What is Winnerwinner.net page? Which program causes Winnerwinner.net redirects? How to remove the unwanted program, causing Winnerwinner.net redirects from your computer?
The Winnerwinner.net redirect is a web browser hijacker and dangerous site which are currently distributed in an active attack campaign. As most of the infections happen through the web browsers as soon as the virus is deployed it can change the settings of the programs. Malicious actions such as data harvesting and the execution of malicious actions can take place. Our guide shows how users can effectively attempt to remove any active infections.
Threat Summary
| Name | Winnerwinner.net |
| Type | Browser Hijacker |
| Short Description | Winnerwinner.net is a web page, caused by a browser hijacker. It is unwanted, because it may lead you to dangerous sites. |
| Symptoms | Your web browser may start to behave in a strange way. You may receive redirects and other types of ads and your PC’s performance may sharply decline. |
| Distribution Method | Bundled downloads. Web pages which may advertise it. |
| Detection Tool |
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Winnerwinner.net. |
Winnerwinner.net — Overview
The Winnerwinner.net redirect is a dangerous threat that is spread to the intended victims via different methods. It is a common scam site that is currently maintained by an unknown hacking group. There are several main strategies which are used to spread such malware:
- Email Messages — The hackers can organize phishing strategies via emails that are sent in a BULK-like manner.
- Fake Websites — The other popular mechanism is the creation of various hacker-controlled sites. They will be hosted on domain names that sound very similar to legitimate portals.
- Web Browser Hijackers — The hackers usually make malware extensions made for the most popular web browser applications. They are commonly uploaded to their relevant repositories with scam credentials and description.
- Scripts —Scripts that will install the redirect code can be placed in documents (macros), application setup files or website contents like banners, ads, text links, pop-ups and etc.
When the users access the site they will be led into believing that they are accessing a safe and legitimate gambling portal. While the main site may be hosted by a trusted company or organization there are reports of fake impostor sites which will lead the users into danger.
The most common malware action that will take place when the site is accessed is to show a page with a scratch card game. The users will be enticed into interacting with it until they are redirected to a landing page which can be different depending on the end users:
- Affiliate Links Display — This is the most common outcome, the users will be redirected to a site that will offer a service to the users. However instead of a direct link the one proposed will contain an ID code that will give a small amount of money to the operators if the victims choose to subscribe or pay for the offered product.
- Malware Infection — Many of the Winnerwinner.net redirect pages can be used to deploy dangerous malware threats. Common ones are cryptocurrency miners which take advantage of the available hardware resources to download and calculate complex mathematical tasks. When any of them have been reported as completed the hackers will receive income in cryptocurrency.
- Browser Hijackers and Redirect Behavior — Malware of this category are well known to be spread using such hacker-made sites. Hijackers are extensions made for the most popular web browsers and they are programmed to change the default settings thereby redirecting the victims to a hacker-controlled site. Values that are changed include the home page, search engine and new tabs page.
- Trojan Code Launch — Many web-based threats are programmed to install dangerous Trojan malware which will take over control of the affected computers. They are built around a main module that establishes a strong connection to a hacker server.
Different versions of the redirect can present other behavior, the victims should know that at any time the page can redirect to a totally different domain. And while there may be a legitimate site bearing the name, domain and contents of the Winnerwinner.net redirect there are also a lot of fake and dangerous copycats. This is the reason why victims are advised to always use a professional-grade anti-spyware solution.
How to REMOVE Winnerwinner.net
The removal of Winnerwinner.net may be a very tricky process, because of the fact that the unwanted program introducing this scam page may have files spread all of your hard drive. This is the main reason why we strongly advise you to follow the removal steps below. They are made so that if the problem persists after step 1 and 2, you can use a powerful anti-malware software(recommended). Be advised that security professionals often advise victims to remove this adware via an advanced anti-malware program. This will help save you significant time and will make sure that all of the persistent files and objects of Winnerwinner.net are fully gone from your PC.
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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How to Remove Winnerwinner.net from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for Winnerwinner.net with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall Winnerwinner.net 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 Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.net (Windows).
Get rid of Winnerwinner.net from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.net files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.net (Mac)
Remove Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.net will be removed.
Eliminate Winnerwinner.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".
Winnerwinner.net-FAQ
What Is Winnerwinner.net?
The Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.net Work?
Once installed, Winnerwinner.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.
Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.net Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.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 Winnerwinner.net threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.