Google WebHP Virus

Posted: April 8, 2013

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Ranking:	9,609
Threat Level:	1/10
Infected PCs:	923

First Seen:	April 8, 2013
Last Seen:	September 30, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

As a browser hijacker that's unaffiliated with the famous search engine in its name, the Google WebHP Virus redirects its victims – rather unusually – towards a legitimate sub-domain of Google. These redirect attacks appear to be ruses to misdirect victims into trusting the results, wherein the Google WebHP Virus may subsequently create redirects to other sites less trustworthy than Google such as searchab.com. While contact with Google in any form, including through a Google WebHP Virus's attack should not hurt your PC, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers do consider the Google WebHP Virus to be a viable PC threat, and encourage deleting any Google WebHP Virus with whatever anti-malware programs you find to be best suited for the ordeal.

A Free Ticket to a Safe Site... Assuming that's What You Want

The Google WebHP Virus bears a rather unique banner in the ranks of browser hijackers, being one of the few that actually promotes the famous Google – ordinarily, a site that competes with the destinations of browser-redirecting malware like the Google WebHP Virus. Attacks involving the Google WebHP Virus usually involve redirects that trigger after a victim clicks a Google search result, whereupon their browser is forced to load a local version of Google (such as Google.com or Google.ro) and a sub-domain of the same (for instance, Google.com/webhp). It must be emphasized that this is a legitimate sub-domain of Google that does not pose a danger to your computer, but SpywareRemove.com malware researchers are sad to need to stress that the Google WebHP Virus isn't nearly as safe as Google.

As a followup to its Google redirects, a Google WebHP Virus also may continue with additional redirects towards other sites, some of which may be malicious. Sites known to be promoted in the Google WebHP Virus's attacks include search.privitize.com and searchab.com, but others may very well be added in the future. Because the Google WebHP Virus is capable of causing multiple forms of redirects, SpywareRemove.com malware research team suggests avoiding any prolonged usage of your browser until you've deleted the Google WebHP Virus and can resume navigating to Google manually.

Digging the Google WebHP Virus Out of Your Google Searches

All cases of a Google WebHP Virus are dangerous to your computer, but SpywareRemove.com malware analysts encourage you to avoid misidentifying any harmless redirects to Google's WebHP sub-domain as attacks against your PC. As a default landing page that Google uses to redirect PC users from various discontinued Google site services, seeing Google.com/WebHP (or similar web addresses) isn't necessarily a symptom of a Google WebHP Virus infection. Only when you see your browser redirect to Google.com/WebHP (or a similar address) after trying to open your homepage or default search engine should you be concerned about the possibility of a Google WebHP Virus infecting your computer.

The Google WebHP Virus usually does not display any visible components of its software and tends to be installed along with compromised free applications (such as Privitize's Virtual Private Network software). Removing a Google WebHP Virus thoroughly and efficiently usually requires using anti-malware applications, and SpywareRemove.com malware experts also suggest that you keep your browser closed while disinfecting your PC.

Google WebHP Virus

Threat Metric

A Free Ticket to a Safe Site... Assuming that's What You Want

Digging the Google WebHP Virus Out of Your Google Searches

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