CheetaSearch(.)com the main web page for a browser hijacker. The Imali Media Ltd. company is the creator of the unwanted program. Every search query you make will go through another hijacker named SafeFinder, as well. The hijacker will change your browser settings, such as the homepage, search engine, and new tab to Search.CheetaSearch(.)com and might even add a toolbar or a plug-in to your browsers. Advertisements can appear when you browse. To remove the hijacker and the files tied to it, you should read the article carefully.
Threat Summary
| Name | CheetaSearch(.)com |
| Type | Browser Hijacker, PUP |
| Short Description | All browsers on your computer could be affected. The hijacker can redirect you and filter each of your searches. |
| Symptoms | Browser settings which are altered are the homepage, search engine and new tab, browser plugins and a toolbar. You could see third party content and advertising. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages |
| Detection Tool |
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CheetaSearch(.)com – Distribution Tactics
CheetaSearch(.)com can utilize several distribution tactics to get in your browsers. Usually, this happens with third-party installations. Software bundles, along with freeware installer setups, can put the hijacker inside your computer. This kind of setups might have additional components selected for installing, by default. Lots of settings could be modified without prior notice so the unwanted program could be in your computer and you might not know about it. To prevent such installations can happen if you find Custom or Advanced settings inside the setup to deselect the unwanted components.
CheetaSearch(.)com can be distributed to your computer system through the use of advertising content, like banners, pop-ups or similar advert types. The hijacker could also be distributed with the aid of suspicious websites hosting redirecting links. These websites could be partnered with CheetaSearch(.)com. Browsers that can be affected are: Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari and Mozilla Firefox.
CheetaSearch(.)com – Detailed Overview
CheetaSearch(.)com is the official web page and search engine of the browser hijacker with the same name – CheetaSearch. The company which made it is Imali Media Ltd., known for the production of other browser hijacker applications in the past.
You can see a screenshot of the main page below:
The CheetaSearch(.)com page is made of a search bar, and a couple of links redirecting to the EULA and Privacy Policy of the service. The page in the above screenshot is the one replacing the search engine of every browser you have, in addition to the new tab setting, and the home page. A toolbar is usually placed on top of the page.
If any extra applications connected to CheetaSearch(.)com enter your computer machine, like a browser extension or plug-in, then you will see more changes made to your browsers. More programs like that could install on your PC with bundled software setups. Add-ons, plug-ins, and extensions can generate advertisements, show up more third-party content and land you on suspicious web pages. These pages could be in a partnership with CheetaSearch(.)com.
From the above picture, you can see the search results page of CheetaSearch(.)com. Or at least the page it redirects to, which in this case is that of Yahoo. The page might redirect to other reputable search engines now or in the near future. This particular redirection tactic is triggered, so it can try to trick you into trusting the hijacker. Its effectiveness remains to this very day. A closer look reveals that with each of your search queries, the data goes through the following redirect:
Through Safe Finder service, the browser hijacker CheetaSearch(.)com gathers and sends more information about you.
The search engines are intertwined and possibly exchange all information related to your searches and browser history. They might be partnered up or affiliated. You should be careful with their websites for rogue search engines and do not give any personal details about you on their platforms.
CheetaSearch(.)com – Privacy Policy
The Privacy Policy of the CheetaSearch(.)com is in actuality that of Imali Media Ltd. The policy of the Safe Finder website is also applied here if you must know. Both platforms make it clear that information is acquired from you as if you use their websites is considered as your approval of that. CheetaSearch(.)com gathers both personally and non-personally identifying information. Third parties can also obtain all of the information, too.
How the privacy policy of Imali Media looks:
According to this Privacy Policy, there are particular types of information collected.
Information, collected by Imali Media from all victims of the hijacker:
- Your IP (internet protocol) address
- The type of browser you use
- The time at which you visited the site
- Which pages you visited throughout the site
Information you provide that can be collected:
- Your name
- Your email address
- Country of origin
- Your nickname
- Telephone number
- Website
- Company
- Job title
Information collected when you download and install the plugin:
- Demographic information
- Your gender
- Your age
- Occupation
- Household income
- Zip code
- Your country
- Mobile telephone number
- Your E-mail address
As stated in the policy, information may also be obtained if you complete or fill a questionnaire, subscription form or a contest entry form.
Information collected automatically from the plugin:
- Searches you perform using Imali Media domains
- The ways in which you use various features
- Pages you view on those domains
- Page view count
- Impressions and clicks
The automatically gathered information will be sent to servers of Imali media and its partners when your web browser accesses the hijacker’s site and when you use its plug-in. Cookies accumulate that type of information.
Check out this interesting quote from the policy, which is about external links on the site:
Our Site includes links to other third party Web sites (such as Google, Facebook, Youtube etc.) whose privacy practices may differ from those of Browsing Product. Our service may also be linked to sites or services operated by the Browsing Product affiliates or third parties, and may carry advertisements or offer content, functionality, games, rewards programs, newsletters, contests or sweepstakes, or applications developed and maintained by third parties including, any online store.
Imali Media basically states that any link, redirect or additional content you come in contact with, through their hijacker software, is not their fault, and more privacy policies will be in place. Thus, other websites will be held responsible for that kind of content. Be wary of all these sites and do not click on anything showing from them. Also, be careful with what you enter in search engines, in general. Take note that the Safe Finder service gathers additional information about you.
Remove CheetaSearch(.)com Completely from Your PC
To remove CheetaSearch(.)com manually from your computer, follow the step-by-step removal guide given below. In case the manual removal does not get rid of the hijacker and all of its files completely, you should search for and remove any leftovers with an advanced anti-malware tool. Such software can keep your computer safe in the future.
- Windows
- Mac OS X
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
- Internet Explorer
- Stop Push Pop-ups
How to Remove CheetaSearch(.)com from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for CheetaSearch(.)com with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall CheetaSearch(.)com and related software from Windows
Uninstall Steps for Windows 11
Uninstall Steps for Windows 10 and Older Versions
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 4: Clean Any registries, Created by CheetaSearch(.)com on Your PC.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by CheetaSearch(.)com there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.
Video Removal Guide for CheetaSearch(.)com (Windows).
Get rid of CheetaSearch(.)com from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall CheetaSearch(.)com and remove related files and objects
Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to CheetaSearch(.)com. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove CheetaSearch(.)com via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 2: Scan for and remove CheetaSearch(.)com files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as CheetaSearch(.)com, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Video Removal Guide for CheetaSearch(.)com (Mac)
Remove CheetaSearch(.)com from Google Chrome.
Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu
Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"
Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Erase CheetaSearch(.)com from Mozilla Firefox.
Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window:
Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.
Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Uninstall CheetaSearch(.)com from Microsoft Edge.
Step 1: Start Edge browser.
Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".
Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Remove CheetaSearch(.)com from Safari
Step 1: Start the Safari app.
Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.
Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".
Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.
Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.
Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the CheetaSearch(.)com will be removed.
Eliminate CheetaSearch(.)com from Internet Explorer.
Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'
Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.
Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.
Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.
Remove Push Notifications from Your Browsers
Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome
To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.
Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:
Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:
Step 4: Open “Notifications”:
Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:
Remove Push Notifications on Firefox
Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.
Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":
Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”
Stop Push Notifications on Opera
Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.
Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.
Step 3: Open Notifications:
Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):
Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari
Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.
Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".
CheetaSearch(.)com-FAQ
What Is CheetaSearch(.)com?
The CheetaSearch(.)com threat is adware or browser redirect virus.
It may slow your computer down significantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.
What Are the Symptoms of CheetaSearch(.)com?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and have poor performance in general.
Symptom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.
Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.
Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.
Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts recommend that you check your computer for viruses.
What Types of Unwanted Programs Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your device can be rogue antivirus software, adware, browser hijackers, clickers, fake optimizers and any forms of PUPs.
What to Do If I Have a "virus" like CheetaSearch(.)com?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your email passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activities with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these recommendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
How Does CheetaSearch(.)com Work?
Once installed, CheetaSearch(.)com can collect data using trackers. This data is about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. It is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.
CheetaSearch(.)com can also download other malicious software onto your computer, such as viruses and spyware, which can be used to steal your personal information and show risky ads, that may redirect to virus sites or scams.
Is CheetaSearch(.)com Malware?
The truth is that PUPs (adware, browser hijackers) are not viruses, but may be just as dangerous since they may show you and redirect you to malware websites and scam pages.
Many security experts classify potentially unwanted programs as malware. This is because of the unwanted effects that PUPs can cause, such as displaying intrusive ads and collecting user data without the user’s knowledge or consent.
About the CheetaSearch(.)com Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this CheetaSearch(.)com how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.
How did we conduct the research on CheetaSearch(.)com?
Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the CheetaSearch(.)com threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.