Ghokswa Browser

Posted by Lisa Blanc on January 8, 2016

What is Ghokswa Browser?

Ghokswa Browser is a particularly strange program. Most users will not notice this PUP – which stands for “potentially unwanted program” – unless they scan their computers or know where to look for it. Although this strange program is based on Chromium, it is not represented in the same way as CrossBrowser, Tesla Browser, BoBrowser, and other browsers that we usually advise removing. All of these browsers try to mimic Chrome, but their creators often have suspicious intentions. Anti-Spyware-101.com researchers have found that the browser we are discussing in this report could easily be used to install hijackers and other malicious programs. Unfortunately, this could be done silently as well, which means that this browser could be used as a gateway for infiltrating malware into your computer. Continue reading to get all the details about this suspicious program. test

Where did Ghokswa Browser come from?

Legitimate, authentic programs are introduced in a transparent manner with legal information backing them up. This PUP is not supported by any official information, and its distribution is very unpredictable. It is most likely that it will be downloaded silently via malicious installers. As mentioned previously, the PUP itself can download malware, but it can also be downloaded along with malware. It is possible that the longer this program remains undetected, the more threats you will have to deal with, and that, of course, is undesirable. According to our research, the executable of Ghokswa Browser opens ghokswa.com where a user is automatically redirected to google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/index.html or google.com/chrome/. These links promote the Google Chrome browser, and they are not associated with the installation of the PUP. It is possible that in time this website will have a different purpose, but right now it performs a rather suspicious redirection to a legitimate page.

How does it work?

Once installed, the PUP changes the Target of the existing Chrome browser. You can check the Target by moving to the Shortcut tab in the Chrome Properties. It was found that depending on your operating system, the target will be changed to “%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\ghokswa Browser\Uninstall.exe” or “%PROGRAMFILES%\ghokswa Browser\Uninstall.exe". This also reveals the location of this unreliable browser. If you do not change the Target, you will be launching the unreliable browser instead of Chrome without even knowing it! This could be used to open up further security backdoors. It is difficult to predict how this could be used by the developer of this browser, as there is plenty of room for the imagination. For all you know, this could be used to connect to servers with malicious commands. All in all, it is obvious that the creator of this hijacker has ulterior motives, and the smartest thing to do is to eliminate it from your operating system.

How to remove a fake browser

We are sure that you do not have any more doubts about the removal of Ghokswa Browser; if you had any to begin with. This potentially unwanted program is unreliable, suspicious, unpredictable, and clearly useless. So why should you keep it installed?Do you think you can just forget about this program or get rid of it by uninstalling Chrome? Do not ignore the infection and attack it at full force. According to our research, one of the ways to get rid of this PUP is by uninstalling it from its directory and removing the leftovers. This task might seem daunting if you have not performed anything like it in the past, but, if you follow our guide carefully, you should have no issues. The most important thing here is that you do not skip any steps as this could lead to failure.

Removal Instructions

Tap Win+E to launch Explorer.
Enter %PROGRAMFILES% (or %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%) and find the folder of the PUP.
Right-click the Uninstall.exe file and select Delete.
Right-click and Delete the remaining files within the folder.
Enter %PUBLIC%\Documents\ into the address bar.
Right-click and Delete ghokswa.
Enter %LOCALAPPDATA% into the address bar.
Right-click and Delete crxbro.
Tap Win+R to launch RUN.
Type regedit and click OK.
Right-click and Delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Clients\StartMenuInternet\ghokswa.
Right-click and Delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\ghokswa
Right-click and Delete HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\ghokswaHTM

If you are having issues with the detection of third-party malware, do not hesitate to install a malware scanner. A simple, free-of-charge malware scanner can help you understand the state of your virtual security and help you create a better plan when it comes to the elimination of malware. If you find that the PUP is the only threat – which, unfortunately, is unlikely – you might be able to get away using the guide above. Now, if other threats are discovered, we suggest employing antimalware software that was designed to catch and eliminate threats. If you still have questions, start a discussion in the comments section below.

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