Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites. Users are forced to visit the hijacker's website and search the Internet using their search engines.ĭeceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers. Manipulated Internet browser settings (homepage, default Internet search engine, new tab settings). Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine Quick access to Cricket results and updates Threat Summary: Nameīrowser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab In summary, the presence of software like Cricket Start on browsers/systems can result in severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft. The gathered data can then be shared with and/or sold to third-parties. Information of interest can include: visited URLs, viewed webpages, searched queries, personally identifiable details, log-in credentials (usernames/passwords), finance-related data, and so on. What is more, browser-hijacking software usually spies on users' browsing activity, and Cricket Start is not an exception. However, might land elsewhere since redirects can be dictated by various factors like user geolocation.įurthermore, Cricket Start employs persistence-ensuring techniques to prevent users from recovering their browsers. While the latter can provide search results - they are inaccurate and may promote unreliable/malicious content. We observed redirecting to Bing () and the nearbyme.io fake search engine.
Hence, every single new browser tab/window we opened and search query we typed into the URL bar - resulted in a redirect to the website.įraudulent search engines typically redirect to legitimate ones, as they cannot generate search results. After analyzing this piece of software, we determined that it operates as a browser hijacker promoting the fake search engine.įollowing successful installation onto our test system, Cricket Start assigned as the browser's default search engine, homepage, and new tab/window URLs. It promises quick access to Cricket sports results and updates. While inspecting dubious download websites, we found the Cricket Start browser extension.
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