Memetab – a dubious search engine which increase the risk of privacy-related issues

Memetab is a browser hijacker which is presented as a useful extension[1] to Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari or other browser and modifies its settings without users’ permission. Just like the most of PUPs, this hijacker has been actively distributed via bundling – a widespread marketing campaign used by free software developers all over the world.
Internet memes originated in the early 2000s and became a viral phenomenon amongst users since. Websites like 4chan or 9GAG made these virtually-transmitted cultural symbols even more appealing as these websites grew in visitor numbers. Thus, it is not surprising that various companies are trying to monetize on their success with the help of such potentially unwanted programs as Memetab virus.
Officially, Memetab is supposed to help users browse memes directly from their browser. Nevertheless, all the search results are redirected to yahoo.com; hence it is safe to assume that developers of this browser hijacker are participating in Yahoo’s affiliate program.
Promised benefits are merely a trick as developers have ulterior motives. The only goal of Search.MemeTab.com is to generate revenue while redirecting users to sponsors’ websites and exposing them to not entirely genuine search results. Hence, it is a good idea to remove Memetab virus from your computer as soon as its presence is detected.
Research shows[2] that some redirects (several new tabs might open at the same time) might link them to dubious websites which can be potently dangerous. The main danger caused by Memetab is malware-ridden[3] websites which might infect users’ machines with various viruses, including ransomware. If you have been redirected to the unknown site, shut down your browser immediately and never click on any links.
Search.MemeTab.com hijack affects not only users’ browsers. This questionable application is known to be gathering a variety of non-personally identifiable information (IP address, geo-location, search queries, websites visited, clicks on ads, etc.) which is an extremely valuable source for marketing researchers. This way, ads, and redirects generated change based on users’ browsing habits and interests. This allows unknown retailers sell their products and services which might be utterly valueless.
Additionally, any personal data exposed while using MemeTab extension might be revealed to cyber criminals which can use this information to steal one's identity or their money. Thus, it is a good idea checking online banking history as often as possible (unknown transactions might indicate an identity theft).
If you want to laugh while checking new memes online – you better look for them yourself. There are plenty of legitimate websites which can assure safe browsing. If you do not possess a robust security software, you can install FortectIntego which can speed up Memetab removal significantly.

Watch out when you install new software – it can contain additional components
Extension can be downloaded officially on any of the browser stores. It is hard not to notice its low popularity, though. Hence, it is apparent that its distributors use software bundling to implement their programs into as many PCs as possible.
Free software developers agree to add additional components into their installers in exchange for monetary gain. Hence, both parties are interested in you installing other apps. So be careful when installing PDF creators, media players, free online games and similar.
When installing free software, restrain yourself from picking “Recommended/Quick” installation mode as it fails to disclose full lineup of additional programs. Instead, select “Advanced/Custom” settings and remove all the ticks by add-ons, browser extensions, toolbars, optimization tools and similar.
You can eliminate Search.memetab.com without much effort
Even if this undesired software appeared on your browser without your permission, do not ignore it. Browser hijackers and adware are known to multiply quickly and compromise computer safety. Thus, remove Memetab from your machine for good.
You can get rid of the unwanted extension by downloading and installing robust security software. If you do not possess anti-virus program, just pick one from the list below. Then, perform full computer scan and virus will be gone in only a few minutes.
MemeTab removal can also be performed by using our step-by-step guide below this article. However, if you are not sure how to handle this procedure, better rely on security software to do the job for you.
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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