How to remove One Dark browser extension

One Dark extension does not provide dark mode for websites – it is a browser hijacker

One Dark claims to provide dark mode for simple web pages. In reality, it hijacks users' browsers by changing the main settings, like the homepage, new tab address, and search engine. It redirects users' queries through Yesjis.com to shady search engine websearches.club. It may also display pop-ups, banners, and cause redirects to scam pages, along with other types of commercial content.

Such applications are created for the purpose of financial exploitation. Fraudsters generate revenue with pay-per-click advertising^[1] as well as browsing-related data collection with cookies. Users should be very careful with downloading browser extensions as they can lead to dangerous pages that try to trick people into providing personal information or downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs),^[2] and malware.^[3]

Distribution methods

Fraudsters use various deceptive tactics to convince users to download their bogus browser plugins. One Dark was found to be spread through various scam sites that tell people they need to install the extension to continue watching a video. Another site prompted users to update or add the “Verified Chrome browser extension.”

You should never trust random pages on the Internet. Try to always do your research – read the reviews, look at the ratings, number of users, etc. It is better to download well-known plugins from official web stores as there is a much bigger chance you will get a legitimate app.

Also, try to be aware of the social engineering techniques that crooks use. Do not believe statements that declare you need to get the add-on or otherwise you will not be able to view some kind of content. We have also seen another tendency in browser hijacker descriptions.

Fraudsters have started to incorporate well-known brand names and try to make it look like the applications were created in collaboration with big tech companies like Google, or Apple. They hope that it makes the product look more legitimate, so look out for any mentions of that.

Another reason why your browser might have been hijacked by One Dark browser extension is that you have a PUP hiding in your system. In that case, until you identify the program at fault and eliminate it completely from your machine, the unwanted behavior will not stop.

Remove the intruder

Hijacker infections are quite common because people fail to distinguish them from legitimate apps. Luckily, you can remove it the same way as any other browser extension via settings:

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:

1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
3. 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.

Deal with the tracking possibilities

Once you eliminate the hijacker, it is recommended to clear your browsers because of various tracking technologies. Web-based apps can use cookies to track your browsing behavior, like the websites you visit, links you click on, things you purchase online, IP address, and geolocation.

Normally, cookies are used to personalize the user experience but more often we see that they are sold to unsafe advertising networks or other third parties. If the digital products and services you use do not have strong security systems in place, cookies can also be hijacked and used for malicious purposes.

That is why it is crucial to regularly clean your browsers. FortectIntego is a maintenance tool that can do it automatically. Besides, this powerful software can fix various system errors, registry issues, and corrupted files which is especially helpful after a virus infection.

PUAs can be lurking in the system without your knowledge

In some cases, removing only the extension is not enough. You might still experience redirects, pop-ups, and banners appearing in your machine. If that is the case, you might have a PUP hiding in your system that generates commercial content and collects revenue for your clicks.

Potentially unwanted applications infiltrate the system disguised as “handy” tools or as bundled software – they come attached as a package in the installer together with the intended program. This practice is most often used by freeware^[4] distribution platforms.

You can always choose the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation method, so no steps would be hidden from you. Read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. The most important part is inspecting the file list up for the installation. Untick the boxes next to any unnecessary programs. This will help you avoid adware sneaking in.

It is much more difficult to identify PUAs in your machine so it is best to do everything you can to avoid them. The program could look like antivirus software, system optimizer, media player, video, or image editing software, etc. That is why in this case, it is best to use professional security tools like SpyHunterCombo Cleaner and MalwarebytesMalwarebytes that can scan your system. Anti-malware tools can eliminate them, and prevent such infections in the future by giving you a warning before a PUA can make any changes.

Manual removal can also sometimes result in the renewal of the infection as users do not remove all the related files and entries. But if you still want to do this yourself, we have instructions for Windows and Mac machines:

Windows 10/8:

1. Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
3. From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
4. Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
5. If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
6. Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.

Windows 7/XP:

1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
3. Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
4. At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
5. In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
6. Click OK once the removal process is finished.

Mac:

1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
3. 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:

1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.