Shiny Searches
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: | 11,682 |
Threat Level: | 50 % (Medium) |
Infected Computers: | 117 |
First Seen: | September 20, 2022 |
Last Seen: | September 19, 2023 |
OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
The Shiny Searches is a browser extension presented as a way for users to enjoy faster Web searches. However, when installed, the application will make several changes to important browser settings. Some users will be surprised to find that their typical homepage, new tab page, and search engine have now all been modified. Indeed, Shiny Searches is another browser hijacker.
The primary goal of these intrusive applications appears to be to promote the search.shiny-searches.com address. As is the case with most browser hijackers, the promoted address belongs to a fake search engine. In short, search.shiny-searches.com is incapable of producing unique results on its own. It operates by taking the users' search queries and redirecting them to other sources. In this particular case, the shown results were taken from the legitimate Bing search engine.
Users should keep in mind that these fake search engines could be able to modify their behavior, based on certain factors. In practice, this could mean that some users are presented with low-quality search results containing numerous sponsored advertisements because they were taken to a dubious search engine.
Browser hijackers and PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) in general are also notorious for having data-monitoring capabilities. These intrusive applications may monitor the users' browsing activities, harvest numerous device details, or even try to access browsers' autofill data (account credentials, banking information, payment details, etc.).