Linenews.org is a web address that belongs to a browser hijacker

One day, you opened your Google Chrome or another browser and noticed that Linenews.org has taken over it? While this change might be unexpected, you should not worry too much as it is relatively easy to go back to your regular settings and restore your browser to the default.
The reason why the hijack happened is because of a potentially unwanted program that managed to access your device behind your back. Software bundling – a distribution technique commonly used on third-party websites is the most likely reason you did not notice how the hijacked managed to slip in.
Once the browser changes are established, users will be provided with a customized search engine that would insert ads into your searches, all while checking what you are browsing and which links you are clicking. You should not hesitate to remove the hijacker as soon as possible – you can find all the relevant information below.
| Name | Linenews.org |
| Type | Browser hijacker |
| Distribution | Software bundles, third-party websites |
| Operation | Changes homepage and new tab address, inserts ads into searches, gathers anonymous user data |
| Removal | You can uninstall potentially unwanted programs in a regular way or employ security software for the job |
| System fix | If your system was affected by unwanted or malicious program use FortectIntego to fix virus damage automatically |
Besides homepage and new tab changes, other intrusive features will soon start bothering people as well:
- redirects to questionable sites;
- suspicious links included into search results;
- aggressive advertisements popping up when browsing the Internet.
Apart from these visible problems, browser hijacker is suspected of collecting information about the users. Usually, PUPs are interested in collecting non-personally identifiable and browsing-related information,[1] such as frequently visited sites, clicked ads, search queries, etc. This data allows building user’s profiles and providing targeted commercial content.
After the hijack, this program alters the browser’s settings and modifies shortcuts to control user’s behavior and deliver third-party content. When users are tricked or forced to click on an ad or visit sponsored site, developers generate revenue.[2] However, these Linenews.org redirect tendencies are not only beneficial for the authors of the PUP but might also cause serious problems to the users.
They might end up on questionable gaming, gambling, adult-themed, or phishing sites. These sites might be infected or promote questionable products or services; thus, you can easily become a victim of online crime.[3]
If you notice that your browser started behaving oddly and continuously bothered by pop-ups, banners, or in-text ads on various websites, you should take care of your computer’s state. We highly recommend scanning the device with an anti-malware[4] program, for instance, SpyHunterCombo Cleaner.
We suggest automatic elimination because this program might sneak inside the system unnoticed during the installation of the freeware. Therefore, other PUPs might have been installed without your knowledge as well. However, we understand that not all of you prefer using additional software for virus deletion. For this reason, we have prepared manual removal instructions at the end of the article.
Dissemination of the browser hijacker
Browser hijackers spread with the help of free programs that you download from the Internet. Various free sources online can offer you not a single program but a whole software package.[5] Thus, when downloading a necessary application, you need to make sure that you are not installing unwanted and useless third-party apps.
All installation wizards offer you to choose between Quick/Standard and Advanced/Custom setups. If you want to avoid browser hijackers and other PUPs, you should rely on second settings. The latter option allows monitoring the process, shows up the list of the promoted third-party programs, and allows rejecting their installation. Thus, when you see a checkbox with these entries, you have to untick these entries.
Meanwhile, Quick setup does not offer this option. As a result, you agree to install all applications that might have been included in the software bundle. Thus, you may find your homepage altered unexpectedly and other suspicious toolbars or extensions installed on your browser.
Ways to remove Linenews.org browser hijacker
If you want a quick solution how to remove unwanted changes from your browser, you should rely on anti-malware/anti-spyware software. If you already have a security program installed on your PC, update it and run a full system scan. It should detect and delete the hijacker together with its components. If your computer is not protected with some security tool, please choose one of the suggested below.
Additionally, you can perform manual Linenews.org removal. By following our prepared guidelines, you need to locate and remove all suspicious entries from your device and web browsers. If you decide to choose this option, make sure you do not leave any virus-related components because it may lead to a re-hijack.
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.
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.

Did this guide help?
4 comments
Chet
I havent noticed that my browser was hijacked until I installed antivirus program...
Mare
Thanks for the instructions! Linenews.org virus is gone!
Jaxton
I have just removed the hijacker. Its a nasty cyber infection! Caused me lots of problems when surfing the web.
Quintia
Thanks for the clear explanation how to delete this virus