Bubbly Tab takes over the browser by manipulating the settings
Bubbly Tab is a browser extension that changes the appearance and some of the settings. With thousands of plugins to choose from, users do not always do their research well. The homepage, new tab address gets changed suddenly and unexpectedly, so many users think that they have been infected with a virus.
This add-on claims to be very helpful with productivity. in reality, it has a bunch of useless functions that are available in almost every browser with a click of a button. It just changes the background of the homepage, shows weather, and time. By forcing users to use only selected channels for browsing, it raises many privacy and security concerns.
An extension can be a dangerous thing because it can manipulate browser settings. Anyone can create an application like this and cause issues. People might get redirected to dangerous websites that use social engineering techniques and be fooled into downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs)[1] or even malware.
| NAME | Bubbly Tab |
| TYPE | Browser hijacker; potentially unwanted program |
| SYMPTOMS | The main settings of the browser get changed, like the homepage, new tab address, and search engine |
| DISTRIBUTION | Shady websites, deceptive ads, software bundling, web stores |
| DANGERS | The extension may lead to dangerous websites; display misinformation, inaccurate search results; track browsing and collect data |
| ELIMINATION | Remove the extension by going to your browser settings |
| FURTHER STEPS | Use FortectIntego to fix any remaining damage and optimize the machine |
Potentially unwanted programs
Even though we always tell our users to use only official sources to get their applications from, they are not free from PUAs. The problem is that web stores do not know how to categorize them. A particular add-on can be liked by one user, and by another one considered an intruder.
Applications like browser hijackers are created for the purpose of pay-per-click advertising.[2] The developers can insert ads, promotional links in the search results and generate revenue every time you click on them. The problem is that the ads can come from legitimate as well as shady individuals because the developers of the add-on do not care about your privacy or security.
While a third-party app is installed on your browser you can get redirected to phishing sites that promote spyware, scareware, fake giveaways, or tech support scams. We have previously written about schemes like Story-board.co, “IP address & personal information might be exposed,” and “You've made the 9.68-billionth search.”
While adding these sorts of programs to your machine, a couple of prompts are shown by the browser that informs users about what changes will be applied to the browser. For example, if you want to add Bubbly Tab, your browser will tell you that it can:
Read and change your data on bubbly-tab.com and sugg.search.yahoo.net
Replace the page you see when opening a new tab
However, changed settings are not the only thing you should be worried about. The application might also use cookies[3] to collect various data about your browsing-related activities. This information can later be sold to third parties like advertising networks and used to target you with ads even more. Use a maintenance tool like FortectIntego to clear your browsers automatically and improve the performance.
Remove the unwanted extension
You can remove browser add-ons by going to your settings. Find the list of extensions installed in your browser and remove the Bubbly Tab. We show how to do that in the guide below:
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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
MS Edge (Chromium)
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Mozilla Firefox
- 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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Safari
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Internet Explorer:
- 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.
PUP elimination process
Sometimes removing only the extension is not effective and users still continue to experience unwanted symptoms. In that case, you will probably have to scan your machine for adware which is a program that hides in the background of the machine and generates commercial content. If you have it, simply removing the add-on will not be enough, and the settings will keep changing until you completely eliminate it from your machine.
One of the most common ways that these kinds of PUAs are spread is through freeware installation sites. The creators of these platforms have learned that they can include additional programs in the installers and earn money that way. This method is known as software bundling[4] and is very effective as most people rush through the installation process and skip all the steps.
If you want to avoid that in the future, always choose “Custom” or “Advanced” installation methods, read the privacy policy and terms of use to find out what information will be collected and what the application will be allowed to do in your system. The most important part is to check the file list and untick the boxes next to any items that you think are suspicious or unrelated.
The program that is causing settings changes could have any name or icon, so if you are not sure what to do and you do not want to risk deleting the wrong files, we suggest using SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes anti-malware tools that will scan your machine, eliminate it, and prevent such infections in the future by giving you a warning before a PUP can make any changes. If manual removal is what you still prefer, we have instructions for Windows and Mac machines:
Windows 10/8:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Mac:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
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