OnlineMapSearch Toolbar

Posted by Max Lehmann on March 24, 2017

What is OnlineMapSearch Toolbar?

OnlineMapSearch Toolbar may be added to your browsers without your knowledge when you are installing a questionable software package. Our malware researchers know this browser extension and its family all too well to fall for its transparent usefulness and reliability. As a matter of fact, this questionable extension is a newcomer from the notorious Mindspark bad toolbar family that also includes DailyProductivityTools Toolbar and GetCouponsFast Toolbar. This family is infamous for promoting potentially unreliable search engines that can put your virtual security at risk by showing you modified search results. Since the presence of this potentially unwanted program (PUP) in your browsers could indicate that there may be more serious malware threats on board, we suggest that you do not wait till things get worse; you should remove OnlineMapSearch Toolbar from your computer. test test

Where does OnlineMapSearch Toolbar come from?

As in the case of all the other members of the Mindspark family, this PUP also has official pages where you can install it directly. One is its own promotional page, free.onlinemapsearch.com/index.jhtml. This is a very simple page that has limited information on this tool and a large “Start Download” button so that you do not miss it. You can also find this extension hosted in the Chrome web store, chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/onlinemapsearch/bdgekjdcgjjbgkhaphfidhfmppeebahn. You should not be misled by this store though. The truth is that there could be dozens of potentially harmful applications in this store until they get reported and blocked. Our malware researchers say that these official channels may not even be the only ways for this PUP to spread over the web.

And, here comes the cold shower. We have found this PUP being distributed in questionable ways. If you did not install it through the aforementioned sites, there is a good chance that this PUP is the least of your worries right now. It is possible, for example, that you download this tool in a free software package bundled with malicious software installers. Such a bundle could contain a number of more serious threats like adware programs, browser hijackers, Trojans, fake warnings, keyloggers, or even ransomware programs. In order to avoid such an unfortunate package you need to be more careful with your clicks. Most users infect their machine by clicking on unsafe third-party ads. This is mainly possible when you land on shady websites usually associated with file sharing, gaming, and pornography. But it is also possible that your system was previously infiltrated by adware programs and those are responsible for the flow of unreliable third-party ads that ruin your web surfing experience. All in all, we recommend that you find a reliable online malware scanner to identify all potential threats on your system after you delete OnlineMapSearch Toolbar.

How does OnlineMapSearch Toolbar work?

This PUP changes your homepage and new tab page settings and displays the usual toolbar, search box, and thumbnail links combo. This time the toolbar features menus leading to third-party websites associated with online interactive maps, local traffic, and more. The thumbnail links lead to popular websites, such as Facebook, Yahoo, Amazon, and YouTube. In this particular case there is an extra feature at the bottom of the search page, a trip planner, where you can get the directions by entering a location and a destination, and then, by pressing the “Go” button you will be taken to a new page with an interactive map enclosed by a search box at the top and at the bottom as well.

The truth is that the main issue we have found with regard to this browser extension is with its search engine, int.search.myway.com. Unfortunately, it seems that this PUP can collect information about you and your browsing habits, which can be used or misused to deliver customized content to your screen. This information could also be shared with third parties, which makes it even worse. Imagine, if cyber criminals can get hold of this information and use it to display ads and website links relating to your liking and interests. You may click on these and get redirected to malicious websites. If you do not wish to download additional threats or lose money in an online scam, we recommend that you remove OnlineMapSearch Toolbar from your PC.

How can I delete OnlineMapSearch Toolbar?

Just like in the case of all the other Mindspark products, this PUP can also be partly removed by using its uninstaller via Control Panel. This will only take care of Internet Explorer though. As for the rest of the affected browsers, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, you need to reset them manually if you want to make sure that no leftovers remain. Please find our guide below this article if you plan to eliminate this PUP manually. If you want to protect your computer from similar or worse threats, you need to become more aware of what content you click on and what websites you visit. For best protection though we advise you to install a reliable anti-malware program, such as SpyHunter.