Vudu Search extension attempts to spy on your search and browsing history

VuduSearch virus is a potentially unwanted program that is advertised via install.vudusearch.com site. The extension[1] suggested by this domain modifies browser’s settings and sets http://feed.vudusearch.com/ as the default search provider. Statistics show that this browser hijacker mostly bothers Chinese-speaking[2] computer users.
The VuduSearch extension presents itself as a tool that “enables you to switch your browser’s default search engine.” Unfortunately, such feature is hardly useful or needed in daily life. In fact, this functionality is just a concealment of the real purpose of the virus.
The primary purpose of it is to display annoying advertisements within search results. Below, you can find an explanation on how this hijacker operates.
- The hijacker enters the computer system if the victim agrees to install it from its promotional website. It might also hijack the system unnoticeably using software bundling technique[3].
- The installed extension changes browser’s settings so that the primary search provider would be feed.vudusearch.com site. In defiance of the majority of browser hijackers, it doesn’t set the promoted search site as browser’s homepage.
- The hijacker employs cookies to find out your search and browsing history, IP address, geolocation and other details that describe your interests. Based on gathered details, the hijacker might serve ads to you or share collected data with affiliated third-parties.
- The search term goes to hxxp://feed.vudusearch.com/?q=[SEARCH QUERY]&publisher=vudusearch&barcodeid= domain and then to hxxps://search.yahoo.com. Although search results look like they were provided by Yahoo, be careful because you are dealing with a variant of Yahoo redirect virus.
- Each time the user clicks on a sponsored search result, an unexpected redirect might occur. These can lead to highly insecure websites.
To protect yourself from such unexpected redirects, remove VuduSearch virus from your system. For that, we suggest trying anti-spyware tools suggested by our team – FortectIntego or SpyHunterCombo Cleaner. You don’t necessarily need to use them, although they guarantee a faster Vudu Search removal. You can also attempt to delete the hijacker using instructions provided below the article.
IMPORTANT. If you started experiencing redirects to the described domain and seeing VuduSearch.com ads, it means that your computer is infected with adware that continuously redirects you to suspicious third-party sites.

Rules to follow if you want to avoid installing potentially unwanted programs
- The first rule to follow in order to evade browser hijackers is to download new programs from legitimate websites only. Stay away from illegal or untrustworthy domains. Ideally, download applications from the official vendor’s or developer’s website only.
- The second rule to follow is to refuse to use Default or Standard settings for the software installation. We strongly recommend opting for Custom or Advanced settings instead. You will see a list of extra components bundled with your download. Deselect them without any hesitations.
- Finally, this step is optional, although it is highly recommended not to ignore it. We strongly recommend reading Privacy Policy document whenever you install new programs to your PC.
Remove VuduSearch and restore browser settings
If you decided to remove VuduSearch virus, do not waste any more time and delete the hijacker from the system today. First of all, we recommend you to follow the instructions we prepared. They will guide you through the uninstall procedure. In case the instructions seem confusing to you, consider using a powerful anti-malware software.
VuduSearch.com removal is not an easy task, and you shouldn’t rush when trying to complete it. Carefully gather all of the suspicious files and delete them to prevent the hijacker from bothering you again.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.

Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.

Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.

- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.

Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.

Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.

Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.

- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.

Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.

Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.

Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.

Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.

Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.

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