Search.onlinebars.xyz

Search.onlinebars.xyz is a browser hijacker application designed to promote a sponsored address by generating artificial traffic towards it. Search.onlinebars.xyz operates in the typical way associated with PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) by sneaking onto the user's computer, usually without the person noticing, and then taking over certain Web browser settings. In this case, the homepage, new page tab, and the default search engine will be set to open search.onlinebars.xyz.

Whenever the user opens the affected browser, starts a new tab, or conducts a search query, it would result in traffic towards the promoted address immediately. Furthermore, the search engines associated with browser hijackers are almost always classified as fake as they cannot produce search results by themselves. Instead, they redirect all searches through a legitimate engine such as Yahoo, Google or Bing. They can, however, inject third-party advertisements into the displayed results list.

The most alarming aspect of having a browser hijacker installed on your computer, however, is that nearly all of them have at least some capacity for data harvesting. The intrusive capabilities can range from tracking the user's browsing and search history to attempts to obtain banking account details if any have been saved into the affected browser. To minimize the chances of any security risks, users should perform a scan with a reputable anti-malware solution as soon as they notice the first signs of the PUP's activity.