MapBeast Ads

Posted: June 6, 2016

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:	13,507
Threat Level:	8/10
Infected PCs:	675

First Seen:	June 6, 2016
Last Seen:	October 8, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

MapBeast is a browser extension that promotes the use of a search engine website and may make other changes to your Web-surfing experience, such as inserting new advertisements. MapBeast may be installed automatically along with other programs, such as security-related plugins or mapping software. This probable inclusion with other, potentially unwanted products causes malware experts to suggest using automated means of uninstalling MapBeast when appropriate, such as a comprehensive system scan from your anti-adware apps.

The Semi-Tame Beast in Your Browser

One of the ongoing risks of installing any software associated with making browser modifications is the potential for ending up with more changes than you originally had in mind. Although it's standard practice for many browser extensions to include advertising content as a revenue source, others go further, such as MapBeast. Malware experts saw only limited evidence of potentially undesirable behavior on the part of this program, but sufficient for its classification as a Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP).

MapBeast is a Chrome-specific extension that has no history of modifying any other brand of Web browser. However, for Chrome, MapBeast may change the user's default homepage and default search engine settings, both of which reset themselves to Search.searchmab.com. Additional symptoms some users may experience in specific versions of MapBeast include advertising pop-ups or advertising banners forcibly injected into any third-party Web pages automatically. Since your browser's extension settings serve these advertisements, traditional advertisement-blocking solutions will not remove them.

Past examinations of the Searchmab.com site's search engine by malware analysts only have confirmed it of being a portal for Yahoo search results. As usual, additional advertisement and tracking elements are placed into the search, giving MapBeast's developers a degree of 'free' revenue without delivering any independent results. Although the user doesn't benefit from using this website over Yahoo's direct search, neither have malware analysts found it hosting harmful content.

Relocating the Beast out of Your Homepage

MapBeast isn't the first time malware researchers have come across the brand name of SaferBrowser. This brand also has past links to other Potentially Unwanted Programs and website hijacking campaigns, such as a 2015-dated promotion of the Home.login-help.net site. Previous installation methods typically used bundling techniques, such as adding MapBeast to the installation package of freeware. This family of products, in particular, may circulate through installers for browser security add-ons, although pirated download links remain an almost equally-populous secondary source.

Most PC users should experience no safety issues from browsing sites promoted by MapBeast. However, letting another program choose what sites load through your browser is a potential gamble that risks the eventual exposure of your PC to unsafe content, such as corrupted advertising served through an otherwise legitimate advertisement network. Unless you experience tangible benefits from having MapBeast installed, malware experts would suggest its removal as a default stance for the optimization of your browsing experience.

Restoring your browser to all default settings efficiently is most easily accomplished by using specialized anti-adware applications. Always verify that your browser isn't running before trying to remove MapBeast, and use a memory management tool, such as Task Manager, to be sure that no Chrome processes still are open.

However, for the average Web surfer, sidestepping suspicious downloads from less than pristine websites most likely is the easiest way of keeping the 'beast' out of your browser.

MapBeast Ads

Threat Metric

The Semi-Tame Beast in Your Browser

Relocating the Beast out of Your Homepage

Leave a Reply