freeware mostly, to
make sure the installation is inconspicuous. So it’s a great idea to examine
the setup options when installing free software. If already infected, users
should turn for professional assistance provided on security websites.
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