Deepteep — browser hijacker seeking to trick its users into thinking that it is a legitimate search engine

Deepteep is a PUP[1] that affects Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari and other web browsers. The main goal for these unwanted programs is to change the settings of the target computer system and track information regarding users' web browsing activities. This might sound not that harmful but if you happen to find go.deepteep.com instead of your default search engine or homepage, you need to get rid of it immediately. The virus is mainly set to affect web browser and redirect you to sponsored websites, but it can also attract malware[2] and bigger threats. Also, note that this potentially unwanted program can initiate data tracking activity. Because of Yahoo! used as a search provider, this hijacker might seem legitimate. However, you should uninstall Deepteep as soon as you notice any changes done to your browser.
| Name | Deepteep |
|---|---|
| Type of malware | Browser hijacker |
| Symptoms | Web browser's settings compromised, continuous redirects to suspicious websites, an excessive amount of ads |
| Main dangers | Redirects to malicious websites, leakage of some personally identifiable information |
| Distribution | Software bundling |
| Elimination | Run a scan with FortectIntego and get rid of malware automatically |
In short, the virus hasn't been invented to help Internet users with their searches. While it can display fair search results, just like Google and other reliable sources, these results are not useful and are supposed to redirect victims to various commercial sites that are trying to increase their visitors' traffic.
In fact, the purpose of this hijacker is essentially different. First of all, you should note that this redirect virus aims at promoting third-party websites. Its developers, DeepTeep, generates revenue from affiliate marketing.[3] In other words, it collaborates with various third-party website owners and advertisers and agrees to promote their content for monetization.
It means that search results that this search site presents are, mildly saying, irrelevant. Instead of results corresponding to people's search queries, it may display links to questionable online shops, third-party service providers or software downloads sites.
In addition to irritating browser's redirects, this dubious search can display an excessive amount of third-party ads. Keep in mind that neither of them is controlled by DeepTeep, meaning that clicking on them is at your own risk. Here's what a fraction from the Terms of Use indicates:
If third-party advertisements are displayed after being directed by Software in any way to online landing pages, the responsibility and liability for such ads, their content and any website they redirect and their respective content and security will reside at their applicable owner, and we do not claim any responsibility or liability.
To protect yourself from malicious advertisements, you should ignore the ads generated by this search engine. Instead, you should perform a full Deepteep removal.

The security of Search Data and some personally identifiable information is yet another aspect why you need to remove Deepteep from Chrome or another browser. According to Virukset.fi[4] team, this search uses tracking cookies to accumulate the following information and subsequently share it with third parties:
- Search queries;
- Websites visited;
- IP address;
- Clicks;
- Approximate geographical location;
- Email address;
- Your name, etc.
This information helps to personalize the commercial content based on your preferences and habits. Therefore, do not let third-party advertisers find out your browsing preferences and flood you with tricky ads. Eliminate this hijacker. For this purpose, we recommend using FortectIntego, SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes.

Dubious software purchases may contain malware
Quick/Basic/Recommended installation settings might seem the best option for in a hurry. However, we would like to draw people's attention to the fact that the mentioned installation options usually lead people to malware infections.
Quite often, freeware developers attach additional programs to their software for monetization purposes. Thus, those additional apps cannot be prevented from installing, unless the PC's user opts for Advanced or Custom installation options.
In this case, all you have to do is to deselect additional components that travel preselected by the developer. Unmark the ticks saying that you agree to install toolbars, extensions, add-ons, and other freeware.
Terminate Deepteep virus ASAP
Less experienced PC users might find Deepteep removal a complex task to perform. However, it's not difficult to get rid of it manually, except that the sequence of steps is very important. You can find a step-by-step tutorial at the end of this article, so make sure you follow every step in exact order.
However, if you fell for installing a software package, there's a high risk that several unwanted programs are installed on your PC. To remove Deepteep and its companions, we recommend running a full system scan with a reputable anti-malware tool. You can find our recommended programs right down this article.
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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