This blog post has been made to explain what is PDF Converter Hub and how to remove it effectively from your computer.
A new browser extension for Google Chrome and other web browsers, called PDF Converter Hub was recently reported to be involved in suspicious activity. The program aims to arrive via websites as a browser extensions and If this happens, the headaches for users may begin. The software may start to perform multiple suspicious and probably malicious activities on the computers it’s added on, which may include aggressive advertising as well as other adverts and software to be added alongside it. It also may change the settings on the web browsers of users so that they lead to various unwanted sites, that may also turn out to be outright malicious. In the events that your computer has recently been affected by PDF Converter, we would strongly recommend that you read this article thoroughly.
Threat Summary
| Name | PDF Converter Hub |
| Type | Browser Hijacker |
| Short Description | May significantly change the settings on your web browser and may show a lot of advertisements. Pretends to be PDF converter browser extension. |
| Symptoms | Your web browser begins to display various types of online advertisements, which results in slowing down of your PC. |
| Distribution Method | Bundled downloads. Web pages which may advertise it. |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
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Malware Removal Tool
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss PDF Converter Hub. |
PDF Converter Hub – Distribution Methods
One of the main spread methods used by this unwanted program is likely software bundling. You may encounter PDF Converter hub in one of the installation steps of a program you are trying to download and install for free. It may come with a prompt advertising it as a completely legitimate tool aimed at helping to aid your PDF conversion process by providing easy access:
Another way via which the program may arrive on your computer is if you have added it as a result of being redirected or open it’s web-page, which is a well-made, but very aggressive page, asking you to even allow push notifications:
Once added, the program may immediately begin to change the settings of your web browser by removing and adding it’s own custom search page and allowing push and other notifications to begin appearing on your computer.
PDF Converter – Furhter Information
As soon as you add PDF Converter hub to your computer, your web page may immediately change to the following one:
The changed page is actually a hoax search engine, which may display a lot of different custom search results, flooded with ad-supported search results:
Another activity that may be performed as a result of having PDF Converter Hub on your computer is that the software may use different technologies to track you:
- Cookies.
- Tags.
- Pixels.
- Geo-location trackers.
- Locally Shared Objects, also known as LSOs.
Once the PDF Converter Hub installs and adds itself, the program may use those tracking technologies to obtain different information from your computer. This information may be the following:
- Your search history.
- Your browsing history.
- Your online clicks.
- Your bookmarked websites.
In addition to this, the program may also use those details about you to flood and slow down your computer with numerous different types of advertisements, like:
- Pop-up ads.
- Taken over banner spaces on the sites you visit.
- Browser redirects that lead to various malicious websites.
- Highlighted text ads on the sites you have visited.
Seeing and opening these advertisements on your computer may put it at extreme risk, since they may ultimately lead you to the following dangerous websites:
- Malicious sites that may infect your machine with viruses, such as Trojans, Ransomware and other malware.
- Sites, that may add more extensions of this type.
- Sites that may ask you to accept Push Notifications.
- Websites which may be Tech Support Scams, that may ask you to call a number, while deceiving you that you have a big issue with your PC or Mac.
- Phishing sites, that may pretend as the original login pages of Facebook, Google, Instagram and other big sites.
Remove PDF Converter Hub from Chrome and Your Computer
If you want to fully erase this unwanted and indirectly risky program from your computer, we would strongly suggest that you read the removal instructions underneath this article. They have been created with the main idea to provide you with the necessary steps that you need to take to delete PDF Converter Hub manually. Be advised, however, that for maximum effectiveness, it is strongly recommended that you get rid of this software automatically, as security experts would advise. This can happen if you download and run a scan on your computer, using an advanced anti-malware software. This software aims to guarantee you that all the files and strings created by PDF Converter Hub are fully erased from your computer.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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- Windows
- Mac OS X
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
- Internet Explorer
- Stop Push Pop-ups
How to Remove PDF Converter Hub from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for PDF Converter Hub with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall PDF Converter Hub and related software from Windows
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 PDF Converter Hub 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 PDF Converter Hub 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 PDF Converter Hub (Windows).
Get rid of PDF Converter Hub from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall PDF Converter Hub 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 PDF Converter Hub. 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 PDF Converter Hub 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 PDF Converter Hub files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as PDF Converter Hub, 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 PDF Converter Hub (Mac)
Remove PDF Converter Hub 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 PDF Converter Hub 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 PDF Converter Hub 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 PDF Converter Hub 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 PDF Converter Hub will be removed.
Eliminate PDF Converter Hub 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".
PDF Converter Hub-FAQ
What Is PDF Converter Hub?
The PDF Converter Hub 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 PDF Converter Hub?
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 Mac can be the following types:
- Rogue Antivirus programs.
- Adware.
- Browser hijackers.
- Clickers.
- Fake optimizers.
What to Do If I Have a "virus" like PDF Converter Hub?
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 PDF Converter Hub Work?
Once installed, PDF Converter Hub can collect data about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. This data is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.
PDF Converter Hub 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 PDF Converter Hub 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 PDF Converter Hub Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this PDF Converter Hub 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 PDF Converter Hub?
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 PDF Converter Hub threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.
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