Home Malware Programs Browser Hijackers Butterflysearch.net

Butterflysearch.net

Posted: February 24, 2012

Butterflysearch.net Screenshot 1Butterflysearch.net is a website that fakes a search engine-like existence to distribute PC threats. Browser hijackers assist in Butterflysearch.net's little scheme by forcing your web browser to redirect itself to Butterflysearch.net from unrelated sites, especially popular search engines (such as Google) or links from popular media sites (like YouTube). Contact with Butterflysearch.net or visible signs of redirects to Butterflysearch.net should be thought of as a warning sign to scan your PC with a qualified anti-malware scanner, lest other PC threats be installed without your consent. Since February of 2012 has seen a noticeable surge in browser hijackers that promote Butterflysearch.net and other search engine-esque websites indiscriminately, you should also be wary of potential infection vectors for such PC threats – including other sites that they may redirect your browser towards.

The Butterflysearch.net Effect – Attacks on Your Computer and a Roulette of Search Engines

Vbutterflysearch.net may pretend to be a search engine that provides links to sites such as pharmaceutical or gambling-related websites, but the real effect of letting Butterflysearch.net dictate your online searches is potentially hazardous. In some cases, Butterflysearch.net may provide links to legitimate results, but most victims of extended use of Butterflysearch.net have reported that they were redirected to other search sites with poor or suspicious reputations. This is in conjunction with the circumstance that, a lot of people believe their first contact with Butterflysearch.net is already caused by browser hijackers that can also redirect their web browsers to such sites in the first place. Other sites that have been known to be in on this click fraud scam include topdaofinder.com, click.get-answers-fast.com, Happili.com, Askthecrew.net, Ninjaa.info and its clones (such as Asdvd.info) and Puma-based search sites (such as Foodpuma.com).

Redirects to Butterflysearch.net, which typically strike after attempted use of links from Google or a Google-affiliated service, are a definitive sign of infection by a related browser hijacker. Any contact with Butterflysearch.net or similar sites (such as the Puma search engines) may also result in other attacks that can install additional PC threats. However, anti-malware software utilized from an appropriate environment should be able to remove all related PC threats, including browser hijackers that promote Butterflysearch.net. However, you may be required to update your threat definitions database to detect all related PC threats, since Butterflysearch.net redirects and similar attacks are recent occurrences as of February 2012.

Pinning Down Other Dangers from a Butterflysearch.net-Happy Browser Hijacker

Butterflysearch.net-affiliated browser hijackers may also be used for other attacks, most of which are visible as modifications to your browser's behavior. Examples of common side effects include, but aren't limited to:

  • Search results that exhibit disabled features or content, such as Google's Video or Image functions. Certain scripts and other forms of advanced content may be stripped out of your search results.
  • You may be unable to search for websites that are related to popular Google-related sites or PC security companies. SpywareRemove.com malware experts note that this can be solved by using Safe Mode or similar techniques to disable the browser hijacker prior to trying to remove it with your choice in anti-malware software.
  • Sluggish PC performance, both for your web browser and your operating system overall.
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