Leechlink.net is a malicious domain, that can attach to any website you visit. It is also a browser hijacker and has one of the most aggressive adware campaigns around the internet. To know how to remove everything related to Leechlink.net, you should carefully read the whole article.
The redirects lead to various sites, some of which are ad-supported, others have some unwanted software for download. You can also get redirected to phishing sites or ones with malicious code. Your homepage and new tab page could be modified, and a browser toolbar or extension are not excluded to be added to your browsers.
Threat Summary
| Name | Leechlink.net |
| Type | Malicious Domain, PUP |
| Short Description | The homepage of your browser could be modified and you will be redirected to advertising, malicious and phishing sites. |
| Symptoms | Browser settings are changed. You experience redirects on almost every click. Advertisements show on webpages. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installers, Bundling, Suspicious Sites |
| Detection Tool |
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Malware Removal Tool
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Leechlink.net. |
Leechlink.net – Distribution Methods
Leechlink.net can be distributed most commonly via an application extracted by a third-party installer setup. You can get such software on your PC, unaware that it hides in freeware installations and bundle packages. Such bundle packs have additional components for installation inside. These components are rarely disclosed, thus the Leechlink.net domain attaches to your browsers. Installing it is avoidable if you find a Custom or an Advanced install sub-menu in the setup.
There are other distribution methods that can attach the malicious domain in your browsers. That can happen via advertisement clicks, pop-ups, pop-unders, banners and suspicious website visits. Leechlink.net can generate all sorts of redirects. The malicious domain might add a browser extension as well. Every browser can be affected, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari.
Leechlink.net – More Information
Leechlink.net is a malicious domain. If you have software, related to it on your computer, you will start seeing all kinds of unwanted activity when you are browsing. Your homepage and new tab page can be modified, and you might see a browser extension added as well. Not only does this malicious domain have hijacking capabilities, but also has its very own search engine with the address: leechlink.net/search?q=. This is shown in the picture here:
You can see different sites being advertised and also a there is link to the Bing search engine, but the leechlink.net domain is attached, which creates a frame around the main page of a targeted website. That frame might contain only in-text links with redirects to other sites or a lot of ads on the page you are visiting.
You can see an example shown in the picture below, where the whole page is a copy of the original one but filled with advertising content from top to bottom:
When you are browsing, you will get redirected to various domains. All of them probably make money on a pay-per-click scheme. These redirects can land you on phishing sites, ad-supported sites, sites with software downloads and malicious code inside. You shouldn’t click on any redirects, although some of them load automatically, even without hovering with the mouse. Some of the most notorious and common redirects are to the following sites:
- free.videodownloadconverter.com
- sw345update.xyz
- newtab-tv.com
- www.freelotto.com
- freesexhd.com
Those sites will display prompts for different actions, like installing fake video players or updates, presented as necessary. Other prompts for installing things that are claimed to be useful by the sites happen as well. You can often get redirected to an official, trusted and well-renowned domains, but with the frame of Leechlink.net on them. As it happened to us when researching:
Leechlink.net – Privacy Policy
There is no Privacy Policy presented by Leechlink.net. Know that from every redirect you get, you automatically accept the policy of that site you are on. You also give your consent for your information to be collected and shared by many of these sites. That information is both personally and non-personally identifiable and can contain your usernames, password or banking data.
Remove Leechlin.net Completely
To try and remove Leechlin.net and its every file and modification manually from your computer, follow the step-by-step removal instructions given below. If the manual removal does not get rid of the malicious domain and redirects completely, you should search for and remove any leftovers with an advanced anti-malware program. Such software will also keep your computer safe from future threats.
- Windows
- Mac OS X
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
- Internet Explorer
- Stop Push Pop-ups
How to Remove Leechlink.net from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for Leechlink.net with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall Leechlink.net 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 Leechlink.net 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 Leechlink.net 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 Leechlink.net (Windows).
Get rid of Leechlink.net from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Leechlink.net 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 Leechlink.net. 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 Leechlink.net 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 Leechlink.net files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Leechlink.net, 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 Leechlink.net (Mac)
Remove Leechlink.net 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 Leechlink.net 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 Leechlink.net 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 Leechlink.net 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 Leechlink.net will be removed.
Eliminate Leechlink.net 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".
Leechlink.net-FAQ
What Is Leechlink.net?
The Leechlink.net 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 Leechlink.net?
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 Leechlink.net?
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 Leechlink.net Work?
Once installed, Leechlink.net 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.
Leechlink.net 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 Leechlink.net 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 Leechlink.net Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Leechlink.net 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 Leechlink.net?
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 Leechlink.net threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.