Lucky Leap: what it is and how to remove it
Lucky Leap, also known as Adware.Yontoo, is a PUP that can be distributed by other third-party software such as Superfish, Yontoo, FBPhotoZoom, and 1ClickDownloader. Also, it appears that this product has some similarities with another adware program named WebCake.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Lucky Leap: summary
| Distribution | The adware is known to get distributed by other third-party apps such as Yontoo, Superfish, FBPhotoZoom, and 1ClickDownload. Also, you can download such an application from secondary downloading sources such as cnet.com, download., softonic.com, soft32.com and can be delivered via a deceptive technique known as "software bundling" |
|---|---|
| Name | Lucky Leap |
| Type | Adware app/potentially unwanted program |
| Target | This suspicious product mostly appears on Windows computer systems but can occur on macOS devices also. Web browsers that can get infected with this adware are apps such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Safari |
| Ads | The main goal of this PUP is to display advertisements while the user is visiting online shopping networks such as eBay, AliExpress, and Amazon. The provided ads are often marked as "Ads by Lucky Leap", "Brough to you by Lucky Leap", "Lucky Leap ads", "Powered by Lucky Leap", "Advertisements by Lucky Leap", "Promoted by Lucky Leap", etc. |
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 7 more facts
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Symptoms | A changed search engine |
| Evidence | 5 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Search page | cnet.com |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 15 January 2020 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is Lucky Leap dangerous? What it collects
From our report of Jan 2020 · not reviewed since
Lucky Leap is an adware that decreases the speed of the PC and web browsers
Lucky Leap, also known as Adware.Yontoo, is a PUP that can be distributed by other third-party software such as Superfish, Yontoo, FBPhotoZoom, and 1ClickDownloader.
Also, it appears that this product has some similarities with another adware program named WebCake. Lucky Leap adware aims to load intrusive pop-ups and pop-unders on popular shopping websites such as eBay, Amazon, AliExpress, and others.
Once the ads appear on your computer screen, you will easily recognize them as they are likely to come marked as "Ads by Lucky Leap", "Brough to you by Lucky Leap", "Lucky Leap ads", "Powered by Lucky Leap", "Advertisements by Lucky Leap", "Promoted by Lucky Leap", etc.
Lucky Leap virus mostly appears on Windows computer systems. When this happens, the adware tends to add rogue processes to the Windows Task Manager that allows the app to boot up whenever the computer is started. Also, the PUP might include bogus content in other directories such as C:\Program Files\ or C:\ProgramData.
According to a computer user, Lucky Leap has made his machine sluggish and also slowed down the Internet. This can happen due to the program's ability to initiate multiple tasks at one time. If you are receiving an excessive load of adverts while browsing, it is very likely that the ads will slow down your Internet web browser and the computer itself.
Lucky Leap ads can cause a lot of discomfort if not eliminated on time. These components can come in forms of pop-ups, pop-unders, banners, coupons, and in-text ads. You might be forced to receive bogus-looking offers that promote rogue security utilities, useless services, and various other questionable products just for receiving income.
However, the main income source of Lucky Leap is pay-per-click advertising. The adware will try to load you with a big number of ads to collect as many clicks as possible. Remember, every ad that you step on and get interested in brings income to the developers. Do not let these people benefit from such unfair techniques.
Continuously, Lucky Leap might provide you with various fake reward claims and questionnaires that require entering your personal information or credentials. Do not type any sensitive data as your details can get easily exposed on the Internet and also, do not provide any banking data as you can get assigned to useless services.
In addition, Lucky Leap is likely to get you involved in redirecting sessions. The mean of this activity is to take you to developer-sponsored websites and push more deals to your computer screen. However, in some cases, you might be taken t a malware-laden website and infected with a dangerous parasite.
To continue, Lucky Leap might be interested in collecting your browsing details about your web browser, online history, and surfing experience. The adware might track information such as recently clicked hyperlinks, saved bookmarks, entered websites, your IP for providing more income to the developers or getting you involved in targeted advertising.
Lucky Leap removal is a way to solve this type of issue. You can use reliable antimalware products to get rid of the potentially unwanted program and all the additional components that it might have brought to your computer system. Also, if you find any compromised areas, try using for the fixing process.
Also, you can remove Lucky Leap from your operating system and web browsers by using the manual step-by-step guidelines that have been added to the end of this article. Be aware to clean all affected locations, otherwise, the adware might be able to return within the next computer or browser boot process.
From our report of Jan 2020 · not reviewed since
The appearance process of adware products
You are most likely to get potentially unwanted products from websites such as cnet.com, softonic.com, soft32.com, and download.com and from a deceptive technique known as "software bundling".
This happens when the adware or another PUP is included in an entire package of freeware or shareware. Regarding this fact, you should always read the License Agreement, Privacy Policy and similar information of the freeware before downloading it.
After that, you should opt-out of unknown additions, such as toolbars, add-ons, extensions, and similar things when downloading freeware/shareware to your computer. For that, you should always select Custom or Advanced installation of the freeware and then try to find all suspicious checkmarks that claim that you want to install this potentially unwanted program. Also, avoid all modes that are marked as Recommended and Quick.
Continuously, you should avoid browsing on unsecured third-party websites as these pages can come filled with infectious content such as questionable advertisements, hyperlinks, scams, fake software updates, etc. If you ever enter a suspicious-looking website, you should close the web browser window and never return. Also, run a full malware scan with your antimalware product to check if your computer system is still fully secured.
From our report of Jan 2020 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Lucky Leap
- If the adware has brought other PUPs to your system that performed some compromisation, try fixing the affected areas with a tool such as
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
cnet.com
How to remove Lucky Leap
How to remove Lucky Leap and get your search engine back
Remove the extension first.
The search settings only stay fixed once nothing on the PC can change them again.
Step 1: Remove extensions you did not add
In Chrome open
chrome://extensions, in Edgeedge://extensions, and in Firefox the menu > Extensions and themes.Remove every extension you do not remember adding, especially search, new tab, coupon, PDF, weather or video downloader add-ons. Check every browser and every profile, because each keeps its own list.
If an extension has no Remove button or comes back, a browser policy holds it (see "Managed by your organization" in the procedure below). The pages are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Step 2: Put the search engine back and delete cnet.com
In Chrome open Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search, make an engine you trust the default, and delete
cnet.comfrom the list.In Edge type
search engineinto the search box at the top of Settings and open Manage search engines; in Firefox use Settings > Search. Then check the homepage and the new tab page in the same settings, because hijackers change all three.If cnet.com is back after a restart, an extension, a program or a policy still sets it, so finish the other steps and check again. The settings are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: check Search engine and On startup. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 3: Uninstall programs you did not mean to install
Lucky Leap rarely comes alone: it is usually installed by, or together with, a free program. In Windows 11 open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, in Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and sort by install date.
Uninstall every entry from the day the trouble began that you did not install on purpose, for example a download manager, a converter or a browser you never chose.
Keep drivers and entries from Microsoft, Intel, AMD, NVIDIA or your PC's maker unless you are sure.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 4: Reset the browser
A reset removes what the steps above could miss:
- changed start pages
- site permissions
- hidden settings
In Chrome open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults; in Edge Settings > Reset settings; in Firefox Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox.
Tip: Bookmarks and saved passwords stay, while extensions are turned off and the search engine and start page return to the defaults.
Reset every browser on the PC, including Edge, which Windows 11 and Windows 10 always have.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 5: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
A scan finds the parts of Lucky Leap that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.
Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.
It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Uninstall from Windows
To clean your Windows computer system from suspicious products, opt for these manual step-by-step guidelines.
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.
Remove from Google Chrome
To reverse all bogus changes in Google Chrome, use the below-provided instructing steps.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
To get rid of all browser helper objects from your Internet Explorer web browser, apply the following steps.
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.
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity.
While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important - recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data.
Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.
From our report of Jan 2020 · not reviewed since
Lucky Leap removal instructions
Lucky Leap removal involves getting rid of the adware and all other potentially unwanted products that it might have brought to the computer system.
Be aware that the ad-supported application might have hidden bogus files and processes all over the computer system that also need to be eliminated in order for a proper elimination process.
There are two techniques that can help you to remove Lucky Leap from your computer system. The first one is known as the automatical method that involves downloading and installing a reliable antimalware program. This type of software is capable of discovering all the suspicious products in the system and eliminating them within minutes.
According to cybersecurity experts from ZonderVirus.nl, you can eliminate adware such as Lucky Leap virus with the help of manual guiding steps. Note that this process includes cleaning and refreshing both your operating system and web browser applications such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Safari.
Questions about Lucky Leap
How do I change my search engine back from cnet.com?
Open the browser's search engine settings, choose the search engine you want and set it as default, then remove cnet.com from the list.
If the option is greyed out or a note says it is controlled by an extension, remove that extension first and try again. If the browser says it is managed by your organization, a policy holds the setting, and the policy steps in this guide apply.
When the change will not stick, reset the browser: it restores the default search engine and start page and turns off extensions, but keeps bookmarks and saved passwords. Then check Installed apps for a program that may put cnet.com back.
Is cnet.com a virus?
It is a browser hijacker, not a virus in the classic sense. cnet.com is a search page that an extension or program set as your default without a clear choice from you.
It does not destroy files or spread to other PCs, but it takes control of your searches, collects them and shows ads, and the software behind it is often bundled with other unwanted programs.
Many antivirus products flag such software as potentially unwanted. Removing the extension or program and resetting the search engine is enough in most cases. A full scan afterwards checks for anything else that came with it.
What is cnet.com?
It is the search page used by the browser hijacker Lucky Leap. It has no search index of its own: it forwards your queries to another search engine and adds ads and tracking along the way.
People rarely choose it on purpose; it becomes the default search engine, home page or new tab after an extension, program or policy changes the browser settings. The page itself is not malware, but it should not be in your browser if you did not set it. The steps above remove the source and restore your settings.
Is cnet.com dangerous?
It is not designed to infect the PC, but it is not neutral either. It logs searches, adds sponsored results that are hard to tell apart from real ones, and its ad partners are not checked as strictly as those of major search engines.
Some hijacker pages have shown ads for fake updates, tech support scams and unwanted software. The main harm is to privacy. Remove Lucky Leap, and if you entered personal data on sites reached through its results, check those sites carefully.
Do I have to fix every browser?
Yes, every one where the search engine or start page changed. In the cases we checked, Lucky Leap affected Chrome, Edge and Firefox.
Each browser stores its own search settings and extensions, so fixing one does not fix the others, and Windows-level changes such as shortcuts can affect each browser differently. Work through them one at a time:
- remove the extension
- check the policies
- restore the search engine
- start page
If you sync a browser, stay signed in so the fix spreads to your other computers.
Did cnet.com record my searches?
Almost certainly. Logging is the point of a hijacker search page: each query, with your IP address, browser details and the result you clicked, is valuable to advertisers.
The operators of cnet.com can store and share that data under their own privacy policy, which you never agreed to knowingly. There is no way to delete it from their side. What you can do is stop the flow:
- remove Lucky Leap
- clear cookies and site data for cnet.com
- treat sensitive searches made in the meantime as known to a third party
What do I lose if I reset Chrome or Edge?
Less than you might think. A reset turns off all extensions, which you can turn back on one by one, restores the default search engine, home page, new tab and pinned tabs, and clears cookies, so you are signed out of most sites.
Bookmarks, history, saved passwords and autofill data stay. Firefox's equivalent, Refresh Firefox, keeps the same essentials but removes add-ons completely. Before you reset, make sure you know your main passwords or have them saved, since you will need to sign in again.
Can I just block cnet.com?
You can, but it treats the symptom. Blocking the domain in a firewall or the hosts file makes searches fail instead of redirecting, while the extension or program that set it keeps running and collecting data.
Hijacker operators also switch to new domains in updates, so a block may stop working within weeks. Remove the source instead, then set your own search engine. If you want extra protection afterwards, turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking in Windows Security, which stops many hijacker installers before they run.
Why can't I change my search engine back?
Because something keeps setting it. If an extension controls the search engine, Chrome and Edge show a note that an extension is controlling this setting, and your change is reverted. If a policy controls it, the field is greyed out and the browser shows Managed by your organization.
Remove the extension first, then the policies, and only then change the search engine; the change will stay. If it still reverts, look for a program in Installed apps or a scheduled task that reinstalls the extension.
Will Fortect remove Lucky Leap?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Lucky Leap, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Malwarebytes: Adware (read October 6, 2026)
- ZonderVirus: ZonderVirus.nl (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 6, 2026)