Remove PDF King Browser Hijacker

Martin Beltov

Martin graduated with a degree in Publishing from Sofia University. As a cyber security enthusiast he enjoys writing about the latest threats and mechanisms of intrusion.

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The article will aid you to remove PDF King completely. Follow the browser hijacker removal instructions provided at the bottom of this article.

Its website will redirect you to its search engine or another malicious site. While using its services, you can find yourself on pages with lots of adverts and sponsored content that go through this hijacker. The hijacker will change the start page, new tab, and search settings for the browser applications you have on your computer machine.

Threat Summary

Name	PDF King
Type	Browser Hijacker, PUP
Short Description	Each browser application on your computer could get affected. The hijacker can redirect you and will display lots of advertisements.
Symptoms	Browser settings which are altered are the homepage, search engine and the new tab.
Distribution Method	Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by PDF King Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss PDF King.

PDF King Hijacker – Methods of Distribution

The PDF King hijacker is а malicious web browser extension which is distributed via the most popular methods. Threats like this one are predominantly uploaded to the repositories of the most popular browsers, usually with fake user reviews and developer credentials. Through the elaborate descriptions posted they promise feature additions or performance optimizations.

Large campaigns are being delivered using email SPAM messages which use social engineering tactics in order to confuse the recipients into thinking that they have received a message from a well-known company or service that they might be using. The body contents will feature links to the hijacker code, in other cases they can be attached to the messages.

The malicious actors behind the PDF King hijacker can also create malicious web sites which also use phishing strategies. They can pose as vendor download pages, product landing sites or Internet portals.

Hijackers like this may also be spread via infected payload carriers:

• Modified Application Installers — The hackers can embed the necessary PDF King hijacker code into the setup files of well-known software that is popularly downloaded by end users: productivity, system utilities, office apps and even games. Whenever the installers are run the hijacker will be delivered to the systems, in some cases even if the setup procedure is cancelled.
• Document Scripts — Malicious macros can be the cause of infections with the PDF King hijacker. This is done by embedding such code into all popular document types: rich text documents, presentations, databases and spreadsheets. Once they are opened by the victims a prompt will be spawned asking them to enable the required interactive features in order to view the document. This activation will lead to the malware deployment.

These infected payloads can also be uploaded to file-sharing networks like BitTorrent where both legitimate contents and pirate software is shared.

PDF King Hijacker – In-Depth Description

As the PDF King hijacker infection is caused via browser plugins it can access all stored contents within. Coupled with a data harvesting module, if configured so, this can lead to the gathering of sensitive information. Two groups of data can be distinguished:

• Personal Information — Using the tracking modules and other technology the hijacker can hijack information that can directly reveal the identity of the victims by searching for strings related to their name, address, phone number and location. If any passwords and login credentials are identified they will be stolen as well.
• Device Metrics — Every single machine will be assigned an unique ID which will be generated using an algorithm that takes its input from values such as the following: installed hardware components, user and regional settings and environment values.

The end-result of the PDF King hijacker infection would be the manipulation of the browser settings. The users will find that once they open them up their default settings might be changed in order to redirect them to a hacker-controlled landing page. Values that are affected include the default home page, new tabs page and search engine.

The main browser hijacker page will show a template-based search engine which is made up of three main areas:

• Top Menu Bar — This will toggle between the search engines results types, at the moment the following options are available: Web, Images and Videos.
• Main Search Engine — It contains the main search engine with the conversion box underneath it.
• Bottom Menu Bar — It contains links to service pages like the privacy policy.

The main task of this threat is to coerce the users into using the advertised service — conversion of file formats to PDF. The users are offered a box that looks that will ask for the files to be uploaded. WARNING! All user-uploaded data will be made available to the operators of the service. If a malicious script is activated the returned files can include various malware code.

Other dangerous consequences of having this infection active on the compromised machines includes the load of tracking cookies which will record all user interactions with the page. The collected information may be uploaded to databases which may be shared between several hijacker sites. When they have accumulated enough information they can be offered to interested buyers on the hacker underground markets for sale.

It is possible that the malware threat is deployed in a persistent way which will make removal very difficult. The route of infection is due to changes to the computer settings: boot options, configuration files and other areas of the operating system. This also renders many manual user removal guides non-working.

A main goal of most hijackers like this one is the presentation of advertising and sponsored content. Theses sites are configured in such a way that generates a small income for the operators with every user click or interaction wih such content. This is also carried over to the search engine results — the pages will not display the best possible results but instead focus on such content. Popular forms of such content includes pop-ups, banners, redirects and etc.

Having such infections active on a given host also makes it possible to deliver other types of malware as well. Common examples include the following:

• Trojans — They will setup a connection between the local hosts and the malicious operators which allows the hackers to take over control of the machines. Such allow the controllers to hijack user data and also steal all kinds of files — both system owned and those belonging to the users.
• Ransomware — These are among the most dangerous malware as they will encrypt sensitive user data with a strong cipher and then demand that a ransom sum is paid to restore the system. They typically will use a built-in list that targets the most popular file type extensions.
• Miners — Cryptocurrency miners are scripts or small stand-alone programs that download resource-intensive tasks that are run on the compromised machines. Whenever one of the tasks is reported to the servers the malicious actors will receive income in the form of digital cryptocurrency that will be directly wired to their accounts.

Remove PDF King Browser Hijacker

To remove PDF King manually from your computer, follow the step-by-step removal instructions provided below. In case the manual removal does not get rid of the hijacker redirect and its files completely, you should search for and remove any leftovers with an advanced anti-malware tool. Such a program can keep your computer safe in the future.

Note! Your computer system may be affected by PDF King or other threats.
Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as PDF King.
Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.

To remove PDF King follow these steps:

1. Uninstall malicious programs from Windows

OFFER

Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!

We Recommend To Scan Your PC with SpyHunter

Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria

How to Uninstall malicious programs 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:

Hold the Windows Logo Button and “R” on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear (fig.1).

In the field type in “appwiz.cpl” and press ENTER (fig.2).

This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC.
Select the program that you want to remove, and press “Uninstall” (fig.3).

Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.

2. Clean your Browser and Registry from PDF King

Remove PDF King by cleaning your Browser and Registry.

Remove an extension from Mozilla FirefoxRemove an extension from Google Chrome Remove an extension from Internet Explorer Remove an extension from Microsoft Edge Fix registry entries created by PDF King on your PC.

Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window

Select the “Add-ons” icon from the menu.

Select the unwanted extension and click “Remove“

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.

Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu

Move the cursor over “Tools” and then from the extended menu choose “Extensions“

From the opened “Extensions” menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its “Remove” button.

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.

Start Internet Explorer:

Click on the gear icon labeled ‘Tools’ to open the drop menu and select ‘Manage Add-ons’

In the ‘Manage Add-ons’ window.

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’.

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.

Start Edge

Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.

From the drop menu select “Extensions”.

Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.

Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.

Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.

IMPORTANT!
Before starting the Automatic Removal below, please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.

Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs

3. Scan for malware and unwanted programs with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

Scan your PC and Remove PDF King with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data

1. Install SpyHunter to scan for PDF King and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove PDF King. Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.

Step 1: Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.

Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.

Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.

Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.

Step 2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the ‘Next’ button.

Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.

Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future

IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup .

SOS Online Backup

Martin Beltov

Martin graduated with a degree in Publishing from Sofia University. As a cyber security enthusiast he enjoys writing about the latest threats and mechanisms of intrusion.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

Martin Beltov

Martin graduated with a degree in Publishing from Sofia University. As a cyber security enthusiast he enjoys writing about the latest threats and mechanisms of intrusion.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me: