Hao123 Toolbar Description
The Hao123 Toolbar or, to use its full title, the Hao123 Community Toolbar, is a browser hijacker that forces your browser to load the hao123.com website under the pretense of providing useful search functions. While the Hao123 Toolbar isn’t considered a high-level threat, malware experts have noted that Hao123 Toolbar is confirmed malware and that appropriate PC security companies have blacklisted its website for its distribution of PC threats. The Hao123 Toolbar is a particular risk for Chinese PC users, although installers for Hao123 Toolbar also have been promoted in English and other countries also can be considered at risk. Like other forms of browser hijackers and adware, the Hao123 Toolbar only will remove some of its components if you use normal uninstallation techniques, which is why it’s encouraged the utilization of anti-malware software to expedite the process of deleting the Hao123 Toolbar.
Why Hao Translating to ‘Good’ Doesn’t Make the Hao123 Toolbar a Good Add-On
With a generically positive name and an installer that makes Hao123 Toolbar sound like helpful software, the Hao123 Toolbar seems classier than the typical browser hijacker, but also has been known to install itself with unrelated programs (such as compromised installers for Seesmic Desktop) – a tactic that’s common to adware and Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs). When installed as a standalone program, the Hao123 Toolbar also claims that its changes are impermanent and easily reversible, although victims of Hao123 Toolbar-related hijacks have discovered that to be far from the case.
Like many other toolbars, the Hao123 Toolbar generates profit from traffic that’s exploited with a range of different browser hijack-based attacks that force you to use hao123.com for your online searches.
- Having your browser’s homepage set to the Hao123 Toolbar’s website. This attack will override any manual changes that you make to your browser’s homepage settings; for example, setting your homepage to Google.com will fail to prevent your browser from displaying hao123.com when Hao123 Toolbar first launches.
- Having your attempts to use any other search sites redirect to the Hao123 Toolbar’s search engine. Redirects to hao123.com can occur when you try to access another site, after you try to search with it or after you click a search result.
How to Get the Hao Out of Your Browser
Given the many negative attributes that are associated both with the Hao123 Toolbar and hao123.com SpywareRemove.com malware analysts encourage you to avoid both of them for the sake of your PC’s safety. Indefinite contact with the Hao123 Toolbar or its site may not cause any immediate damage to your computer, but prolonged contact may result in security issues that can be indirect sources of future attacks. The Hao123 Toolbar has shown compatibility with Chrome and Internet Explorer, although other browsers also are likely to be affected.
Despite not being considered a PC threat with a very damaging payload, the Hao123 Toolbar may resist normal removal methods and continue to redirect your browser to hao123.com even after you’ve removed all visible components of the program. Hence, SpywareRemove.com malware research team recommends the use of anti-malware products for removing the Hao123 Toolbar completely.
Hao123 Toolbar Automatic Detection Tool (Recommended)
Is your PC infected with Hao123 Toolbar? To safely & quickly detect Hao123 Toolbar we highly recommend you run the malware scanner listed below.
Download SpyHunter's* Malware Scanner to detect Hao123 Toolbar What happens if Hao123 Toolbar does not let you open SpyHunter or blocks the Internet?
File System Modifications
Tutorials: If you wish to learn how to remove malware components manually, you can read the tutorials on how to find malware, kill unwanted processes, remove malicious DLLs and delete other harmful files. Always be sure to back up your PC before making any changes.
- The following files were created in the system:
# File Name 1 %AppData%\CRE\fngbeaocenjpefeiljibginpnamogipk.crx
Posted: October 12, 2012 | By SpywareRemove
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