Rambler.ru virus (Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge) - updated Aug 2021
Rambler.ru virus Removal Guide
What is Rambler.ru virus?
Rambler.ru is the search engine that misuses various misleading and deceptive techniques to expose users to sponsored matterial
Rambler.ru is a legitimate Russian search engine that has been misused by hackers who have started injecting third-party advertisements into its results. The search engine is considered to be one of Russia’s top search engines which appears instead of the default one once the browser-hijacking app is installed on the target PC. However, just like the well-known search provider Yahoo, the site has been involved in bundling. As a result, users have started posting complaints about suspicious redirects to rambler.ru/_openstat=aW52bHRfaHAzOzs7 and similar web pages without their approval. Nevertheless, its security is also under question as the site suffered from a major attack in 2016 when hackers stole nearly 100 million users' records[1].
| Name | Rambler.ru |
|---|---|
| Type | Russian search engine |
| Sub-type | Potentially unwanted program/browser hijacker |
| Possible dangers | This engine has been actively misused by hackers. As a result, it can redirect you to potentially harmful sites |
| Signs | The homepage, default search engine, and new tab URL bar are modified without your knowledge |
| Other versions | |
| Browsers infected | Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, or Explorer |
| Distribution | Bundling |
| Removal | Install anti-malware tool to detect all dubious components |
| Repair | Try to run FortectIntego for the virus damage and leftovers |
Also known as “Russia's Yahoo,” the site has been actively called as Rambler.ru virus by computer users who had this program installed by stealth technique called bundling. However, this term is wrong as this search engine does not harm any computer systems intentionally. After being included in the optional components of the freeware, it changes the default search engine, new tab URL, and home page to its own. Such changes can be reversed only if you get rid of the potentially unwanted application related to this hihacker[2] permanently.
It appears that there are numerous potentially unwanted programs (PUP)[3] that have been set to trick people into using Rambler.ru or one of its versions. However, it is not the same search engine you would use after adding it to your browser consciously. In most cases, the bad guys fill it with their ads[4] which are set to redirect victims to sponsored websites and earn them the money.
The scheme used to generate pay-per-click income is very simple: each time when the user clicks on a sponsored link, actors behind this search engine make profits. Sadly, when you visit these affiliate websites, you can be exposed to dangerous content, such as spyware or malware applications or scam surveys that try to trick users into providing personally identifiable data such as name or email address, which can be added to spammers’ databases later on.
We want to point out one fact – even legitimate search engines[5], such as Rambler.ru, can be involved in dirty campaigns. No matter that it is not malicious on its own, the links it provides can be hazardous, so there is no need to keep the browser hijacker on the system.
For all the beforementioned reasons, we do not recommend using this Russian search engine. We highly advise you to remove Rambler.ru virus if it got on your computer without your approval. If you do not know how to do it, please follow the instructions provided at the end of this post. Make sure you take each step with big care to terminate the PUP for good.
If you cannot find the related adware on the system, opt for the automatic threat removal method. It will help you identify the malicious or potentially unwanted programs that changed your browser settings all of sudden. Although this browser-hijacking app cannot collect personal information or damage other systems themselves, it still is very annoying and can cause harm indirectly, by taking you to a potentially dangerous website.
Nova.Rambler.ru. This is yet another version of Rambler.ru page that reappears on the system as soon as the victim double-clicks on the browser’s shortcut. When the web browser launches, the user experiences a redirect to r0.ru page. Search results provided by r0.ru page can be filled with sponsored links, so we do not recommend trusting such search engine as it focuses only on promoting affiliate links instead of providing useful information to the user. If you would like to keep your computer safe and sound, better remove browser extensions and programs that promote nova.rambler.ru search engine.
Rambler Search. If you noticed that your browser causes redirects to a never-seen-before search engine that says it provides “Rambler Search,” you have suspicious freeware installed on your computer. These PUPs typically include this Russian search provider to their optional components, so make sure you double-check the system with the anti-spyware or anti-malware program. If your browser’s homepage was changed all of sudden, then there are great chances that your PC was infected with the so-called Rambler Search virus, which attempts to serve paid search results to you.
PUPs get delivered with other programs online
According to cybersecurity specialists from DieViren.de[6], users tend to download and install computer programs in a rush – that is the worst habit that one can have! Please, be attentive, because developers of potentially unwanted programs will take every opportunity to infect your computer with useless free and ad-supported applications.
Typically, they use the software bundling technique, which helps them to advertise their products via software installers. In other words, when the user agrees to install a free program with “Standard/Default” installation settings, which, to be honest, seem to be the most trustworthy option, all additional programs bundled with your chosen software will be installed without providing any more information about them.
Just use this simple trick to avoid hijack – choose the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation option and deselect all optional components added to your download[7]. Moreover, it is recommendable to install a trustworthy and expert-tested antivirus tool that will always keep the computer system protected.
Stop the redirects by removing the Rambler.ru search engine fully
Numerous users are often performing search requests on “how to remove Rambler.ru virus”. If you got infected with the PUP that it promoting this Russian search site, you still should terminate it together with the related program. Please take a look at our provided instructions which you can find below this text and think about how you want to uninstall this potentially unwanted program.
It seems that this software is sophisticated and made to be invisible to the computer user, so we highly recommend using an anti-malware or anti-spyware program. Sometimes trying to complete the threat removal manually seems a hard thing to do; instead of playing with system folders and browser shortcuts, we suggest you perform a scan with an anti-malware program and wait until it tracks down all unwanted components from the computer system.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of Rambler.ru virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall all programs that might be related to Rambler.ru. This is how you should do it.
First of all, remove files from this folder:
%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Browsers folder. These are the files that you need to remove:
- exe.xoferif.bat;
- exe.rehcnual.bat,
- exe.erolpxei.bat,
- exe.arepo.bat,
- exe.emorhc.bat.
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- 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.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- 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.
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- 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.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
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.
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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 unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of Rambler.ru registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting browser hijacker
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
If this free guide helped you and you are satisfied with our service, please consider making a donation to keep this service alive. Even a smallest amount will be appreciated.
- ^ Pierluigi Paganini. Rambler.ru data breach, 98.1 million CLEARTEXT passwords leaked online. Security Affairs. Every security issue is our affair.
- ^ Information about browser hijacker and removal instructions. Novirus. Virus Removal Guides.
- ^ Wendy Zamora. How to avoid potentially unwanted programs. Malwarebytes Labs. The Security Blog.
- ^ Search advertising. Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia.
- ^ Search Engine. Techopedia. Tech-related definitions.
- ^ Dieviren.de. Dieviren.de. Virus news.
- ^ How to avoid installing software you don't want. Consumer Reports. Product Reviews and Ratings.