Home Malware Programs Browser Hijackers Searchz.co

Searchz.co

Posted: June 30, 2016

Threat Metric

Threat Level: 5/10
Infected PCs: 21
First Seen: June 30, 2016
Last Seen: April 24, 2019
OS(es) Affected: Windows


Searchz.co is an unreliable search platform that you should not use. Searchz.co may display highly manipulated results to make you visit sponsored domains. The developers of Searchz.co may rely on a very questionable method to promote it. They have released a browser hijacker, which may enter silently and set Searchz.co as your homepage automatically. You may install this harmful extension together with third-party freeware. The experts suggest you read the 'Terms and Conditions' and 'License Agreement' before pressing the 'I agree' buttons. If you notice that the freeware promotes additional applications, you should cancel the installation. In some cases, the 'Advanced' guide may let you choose for yourself which programs in the bundle to install and which to skip. The browser hijacker is compatible with many of the leading Web clients, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer. As soon as it enters, the add-on may make Searchz.co your starting site and default search provider. The design of this search engine imitates the layout of Google, but the similarities end here. If you perform a search, you may encounter a list of sponsored links. Unlike legitimate platforms, Searchz.co may not label its ads properly. As a consequence, you may start visiting affiliated domains without even suspecting. The greatest risk of doing so concerns the security of your PC. If you use this dubious search client continuously, you may end up on a site that offers fake software updates or tries to gather information from the visitors eventually. Some of the sponsored links also may take you to pages that display deceitful security warnings. It is recommended to delete the browser hijacker behind Searchz.co right away. The most efficient method to perform the removal is to use dedicated security software.

Technical Details

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

HKEY..\..\..\..{RegistryKeys}Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStorage\searchz.coSoftware\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStorage\www.searchz.co
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