TopSearchMaps
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.
| Threat Level: | 50 % (Medium) |
| Infected Computers: | 3 |
| First Seen: | January 25, 2019 |
| Last Seen: | October 24, 2022 |
| OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
TopSearchMaps may describe itself as a useful application that will make browsing the net far more efficient but, in reality, the application's main functionality is that of a browser hijacker. These dubious applications are designed to generate artificial traffic towards a promoted address specifically.
To achieve its goal, TopSearchMaps will assume control over the user's Web browsers. More specifically, the browser hijacker will target the browser's homepage, new tab page and the default search engine. All three settings could be set to open the promoted page, which in the vast majority of cases, belongs to a fake search engine.
Fake engines do not possess the ability to deliver search results. Instead, they take the user's search queries and redirect them to other engines. The redirects may lead to a legitimate engine, such as Yahoo, Bing or Google. However, it is entirely possible that a redirect chain going through several dubious engines (nearbyme.io) may be started. In the second option, users could be presented with dubious search results riddled with sponsored ad links.
Users should be careful when installing applications from unproven sources. Various PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs), such as TopSearchMaps could be added to that application's installation settings stealthily, in a scheme known as bundling. Another popular underhanded distribution method is using fake software installers that pretend to be for a legitimate software product.
