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Nav Search

Posted: May 11, 2018

Threat Metric

Ranking: 3,266
Threat Level: 2/10
Infected PCs: 113,777
First Seen: May 2, 2016
Last Seen: October 16, 2023
OS(es) Affected: Windows

The Nav Search is a browser extension, which might be promoted via online advertisements, which promise that this tool will provide users with access to an enhanced search utility that will help them find the most relevant Web results. Unfortunately, these promises are untrue, and the installation of the Nav Search will not do anything to enhance your ability to search the Web. It will, however, bring a change to your Web browser's configuration, and you are unlikely to enjoy it. The change in question concerns the default search aggregator that your Web browser uses – it will be set to Nav-search.com/Web?q=. This means that all search queries that you initialize through the address bar will take you to the Nav-search.com search feature. While this is not an unsafe action, it might disrupt your Web searching experience, when you take into account the fact that Nav-search.com/Web?q= does not yield any results at the time of writing especially.

If you notice that your searches are redirected to Nav-search.com instead of to your favored search engine, then it is probable that you have the 'the Nav Search' add-on present on your computer. Thankfully, this tool is not harmful, but it can still be removed with the help of up-to-date security software that is likely to detect it as a 'Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP). Since the Nav Search is not unsafe, you are not obligated to remove it. However, this is the recommended course of action if you wish to restore your Web browser's configuration and stay away from questionable search aggregators like the one found at Nav-search.com.

Technical Details

File System Modifications

Tutorials: If you wish to learn how to remove malware components manually, you can read the tutorials on how to find malware, kill unwanted processes, remove malicious DLLs and delete other harmful files. Always be sure to back up your PC before making any changes.

The following files were created in the system:



C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\SearchGo\searchgo.dll File name: searchgo.dll
Size: 288.76 KB (288768 bytes)
MD5: 0f21077acd26b74e219aaa824e7581c4
Detection count: 3,511
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Path: C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\SearchGo\searchgo.dll
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: July 26, 2023
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\SearchGo\searchgo.exe File name: searchgo.exe
Size: 415.23 KB (415232 bytes)
MD5: 64a8157837d5df49827f232f1295dec2
Detection count: 3,300
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\SearchGo\searchgo.exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: October 15, 2023
%LOCALAPPDATA%\SearchGo\searchgo.exe File name: searchgo.exe
Size: 415.23 KB (415232 bytes)
MD5: e7dc5f07c89cc136b1087636579155a7
Detection count: 3,213
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %LOCALAPPDATA%\SearchGo
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: June 7, 2016
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\searchgo0.dll.old File name: searchgo0.dll.old
Size: 291.32 KB (291328 bytes)
MD5: 41aa9ba47db027de7f6d68e0b027fc48
Detection count: 2,218
Mime Type: unknown/old
Path: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\searchgo0.dll.old
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: May 20, 2023
%LOCALAPPDATA%\SearchGo\searchgo.exe File name: searchgo.exe
Size: 415.23 KB (415232 bytes)
MD5: 1e572812793e2f7672110617c8eb7c21
Detection count: 2,136
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %LOCALAPPDATA%\SearchGo
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: June 7, 2016
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\searchgo0.dll.old File name: searchgo0.dll.old
Size: 291.32 KB (291328 bytes)
MD5: 59d05c0c9fdef13cab0d5fdde0836901
Detection count: 890
Mime Type: unknown/old
Path: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\searchgo0.dll.old
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: January 30, 2022
%TEMP%\f9626892-7a78-3199-abd2-97bbce96297b\adv_93.exe File name: adv_93.exe
Size: 1.54 MB (1544545 bytes)
MD5: 87e1844260a46d37f2a3d09a8c108314
Detection count: 33
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %TEMP%\f9626892-7a78-3199-abd2-97bbce96297b
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: June 1, 2016
%TEMP%\f9626892-7a78-3199-abd2-97bbce96297b\adv_93.exe File name: adv_93.exe
Size: 1.43 MB (1437250 bytes)
MD5: d6fe35e5a40e727f191d96536baf0c1c
Detection count: 20
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Path: %TEMP%\f9626892-7a78-3199-abd2-97bbce96297b
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: June 1, 2016

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

CLSID{2BC46CFA-4B00-4193-A7BD-6AD1D0BCB5BC}{598AEFC6-DD3C-4A63-9AC3-53FCF6155931}{AF5EE270-A22B-4E9A-B253-A91E8882BEC5}Regexp file mask%TEMP%\duckgo0.dll.old%WINDIR%\System32\Tasks\DuckGo Task%WINDIR%\System32\Tasks\SearchGo TaskHKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}SOFTWARE\Classes\Interface\{37C81B92-FBD1-4D51-892F-AC1343578928}SOFTWARE\Classes\Interface\{EA1996FB-3431-4103-A88B-F1ADE1EBD415}SOFTWARE\Classes\SearchBar.SearchBarMainSOFTWARE\Classes\SearchBar.SearchBarMain.1SOFTWARE\Classes\TypeLib\{AB775775-BE4A-4CD9-B5F4-5C63DA27DEAF}SOFTWARE\Classes\Wow6432Node\TypeLib\{AB775775-BE4A-4CD9-B5F4-5C63DA27DEAF}Software\Microsoft\Go\nb_lifetimeSoftware\Microsoft\GosearchSoftware\Microsoft\GosearchqSoftware\Microsoft\guardPlaginSoftware\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions\{2BC46CFA-4B00-4193-A7BD-6AD1D0BCB5BC}Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions\{598AEFC6-DD3C-4A63-9AC3-53FCF6155931}Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\LowRegistry\searchgoSoftware\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{A06ED961-D98F-4CF9-A89B-80AB11DB149C}SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\Tree\SearchGo TaskSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{598AEFC6-DD3C-4A63-9AC3-53FCF6155931}SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Classes\Interface\{37C81B92-FBD1-4D51-892F-AC1343578928}SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Classes\Interface\{EA1996FB-3431-4103-A88B-F1ADE1EBD415}SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Classes\TypeLib\{AB775775-BE4A-4CD9-B5F4-5C63DA27DEAF}SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\{2BC46CFA-4B00-4193-A7BD-6AD1D0BCB5BC}SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{598AEFC6-DD3C-4A63-9AC3-53FCF6155931}

Additional Information

The following directories were created:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\DuckGo%LOCALAPPDATA%\SearchGo%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\DuckGo%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\SearchGo%UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\DuckGo%UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\SearchGo
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