MovieSearchBox

MovieSearchBox is a browser hijacker promoting the fake search engine moviesearchbox.com. This is a common practice designed to drive artificial traffic towards search engines that would otherwise never be visited or used. Browser hijacker applications are capable of establishing control over the user's Web browser. More specifically, they target a combination or all three, the homepage, new tab page, and the default search engine settings.

Users who then try to use the browser, open a new tab, or initiate a search via the URL bar will inevitably be taken to the address of the promoted search engine. Keep in mind that fake engines are incapable of producing any search result on their own. Instead, they either redirect to a legitimate engine or lead the user to a dubious engine that is capable of generating unreliable results, oftentimes filled with sponsored advertisements. The determining factor for the destination chosen by the fake engine is usually the geolocation of the user.

Applications such as MovieSearchBox are almost never installed by users intentionally. Instead, they spread themselves by employing underhanded practices such as 'bundling' or hiding inside fake installers/updaters. This deceptive behavior classifies them as PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs). One of the biggest red flags associated with having a PUP present on your computer system is that most of them possess data-harvesting capabilities.

Infosec researchers often observe PUPs that try to access the browsing history, search history, clicked URLs, as well as the device's IP address, geolocation, ISP and more. All of the gathered data could then be packaged and uploaded to a remote server.

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