WinkiSearch

WinkiSearch is a Possibly Unwanted Program (PUP), dedicated to the promotion of a fake search engine. To generate traffic from the users who have installed it on their computers willingly or not, WinkiSearch modifies some browser settings and locks them from being reverted to their previous state. More specifically, this application targets the homepage, new page tab, and the default search engine and sets them all to winki-search.com.

As a result, as soon as the user opens the browser, a new tab, or conducts a search query, it generates traffic for winki-search. The reason why winki-search is classified as a fake search engine is its inability to carry out the core function of such engines - generating lists of relevant results. Instead, WinkiSearch redirects the user once more, this time through search.yahoo.com, before displaying any search results.

Some browser hijackers have the added functionality of spying on the user during the browsing session by monitoring, logging, and sending sensitive user data to their developers. As mentioned earlier, affected users may find that WinkiSearch is preventing them from going back to their previous browser settings. It is recommended to remove WinkiSearch from your device as soon as possible.

Trending

Most Viewed

Loading...