Cairo Search

Posted: June 21, 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.

Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	98

First Seen:	June 21, 2013
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The Cairo Search is a browser add-on that often is distributed with other PC threats through compromised Firefox updates. While the Cairo Search doesn't offer any legitimate advantages to your PC, the Cairo Search does have many negative symptoms that are quite noticeable – such as degrading your browser performance, adding an extra toolbar to your browser and harming your overall operating system's stability. A strict avoidance of unofficial software update sources always should be considered as the greatest way to protect your computer from a Cairo Search infection, but SpywareRemove.com malware researchers also suggest using competent anti-malware products for removing the Cairo Search in the event that the Cairo Search succeeds in infecting your PC.

Why a Patch Can Carry a Cairo Search Bug Along with Its Updates

The Cairo Search bears the rather unhappy distinction of being one of the few browser add-on-based PC threats to be installed through malicious software updates – specifically, updates for Mozilla's Firefox browser. Malicious download links distribute these compromised copies of Firefox, which are unaffiliated with the legitimate program or its company, and use their update prompts to infect new PCs with Cairo Search (among other possibilities).

Like any typical browser plugin, the Cairo Search is made sufficiently obvious by its alterations to your browser's interface. Since the Cairo Search is distributed by malicious methods, you also should try to avoid any needless interaction with the Cairo Search or search results from the Cairo Search, which may be designed to harm your computer. SpywareRemove.com malware researchers were even more troubled by the other side effects of a standard Cairo Search infection, which includes symptoms that often are associated with high-level threats such as backdoor Trojans and Bitcoin miners, as noted here:

Your operating system may slow down or experience instability (crashes in general and in specific programs).
Your browser may take longer to load websites or respond to input.
Your mouse and/or keyboard may experience unusual control interference or poor confirmation of typing/clicks.

Checking Those Updates Before They Install an 'Upgrade' That Downgrades Your PC's Safety

Given its (so far) highly-specific infection vectors, Cairo Search can best be avoided by staying clear of download links that offer updates to popular programs but aren't received from trustworthy sources. Website pop-ups and other unofficial links always should be eschewed in favor of websites that are affiliated with the company of the program you're trying to update.

Ordinarily, SpywareRemove.com malware research team would consider Cairo Search to be a low-level PC threat, but the complications involved in its history may be indicative of serious security hazards besides minor changes to your browser. Removing Cairo Search should use anti-malware products that also are capable of finding and deleting other types of malware related to a Cairo Search infection.

Cairo Search

Threat Metric

Why a Patch Can Carry a Cairo Search Bug Along with Its Updates

Checking Those Updates Before They Install an 'Upgrade' That Downgrades Your PC's Safety

Leave a Reply