Home Malware Programs Malware PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl

PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl

Posted: June 11, 2013

Threat Metric

Ranking: 3,911
Threat Level: 1/10
Infected PCs: 7,216
First Seen: June 11, 2013
Last Seen: October 15, 2023
OS(es) Affected: Windows

PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl is a generic term for what often is referred to as a homepage hijack: an attack that sets your browser's homepage to a specific one that's implemented outside of your browser's normal homepage settings. These attacks usually, but not always are evidence of the presence of some form of harmful software on your PC, most commonly a variant of a browser hijacker, adware or a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program). Anti-malware software that's capable of removing these PC threats also should be able to delete their settings changes like PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl – which is the means of removal that SpywareRemove.com malware experts encourage after any evidence of unwanted homepage tampering.

The Browser Modification with Only Drawbacks for Your Web-Browsing

PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl is a term that applies to any type of most-likely-malicious (or merely unwanted) modification to your browser's homepage settings. This Potentially Unwanted Modification or PUM often is related to an infection by a browser hijacker, adware or semi-malicious browser toolbar. While a PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl can be used to promote dangerous websites, SpywareRemove.com malware experts also have seen many PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl attacks that only try to redirect you to relatively safe, albeit worthless spam sites, link farms and alternative search engines.

Examples of PC threats that can be related to PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl attacks include the Montera Toolbar, the TopArcade Hits Virus, Findr Toolbar and Search, the Starburn Software Virus, the Topic Torch Virus and the V9 Redirect Virus. PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl attacks often are related to a browser add-on with visible components, but, in most circumstances, attempts to uninstall this plugin by any ordinary plugin-removal methods will not remove PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl and all associated browser changes.

Taking Control of Your Browser Back from PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl

Because losing the ability to set your own homepage generally never is beneficial for you or your browser, PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl rarely is related to a benign program that you'd want to keep on your computer. However, useful programs that also install Potentially Unwanted Programs and various browser plugins may indirectly implement PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl – but usually you can delete PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl without removing the original program, and SpywareRemove.com malware experts do recommend this course of action.

Anti-malware products, while often thought of as being used to delete software, also are adept at dealing with system modifications like PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl, which are an inherent part of many types of PC threats. Removing PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl through appropriate methods will allow you to reset your browser's homepage as normal, and it's suggested that you do try to avoid sites that are promoted through PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl attacks.

Websites that are promoted by PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl may or may not have any dangerous content of their own. While many scenarios involving PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl use this attack to redirect traffic to harmless advertisements and partnered websites, others may use PUM.Hijack.HomepageControl to expose your PC to dangerous Web content. Such content can include drive-by-downloads, exploit kits and other high-level threats that SpywareRemove.com malware experts encourage avoiding whenever possible.

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