What is Wajam and is it dangerous to my system?
Wajam is a social search browser add-on that allows the users to find what information has been searched online or shared by their friends on the commonly used social platforms like Twitter, Google+, Facebook, etc. Wajam only displays data that the users have decided to share. The browser extension is compatible with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer. As this is an ad-supported browser plug-in, Wajam is known to display various advertisements that some users find quite annoying. What turns Wajam into a potentially unwanted application is the risk of various infections involved with the pop-up, banner and in-text ads, which may lead the user to unverified and unsafe webpages.
Threat Summary
| Name | Wajam |
| Type | Redirect, Adware, Malicious Domain, PUP |
| Short Description | Each browser application on your computer could get affected. As a result, you will have unwanted advertisements injected in your browser process. |
| Symptoms | You will witness intrusive advertisements, and may be redirected to malicious pages. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages |
| 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 Wajam. |
Wajam – Update May 2019
A recent research conducted by researchers at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, reveals that Wajam is in fact quite malicious, as visible by the advanced techniques it uses. The researchers investigated the evolution of Wajam in the course of nearly six years of the particularly successful and active adware business called Wajam. As of 2016, revealed by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Wajam had “hundreds of millions of installations” and collected 400TB of private information from users, the report said.
Wajam has been injecting ads into browser traffic, using techniques that malware operators use, such as man-in-the-browser (browser process injection) attacks seen in [wplinkpreview url=”https://sensorstechforum.com/remove-zeus-trojan-virus/”] Zeus operations. Other examples include anti-analysis and evasion techniques, security policy downgrading and data leakage.
Read more about [wplinkpreview url=”https://sensorstechforum.com/adware-malicious-advanced-techniques/”] Wajam’s recent analysis.
How Does Wajam Work?
Wajam can be downloaded from the official product webpage, but it can also get into your system via bundled downloads. Once installed, the add-on places a small toolbar above the hyperlinks. As soon as you sign in, you can view all the information your friends have shared. Above the search results displayed by Google, you can also see content associated with your friends’ account. Although the presented features may sound quite appealing to most users, there are some details that should be considered when using this application.
First of all, the sheer fact that Wajam may end up on your PC bundled with other free of charge programs you have downloaded on the Web is a red flag on its own. This technique is often used by hackers for the distribution of various adware programs and potentially unwanted freeware.
The ads displayed by Wajam may also present a potential threat to your computer. It is clearly stated in the Privacy Policy of the company that Wajam does not assume liability for any of the content on the recommended advertisement webpages. Clicking on any of the suggested links is at your own risk.
What Information Does Wajam Collect?
- Wajam collects personal information from the social platforms it works with, in case you decide to share it. This information may be shared with third parties and affiliates of the company for advertising purposes.
- Wajam also uses cookies and other tracking technology in order to provide the users with better services. Third parties associated with the add-on may also place cookies in your browser.
- Wajam also collects information about your browsing activities and search queries.
How to Remove Wajam Safely?
To remove Wajam manually from your computer, follow the step-by-step removal instructions provided below. In case the manual removal does not get rid of the adware 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.
Milena Dimitrova
An inspired writer and content manager who has been with SensorsTechForum since the beginning. Focused on user privacy and malware development, she strongly believes in a world where cybersecurity plays a central role. If common sense makes no sense, she will be there to take notes. Those notes may later turn into articles! Follow Milena @Milenyim
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- Guide 1: How to Remove Wajam from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of Wajam from Mac OS X.
- Guide 3: Remove Wajam from Google Chrome.
- Guide 4: Erase Wajam from Mozilla Firefox.
- Guide 5: Uninstall Wajam from Microsoft Edge.
- Guide 6: Remove Wajam from Safari.
- Guide 7: Eliminate Wajam from Internet Explorer.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
How to Remove Wajam from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Wajam
Step 2: Uninstall Wajam 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 3: Clean any registries, created by Wajam on your computer.
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 Wajam 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.
Before starting "Step 4", 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.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Get rid of Wajam from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Wajam and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
- 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 Wajam 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 Wajam files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Wajam, 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.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Remove Wajam 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.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Erase Wajam 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.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Uninstall Wajam 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.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Remove Wajam 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 Wajam will be removed.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Eliminate Wajam 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.
