What is Vudu Search?
You may not even realize that a new browser extension called Vudu Search appears in your browser, but you should know that this tool may put your virtual security at risk. Our malware specialists say that this application does not mean direct danger to you or to your computer but it may still present you with potentially harmful third-party content that could actually cause some headaches for you. We have categorized this tool as a potentially unwanted program, or PUP, but you should not ignore it because of this category since it means that it could be undesirable on your system. It is up to you to decide whether you consider it as a threat or not. But let us tell you in more detail why we advise you to remove Vudu Search apart from the obvious sinister name it has. Please continue reading our article to learn more about this PUP.
Where does Vudu Search come from?
The sad thing about this extension is that it may turn up on your computer in a free software bundle. This means that this bundle may be packed with other programs as well alongside a possibly legitimate free program. The additional programs however can be PUPs and malware infections as well, including browser hijackers, fake warnings, keyloggers, adware programs, and more. No wonder why we emphasize that you need to be careful every time you are about to install a software package. It is possible to download such a bundle when you try to find a free program or software cracks on suspicious file-sharing websites. You may run a web search and thus land on an unfamiliar torrent or freeware page where you may download a bundle loaded with PUPs and malware threats, or you may simply click on unsafe third-party content there and thus drop a malicious bundle onto your system. In any case, if you notice this extension in your Google Chrome browser, you should scan your PC with a malware scanner you find reputable after you delete Vudu Search.
In all fairness, we also need to talk about the official pages where you can install this PUP off of. There are two such promotional pages, the official webpage, install.vudusearch.com/?pid=11111, and the Chrome web store, chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/vudu-search/fhkpigdkphcbdaeiklohppggcnhdbojh. We need to mention that the official page is rather simple and looks more like an installation wizard screen that is actually labeled as “Recommended Extension.” You can install this tool directly by clicking on the Install button and after agreeing to the permissions this tool needs you to give.
How does Vudu Search work?
Although this browser extension promotes itself as a two-click solution for changing your search engine, offering three of the most popular ones, including Google, Bing, and Yahoo, there is an even easier way to have a choice of search engines one click away. Let us introduce you to your browsers’ bookmarking function that can display a number of quick links on a bar at the top of your browsers so you can reach frequently used links with one single click. Unfortunately, this PUP installs feed.vudusearch.com as your new default search engine and this can actually be the base for your exposure to potentially harmful web content.
This questionable search engine will be like a mediator between your search keywords and the end search engine, i.e., whichever you choose from the three. In fact, you can select the preferred search engine by clicking this PUP’s icon at the top and then pressing the button next to your chosen one; hence the promotional “two clicks.” So before you end up on a Google or a Yahoo results page, this tool has an opportunity to inject its own affiliates’ ads and links among the normal results. This is why this PUP could become unreliable as you may end up with a search results page containing questionable ads and links, not to mention the possibility that this extension might display third-party ads itself. Clicking on unreliable content is always risky as you might drop malicious programs or end up redirected to malicious websites with cyber crooks waiting for their next victim to scam. If you do not want to lose money from your bank account or infect your system with more serious threats, we advise you to remove Vudu Search right now.
How do I delete Vudu Search?
When you clean this useless extension from your Google Chrome browser, you get redirected to install.cleanmybrowser.com/?pid=52257&subid=11111, which is yet another promotion of a PUP called “Clean My Browser 2.0” claiming that you may have several unwanted extensions installed and you could clean up your browser using this recommended tool. Hopefully, you will ignore this lame attempt to make you install further useless and potentially harmful extensions. We have prepared manual instructions for you below that you can also use to get rid of this PUP. It is vital that you protect your PC more efficiently against PUPs and malware threats. If you do not feel skilled enough to do this yourself, we suggest that you employ a professional anti-malware program like SpyHunter to do the job for you automatically.
Remove Vudu Search from your browser
Google Chrome
- Exit your browser.
- Launch your File Explorer by tapping Win+E.
- Open the “%Localappdata%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Storage” directory.
- Delete the following files:
chrome-extension_fhkpigdkphcbdaeiklohppggcnhdbojh_0.localstorage
chrome-extension_fhkpigdkphcbdaeiklohppggcnhdbojh_0.localstorage-journal - Empty your Recycle Bin and restart your browser.
tested removal of Vudu Search*
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