Mal/SEORed-A

Mal/SEORed-A is a generic detection that basically applies to a large variety of malicious websites that use black hat search engine optimization techniques in order to direct computer users to particular websites. These kinds of techniques usually involve boosting a website's traffic with the help of malware and browser redirects, particularly browser hijackers designed to change the results on any searches carried out on legitimate search engines like Google, Yahoo or Bing. Advanced security applications and real time malware scanners will often block these kinds of malicious websites and display a warning. The Mal/SEORed-A detection will often pop-up in these cases, warning the computer user that their web browser is currently the victim of a browser redirect attempting to force it to visit a particular website. If your security software is displaying a Mal/SEORed-A warning, this is probably a sign that your computer system is infected with a Trojan or rootkit infection. In these cases, ESG security researchers recommend using a reliable anti-malware application to scan your hard drive in order to find the culprit responsible for the Mal/SEORed-A detections.

Why Security Software Displays a Mal/SEORed-A Warning, but Cannot Remove the Culprit

It is often the case that a security application will display a Mal/SEORed-A warning without actually having the capacity to remove the browser hijacker responsible for it. This may indicate that your computer system is currently infected with a dangerous bootkit or rootkit infection. Often, browser hijackers are protected by a rootkit which, by creating a hidden file system, can prevent security software from detecting the presence of the Trojan on the victim's computer. In these cases, the security program will detect that the browser is being redirected to a malicious website and display the corresponding Mal/SEORed-A detection, but will not be able to detect the presence of the Trojan actually causing the redirection itself. For these kinds of attacks, it is often necessary to use a specialized anti-rootkit tool designed to remove the rootkit from the victim's computer, allowing the victim's security software to detect and neutralize the Trojan responsible for the Mal/SEORed-A warnings.

Mal/SEORed-A Often Indicates the Presence of Fake Search Engine Redirects

Most Mal/SEORed-A detections indicate that the victim's search results have been altered to direct to a fake search engine. Inexperienced computer users will often mistake these fake search engines for the real thing. However, fake search engines will usually just display spam or advertisements for online scams. A Mal/SEORed-A detection will usually mean that criminals have infected your computer system in order to boost their website's traffic artificially.