This extension contains malware.

This extension contains malware.

This extension contains malware is a potentially unwanted program that security professionals categorize as a browser hijacker. It is typical for This extension contains malware to monitor your web surfing habits and to display different pop-up ads  and banners on your screen during your web browsing sessions.

this extension contains malware.
The “This extension contains malware.” pop up will display ads and messages

Another thing that you may notice in case that you have detected that This extension contains malware has attached itself to your Chrome, Safari, Firefox or any other web browser is that now there are some changes in the key settings of the browsing app.  These changes may confuse you since they usually take place without your authorization and normally involve a new homepage, the presence of a new toolbar and also even a new search engine that generates predominantly sponsored search results. What causes even more frustration is the fact that the newly installed browser components cannot be removed and serve no other purpose but to constantly spam you with more and more aggressive pop-up ads, banners and redirect messages. And that happens on every web page that you visit and and even the best add-blocker cannot save you from them.

Other malicious threats that are related to This extension contains malware are: Flash Video Downloader, Stream Video Downloader, MeddleMonkey

All this is because the browser hijackers, which This extension contains malware belongs to, are meant to generate income for their developers through aggressive online advertising.  And the browser changes, as well as the numerous advertisement that they display are all typically sponsored through pay-per-click and pay-per-view remuneration models. Every time you click on a given pop-up ad, banner or a link, or you interact with the sponsored content that the new search engine displays and get redirected to a specific URL, you generate revenue for the people behind the hijacker. Apps like This extension contains malware commonly operate in this way and their entire behavior is dictated by the developers’ strive for more clicks and paid page-redirects and site visits.

 But, for many users, this behavior appears to be very intrusive and highly irritating. That’s why they seek how to uninstall the browser hijacker from their browser in order to get rid of its ads and unwanted homepage and search engine settings. Many people typically try to reinstall their web browsers with the hopes that the hijacker will be removed. Unfortunately, that often isn’t enough to fully eliminate the ad-generating software from the system.

In fact, the developers of apps such as This extension contains malware clearly do not want you to remove their revenue-generating apps. Thus, they usually don’t include an “uninstall” option that allows  for easy removal of the unwanted software. If you want to eliminate the hijacker fully, you will typically need the assistance of a removal guide, such as the one we have published below, or a professional removal tool.

Deleting This extension contains malware is not just about regaining full control of your web browser, though. The browser hijackers are typically linked to a variety of browsing-related issues, even though they are not the same as computer viruses, ransomware or Trojans. Such apps may often redirect you to random web locations and may prompt you to click on different web links, pop-ups and sketchy web ads. Thus, you should always take them with a grant of salt and keep in mind the possibility of facing a real virus or even a nasty ransomware infection if you are not careful with what gets displayed on your screen.

SUMMARY:

NameThis extension contains malware
TypeBrowser Hijacker
Detection Tool

Remove This extension contains malware

To try and remove This extension contains malware quickly you can try this:

  1. Go to your browser’s settings and select More Tools (or Add-ons, depending on your browser).
  2. Then click on the Extensions tab.
  3. Look for the This extension contains malware extension (as well as any other unfamiliar ones).
  4. Remove This extension contains malware by clicking on the Trash Bin icon next to its name.
  5. Confirm and get rid of This extension contains malware and any other suspicious items.

If this does not work as described please follow our more detailed This extension contains malware removal guide below.

If you have a Windows virus, continue with the guide below.

If you have a Mac virus, please use our How to remove Ads on Mac guide.

If you have an Android virus, please use our Android Malware Removal guide.

If you have an iPhone virus, please use our iPhone Virus Removal guide


Step1

Some of the steps will likely require you to exit the page. Bookmark it for later reference.

Reboot in Safe Mode (use this guide if you don’t know how to do it).

Step2

WARNING! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!

Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC at the same time and go to the Processes Tab (the “Details” Tab on Win 8 and 10). Try to determine which processes are dangerous.

malware-start-taskbar

Right click on each of them and select Open File Location. Then scan the files with our free online virus scanner:

Each file will be scanned with up to 64 antivirus programs to ensure maximum accuracy
This scanner is free and will always remain free for our website's users.
This file is not matched with any known malware in the database. You can either do a full real-time scan of the file or skip it to upload a new file. Doing a full scan with 64 antivirus programs can take up to 3-4 minutes per file.
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    After you open their folder, end the processes that are infected, then delete their folders.

    Note: If you are sure something is part of the infection – delete it, even if the scanner doesn’t flag it. No anti-virus program can detect all infections.

    Step3

    Hold together the Start Key and R. Type appwiz.cpl –> OK.

    appwiz

    You are now in the Control Panel. Look for suspicious entries. Uninstall it/them.

    Type msconfig in the search field and hit enter. A window will pop-up:

    msconfig_opt

    Startup —> Uncheck entries that have “Unknown” as Manufacturer or otherwise look suspicious.

    Step4

    Hold the Start Key and R copy + paste the following and click OK:

    notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts

    A new file will open. If you are hacked, there will be a bunch of other IPs connected to you at the bottom. Look at the image below:

    hosts_opt (1)

    If there are suspicious IPs below “Localhost” – write to us in the comments.

    Open the start menu and search for Network Connections (On Windows 10 you just write it after clicking the Windows button), press enter.

    1. Right-click on the Network Adapter you are using —> Properties —> Internet Protocol Version 4 (ICP/IP), click Properties.
    2. The DNS line should be set to Obtain DNS server automatically. If it is not, set it yourself.
    3. Click on Advanced —> the DNS tab. Remove everything here (if there is something) —> OK.
    DNS

    Step5
    • After you complete this step, the threat will be gone from your browsers. Finish the next step as well or it may reappear on a system reboot.

    Right click on the browser’s shortcut —> Properties.

    NOTE: We are showing Google Chrome, but you can do this for Firefox and IE (or Edge).

    browser-hijacker-taskbar-properties

    Properties —–> Shortcut. In Target, remove everything after .exe.

    Browser Hijacker Removal Instructions

    ie9-10_512x512 Remove This extension contains malware from Internet Explorer:

    Open IE, click IE GEAR —–> Manage Add-ons.

    pic 3

    Find the threat —> Disable. Go to IE GEAR —–> Internet Options —> change the URL to whatever you use (if hijacked) —> Apply.

    firefox-512 Remove This extension contains malware from Firefox:

    Open Firefox, click mozilla menu ——-> Add-ons —-> Extensions.

    pic 6

    Find the adware/malware —> Remove.
    chrome-logo-transparent-backgroundRemove This extension contains malware from Chrome:

    Close Chrome. Navigate to:

    C:/Users/!!!!USER NAME!!!!/AppData/Local/Google/Chrome/User Data. There is a Folder called “Default” inside:

    Rename the Folder to Backup Default

    Rename it to Backup Default. Restart Chrome.

    Step6

    Type Regedit in the windows search field and press Enter.

    Inside, press CTRL and F together and type the threat’s Name. Right click and delete any entries you find with a similar name. If they don’t show up this way, go manually to these directories and delete/uninstall them:

    • HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—–Random Directory. It could be any one of them – ask us if you can’t discern which ones are malicious.
      HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—Microsoft—-Windows—CurrentVersion—Run– Random
      HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—Microsoft—Internet Explorer—-Main—- Random

    If the guide doesn’t help, download the anti-virus program we recommended or try our free online virus scanner. Also, you can always ask us in the comments for help!


    About the author

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    Lidia Howler

    Lidia is a web content creator with years of experience in the cyber-security sector. She helps readers with articles on malware removal and online security. Her strive for simplicity and well-researched information provides users with easy-to-follow It-related tips and step-by-step tutorials.

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