Search.salamangal.com may trick unsuspecting users into visiting phishing sites

Search.salamangal.com is a browser hijacker[1] and potentially unwanted program (PUP) developed by Salamangal Software. Cyber security experts[2] have determined such classification, so speculations that it‘s a malicious cyber infection have no reason. Nonetheless, those who found Chrome, Firefox, Edge, IE or other web browser‘s settings compromised by Search.salamangal.com redirect virus should not ignore the changes.
As the developer introduces itself, the Search.salamangal.com search is a platform that is supposed to improve web browsing processes, increase downloads‘ speed, and provide the much better user experience. The Salamangal network is oriented to Mac users primarily, but Windows users can also install and use it.
Security experts assigned Search.salamangal.com virus to browser hijacker and PUP category due to several significant side effects that it has on a target system. First of all, most of its downloads happen accidentally – people fall for installing this dubious search as one of the freeware attachments. A successful infiltration is immediately followed by the changes of web browser‘s settings, i.e., the default start page and search provider to http://search.amazeappz.com/search/?category=web&s=51ds&q=. You may also notice web browser‘s redirects to suspicious web domains, an excessive amount of browsing-related ads on a web browser, and similar disruptive activities.

Apart from being annoying, Search.salamangal.com virus poses a risk of malware infection. Its developer may be collaborating with doubtful third parties for monetization purposes, so some of the links and ads injected into Samalangal search results may hide malicious content.
A closer look at Search.salamangal.com privacy policy revealed that the search contains a package of tracking cookies. It does not mean that the search works as a spyware or another malicious infection.[3] Cookies may help its developer to obtain some pieces of personally non-identifiable information (IP address, geographical location, name, telephone number, email address, browsing history, etc.) that may further be used for affiliate marketing.
In a nutshell, this search engine is not reliable and can hardly substitute Google, Bing or Yahoo search engines. In contrary, it may cause redirects to infectious domains or even identity theft. Therefore, needless to say, that undelayed Search.salamangal.com removal is the best thing you can do in case of hijack.
You can remove Search.salamangal.com virus with the help of a professional anti-malware program, such as FortectIntego. Nevertheless, it‘s possible to eliminate it manually, i.e., to access Control Panel and eliminate all PUPs.
Your browser may be hijacked after freeware installation
It‘s possible to evade PUP infiltration by rejecting the installation of free programs. Adware and browser hijacker type programs are usually disguised under Quick or Basic installation setup of doubtful free programs. Regarding this specific redirect malware, you are likely to be tricked into installing it if you perform the following sequence of steps:
- You visit a doubtful freeware download source;
- You download a free program from there;
- You select Quick or Basic installation setup instead of Custom or Advanced;
- You click Next button all the time until the installation is finished.
This way, you provide permission for all additional installers (add-ons, toolbars, extensions, etc.) to install on your PC.
To prevent such scenario, you should restrain from visiting shady download websites. Moreover, be cautious during freeware installation and always opt for extended installation setup (Advanced/Custom). Check each window and unmark pre-selected „free installers.“
Get rid of Search.salamangal.com malware
Although PUPs can be uninstalled manually, such removal option does not ensure complete removal of malware. Potentially dangerous programs may scatter their files in various locations and may employ Browser Helper Objects (BHO), which may block the Search.salamangal.com removal or reinstall it shortly after that.
Therefore, to remove Search.salamangal.com from the system quickly and successfully, we would strongly recommend using a professional anti-virus.
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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