What is Magic-Bar?
Magic-Bar is a questionable browser extension that is only available for Google Chrome at the moment. This tool offers you capability to change your home page and new tab page background color, a toolbar with basic information, such as the current time, and a search engine as well. Our malware specialists at anti-spyware-101.com have found that Via Advertising Group Limited is behind this browser extension just like in the case of practically identical tools, including playbar.biz and work-bar.biz. We have categorized this extension as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) because it may present to you questionable third-party ads, collect information about you, and it may also enter your system under shady circumstances along with malware infections. Leaving this PUP in your browser could be a mistake because you might be exposed to risky third-party content and that could put your virtual security at risk. Therefore, we recommend that you remove Magic-Bar from your system. Please read our full article to know more about this PUP and how it may end up on your computer to be able to avoid similar or even more serious threats in the future.
Where does Magic-Bar come from?
There are two official channels where this PUP is promoted. One is its website, magic-bar.net, where strangely enough you cannot actually download this tool even if you click on one of the "Get Chrome Extension," which seemingly starts the usual installation process; however, there is no permission pop-up to proceed. Therefore, the only possible way for you to install this questionable extension is to visit the Chrome web page at chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/magic-bar/kjboejmbgkediploadlbcfcckbcfnphf. But as the statics show on this page, in the past year there have only been two, and let us repeat for greater emphasis, two installations. So you might wonder how it is possible that people like you may find this PUP on their computer.
Unfortunately for you and other possible victims, this useless tool can also be spread via freeware bundles. This is clearly the worse situation since you could infect your system with all kinds of malware threats when installing a bundle. Such a PUP can also be added directly when you click on a fake download notification pop-up that may claim that you are missing a plugin or the latest version of Flash. Still, bundles can be quite dangerous as they can carry several PUPs and malware infections like browser hijackers, adware programs, Trojans, and fake alerts. It would be a big mistake to install such a package without reading the license agreement first or reading the installation wizard screens cautiously. It is possible to download such a bundle from shady torrent and freeware pages as well as when you click on third-party ads on suspicious websites. You can also be exposed to questionable ads when your system is infected. So we recommend that you delete Magic-Bar and then, check your system for potential and malicious threats and you might be surprised how many you may find.
How does Magic-Bar work?
When you install this PUP, it changes your browser's home page and new tab settings to "chrome-extension://kjboejmbgkediploadlbcfcckbcfnphf/newtab.html," which is a search page with a toolbar. This toolbar displays the current time in the left corner and the local weather information on the opposite side. There is also a settings icon that you can click and display a color table from which you can choose the background color for this page. We can say that this tool is completely useless and has no real benefits for you. What the trained eye would also notice right away is that for some reason this search page does not have legal documents at the bottom as usual. This is always suspicious but in this case you can actually read these documents if you visit the official page. However, if you simply find yourself on this search page, how would you even know who the creator behind this tool is, right? Still, the Terms of Use says the following about the content this PUP may present to you:
[...]these links may lead to sites or links that contain offensive and objectionable content or which may contain dangerous computer viruses. You assume, and we hereby disclaim, all responsibility for any of the content on these sites or for any damage sustained by users of these sites.
In fact, this PUP may also display potentially unreliable third-party advertisements and might modify the search results even though you are redirected to a Google search results page. We believe that it is not safe to keep this tool in your browser because you might be introduced to content that could drop infections or redirect you to fake websites run by cyber villains waiting to scam you. This is why we advise you to remove Magic-Bar from your browser.
How can I delete Magic-Bar?
The only good news about this PUP is probably that it is very easy to get rid of it. All you need to do is remove this extension from your browser and all the unwanted exposure caused by this search page should be gone. If you do not know how to do this, please follow our guide below this article. After eliminating this potential threat source, you may also want to make sure that there is no other PUP or malware infection on board. Therefore, we recommend that you use a professional anti-malware program, such as SpyHunter, to automatically protect your computer against all possible threats.
Remove Magic-Bar from your browser
Google Chrome
- Open the menu by tapping Alt+F.
- Navigate to More tools.
- Select Extensions.
- Find the undesirable extension in the list and click on the Trash can on the right.
- Press Remove in the confirmation window.
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