Remove Search.cal-cmf.com virus (Quick Decryption Solution) - Free Guide
Explanation of Search.cal-cmf.com modus operandi
Search.cal-cmf.com browser hijacker offers using a search engine available on cal-cmf.com site. Unfortunately, search services provided by it cannot be trusted. Cybersecurity experts report that this search page is being promoted via software bundles and tends to install itself on users’ computers silently; therefore it has been added to the potentially unwanted programs (PUP) list.[1]
Search.cal-cmf.com virus is a typical browser hijacker by Polarity Technologies, Ltd. This company is well-known to security experts as it specializes in potentially unwanted software development. It has already released such infamous browser redirect viruses such as Search.searchonin.com, Search.searchhoro.com or currently very active Search.onesearch.org.
After entering a search query into the browser, this potentially unwanted program will send your request to query.cal-cmf.com before landing you on a customized SaferBrowser Yahoo Search results’ page. It means that these results will contain ads leading to possibly untrustworthy web pages.
Safer Browser search cannot be trusted as it is mainly designed to generate revenue for its developers. It is highly likely that these search services promote various links without checking their reliability. In other words, clicking on Search.cal-cmf.com ads might take you to insecure web pages where you can get access to highly dangerous downloads.
Another questionable fact about this search engine is that it silently monitors user’s activities the entire time one browses the Internet. It silently records IP address, geolocation of the device, words and phrases the user types into the search engine, ads and links one decides to click, and similar data. Collected data might be shared with third-party partners or ad networks[2] to select targeted ads and deliver them to the victim in the form of search results or, even worse, pop-up and banner ads.
These are the main reasons to remove Search.cal-cmf.com. In our opinion, using a search engine that was set as your homepage and default search provider without your knowledge is a bad idea. Therefore, we have prepared Search.cal-cmf.com removal tutorial which you can find below.
Although the tutorial explains how to delete the hijacker, remember that it might be only one of several computer threats existing on your system. To complete the system cleanup, we recommend running a system scan with software like Reimage Reimage Cleaner Intego.
Search.cal-cmf.com removal can be hard, so we strongly recommend using a spyware removal software for identification and elimination of the virus.
Things to know to avoid installing browser hijackers
Browser hijackers tend to hide in installers meant to set up other programs on your computer system. In other words, if you download a free game from a file-sharing website, you must check what the installer suggests installing alongside the game because if you rely on Default or Standard installation options, you can end up with several potentially unwanted and ad-supported programs on your computer.
To drop off unwanted elements, it is enough to deselect them in the installer. It can be done via Custom/Advanced settings only.
Remove Search.cal-cmf.com from your browser
To clean Chrome, Firefox and other affected browsers, you have to find and remove Search.cal-cmf.com virus. Naturally, you probably do not know how to do it (especially if you have never encountered a browser hijacker before). Do not worry – our experts prepared in-detail directions how to find components of browser hijackers and eliminate them.
Once you are done with Search.cal-cmf.com removal, consider scanning your computer for spyware and/or malware programs that might be running on your computer silently. It goes without saying that the most dangerous software tends to operate without drawing user’s attention. Today, malware is on the rise, therefore being careful is a highly recommended option. You can find more security-related tips and alerts about active malware variants on Virusactivity.com site[3].
You may remove virus damage with a help of Reimage Reimage Cleaner Intego. 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.
To remove Search.cal-cmf.com virus, follow these steps:
Remove Search.cal-cmf.com from Windows systems
Uninstall all software possibly linked to Polarity Technologies.
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Click Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
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If you are Windows 10 / Windows 8 user, then right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once Quick Access Menu shows up, select Control Panel and Uninstall a Program.
- Uninstall Search.cal-cmf.com and related programs
Here, look for Search.cal-cmf.com or any other recently installed suspicious programs. -
Uninstall them and click OK to save these changes.
- Remove Search.cal-cmf.com from Windows shortcuts
Right click on the shortcut of Mozilla Firefox and select Properties.
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Go to Shortcut tab and look at the Target field. Delete malicious URL that is related to your virus.
Repeat steps that are given above with all browsers' shortcuts, including Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. Make sure you check all locations of these shortcuts, including Desktop, Start Menu and taskbar.
Delete Search.cal-cmf.com from Mac OS X system
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If you are using OS X, click Go button at the top left of the screen and select Applications.
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Wait until you see Applications folder and look for Search.cal-cmf.com or any other suspicious programs on it. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash.
Eliminate Search.cal-cmf.com from Internet Explorer (IE)
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Remove dangerous add-ons
Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top right corner of the browser and choose Manage Add-ons.
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You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for Search.cal-cmf.com and other suspicious plugins. Disable these entries by clicking Disable:
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Change your homepage if it was altered by virus:
Click on the gear icon (menu) on the top right corner of the browser and select Internet Options. Stay in General tab. -
Here, remove malicious URL and enter preferable domain name. Click Apply to save changes.
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Reset Internet Explorer
Click on the gear icon (menu) again and select Internet options. Go to Advanced tab. - Here, select Reset.
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When in the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset again to complete Search.cal-cmf.com removal.
Get rid of Search.cal-cmf.com virus from Microsoft Edge
Reset Microsoft Edge settings (Method 1):
- Launch Microsoft Edge app and click More (three dots at the top right corner of the screen).
- Click Settings to open more options.
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Once Settings window shows up, click Choose what to clear button under Clear browsing data option.
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Here, select all what you want to remove and click Clear.
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Now you should right-click on the Start button (Windows logo). Here, select Task Manager.
- When in Processes tab, search for Microsoft Edge.
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Right-click on it and choose Go to details option. If can’t see Go to details option, click More details and repeat previous steps.
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When Details tab shows up, find every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right click on each of them and select End Task to end these entries.
Resetting Microsoft Edge browser (Method 2):
If Method 1 failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method.
- Note: you need to backup your data before using this method.
- Find this folder on your computer:
C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe. -
Select every entry which is saved on it and right click with your mouse. Then Delete option.
- Click the Start button (Windows logo) and type in window power in Search my stuff line.
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Right-click the Windows PowerShell entry and choose Run as administrator.
- Once Administrator: Windows PowerShell window shows up, paste this command line after PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> and press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml -Verbose}
Once these steps are finished, Search.cal-cmf.com should be removed from your Microsoft Edge browser.
Uninstall Search.cal-cmf.com from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
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Remove dangerous extensions
Open Mozilla Firefox, click on the menu icon (top right corner) and select Add-ons → Extensions.
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Here, select Search.cal-cmf.com and other questionable plugins. Click Remove to delete these entries.
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Change your homepage if it was altered by virus:
Click on the menu (top right corner), choose Options → General. - Here, delete malicious URL and enter preferable website or click Restore to default.
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Click OK to save these changes.
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Reset Mozilla Firefox
Click on the Firefox menu on the top left and click on the question mark. Here, choose Troubleshooting Information.
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Now you will see Reset Firefox to its default state message with Reset Firefox button. Click this button for several times and complete Search.cal-cmf.com removal.
Erase Search.cal-cmf.com from Google Chrome
Delete extensions published by Polarity Technologies, Ltd. If you are unsure which extensions should be removed, click on “Permissions” link next to them to see what these extensions can do. Delete the ones that require suspicious permissions.
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Delete malicious plugins
Open Google Chrome, click on the menu icon (top right corner) and select Tools → Extensions.
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Here, select Search.cal-cmf.com and other malicious plugins and select trash icon to delete these entries.
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Change your homepage and default search engine if it was altered by your virus
Click on menu icon and choose Settings. -
Here, look for the Open a specific page or set of pages under On startup option and click on Set pages.
- Now you should see another window. Here, delete malicious search sites and enter the one that you want to use as your homepage.
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Click on menu icon again and choose Settings → Manage Search engines under the Search section.
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When in Search Engines..., remove malicious search sites. You should leave only Google or your preferred domain name.
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Reset Google Chrome
Click on menu icon on the top right of your Google Chrome and select Settings. -
Scroll down to the end of the page and click on Reset browser settings.
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Click Reset to confirm this action and complete Search.cal-cmf.com removal.
Remove Search.cal-cmf.com from Safari
- Remove dangerous extensions
Open Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu at the top left of the screen. Once you do this, select Preferences.
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Here, select Extensions and look for Search.cal-cmf.com or other suspicious entries. Click on the Uninstall button to get rid each of them.
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Change your homepage if it was altered by virus:
Open your Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu section. Here, select Preferences as it was displayed previously and select General. -
Here, look at the Homepage field. If it was altered by Search.cal-cmf.com, remove unwanted link and enter the one that you want to use for your searches. Remember to include the "http://" before typing in the address of the page.
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Reset Safari
Open Safari browser and click on Safari in menu section at the top left of the screen. Here, select Reset Safari....
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Now you will see a detailed dialog window filled with reset options. All of those options are usually checked, but you can specify which of them you want to reset. Click the Reset button to complete Search.cal-cmf.com removal process.
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. It is a hassle when your website is protected from suspicious connections and unauthorized IP addresses.
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 server or network manager that need to monitor connections and activities. This is how you bypass some of the authentications factors and can remotely use your banking accounts without triggering suspicious with each login.
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. It is better to clock the access to your website from different IP addresses. So you can keep the project safe and secure when you have the dedicated IP address VPN and protected access to the content management system.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer various losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Software issues created by malware or direct data loss due to encryption can lead to problems with your device or permanent damage. When you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work.
It is crucial to create updates to your backups after any changes on the device, so you can get back to the point you were working on when malware changes anything or issues with the device causes data or performance corruption. Rely on such behavior and make file backup your daily or weekly habit.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware occurs out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the system restoring purpose.
About the author
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References
- ^ Liam Tung. Google: Unwanted bundled software is way more aggressive than malware. ZDNet. Technology News, Analysis, Comments and Product Reviews.
- ^ Markus Jakobsson. The Death of the Internet. Google Books. The World's Most Comprehensive Index of Full-Text Books.
- ^ VirusActivity. VirusActivity. The Latest Malware News.
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