Cricket Start
Threat Scorecard
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecard
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards are assessment reports for different malware threats which have been collected and analyzed by our research team. EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards evaluate and rank threats using several metrics including real-world and potential risk factors, trends, frequency, prevalence, and persistence. EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards are updated regularly based on our research data and metrics and are useful for a wide range of computer users, from end users seeking solutions to remove malware from their systems to security experts analyzing threats.
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards display a variety of useful information, including:
Ranking: The ranking of a particular threat in EnigmaSoft’s Threat Database.
Severity Level: The determined severity level of an object, represented numerically, based on our risk modeling process and research, as explained in our Threat Assessment Criteria.
Infected Computers: The number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular threat detected on infected computers as reported by SpyHunter.
See also Threat Assessment Criteria.
| Ranking: | 4,573 |
| Threat Level: | 50 % (Medium) |
| Infected Computers: | 1,061 |
| First Seen: | April 21, 2022 |
| Last Seen: | September 17, 2023 |
| OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
Cricket has exploded in popularity and has posted record viewership numbers internationally, placing it only behind the Premier League and the NFL. The Cricket Start browser extension targets cricket fans, and offers them the ability to conveniently and efficiently search for and receive access to relevant updates about the sport and results from Cricket games. Unfortunately, what the application doesn't reveal is that its primary function is that of an intrusive browser hijacker.
Once Cricket Start is installed, users will almost immediately notice significant changes to the behavior of their Web browsers. The application is designed specifically to overtake the homepage, new tab page, and the default search engine settings, and substitute all three of them with a sponsored page. Indeed, affected users will notice unwanted redirects to an unfamiliar address, search.nstart.online.
The page belongs to a fake search engine. Fake engines are incapable of producing search results on their own. Users will instead be shown results taken from other sources. While some users may see search.nstart.online show results from the legitimate Bing (bing.com) engine, others could be presented with results taken from dubious engines, such as nearbyme.io.
Browser hijackers and other PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) also could be equipped with additional intrusive functions. It is not uncommon for these applications to collect data from the systems they are installed on. Users could have their browsing activities tracked and uploaded to a server under the control of the PUP's operators.
