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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Browser Hijackers
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · May 2021

How to remove Search.cl-cmf.com virus

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Olivia Morelli · Ransomware analyst

Search.cl-cmf.com offers links to websites related to gaming but also negatively impacts  your browsing routine

Search.cl-cmf.com is a website created to attract unsuspecting computer users. At first sight, it might seem like the program is useful, as some people might install it to acquire easy access to games. Nonetheless, the browser changes seem to appear seemingly out of nowhere – this is because a popular software distribution technique known as bundling is used.

Once installed, the app would take over your web browser – it would assign its own homepage and provide search results using search.yahoo.com. Unlike the original results, however, you would see plenty of sponsored links and other commercial content displayed at the top. These “advanced” results are there for one reason – to make you click on sponsored links and benefit the app's authors financially.

Name Search.cl-cmf.com
Type Browser hijacker
Distribution Software bundles, third-party websites
Symptoms Replaces homepage and new tab URL with its own; applies a customized search engine which redirects all results to Yahoo; inserts sponsored links into search results
Uninstall You can get rid of the browser hijacker by either scanning the device with antivirus software or following manual instructions
System fix After the elimination of adware or malware, we highly recommend running a scan with FortectIntego repair software for best results

The hijacker targets online gamers who cannot go a day without finishing some exciting new level or two. It promises to make this experience more convenient by offering links to free gaming websites, including:

  • TerraArcade
  • BigFish games
  • Addicting games
  • Target Games
  • Besy Buy Games
  • Minecraft, Roblox, and Skincraft login pages, etc.

Reaching your favorite websites directly from your homepage might seem like a useful feature at first, but rarely do computer users set this website as their default by their own will. More commonly, the website shows up on the computer without any warning.

After closer investigation, we have also revealed its close connection to a well-known browser hijacker – Safer Browser. This connection often signals that the related domain is also a part of the browser hijacker infection. Looking at the provided homepage, you can see the warning signs pretty clearly. That this site is untrustworthy can even be suspected after examining the provided quick links.

Some of them lead to unreliable gaming, while other links do not work entirely. These aspects alone are good reasons to carry out Search.cl-cmf.com removal. If you are ready for that – go ahead and run SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or some other trustworthy malware scanning tool. Also, for your browsers and general system stability, we recommend using FortectIntego.

Shady redirects bring us to the initial purpose of the hijack – advertising. The website links you can see on this domain are most likely affiliated with the hijacker developers, who receive revenue from their advertising. Nevertheless, this pay-per-click strategy is not only a problem of the quick links.

The redirect issue is also highly pronounced in this suspicious site’s search results. They mostly include commercial content, links to retail sites, and various services. Careless advertising may quickly become a cause of malware infection or involvement in some online scam as well.

If you previously had any doubts about whether to remove Search.cl-cmf.com from your computer or not, we hope you have now made up your mind and can proceed to the virus removal recommendations below.

Search.cl-cmf.com homepage

Hijackers can be found hidden within software bundles

A browser hijacker can slither into your computer without being noticed when installing freeware or shareware applications. Browser hijackers, in particular, are the type of potentially unwanted programs that rarely spread individually. Thus, they when they attach to freeware they can also drag some other malware with it.

The users who are installing new applications on their computers are recommended to remain vigilant and stay on the trusted and verified parts of the Internet, avoid downloading pirated software and always check whether the downloaded programs are not bundled with some undesirable applications.

The best way to deal with Search.cl-cmf.com removal

No matter how convenient it might be, the browser changes will not vanish from your computer on their own. It must be eliminated with the user’s initiative. There are two different ways to remove a PUP from the computer, so you have to carefully choose the one that suits your computer capabilities better.

The first one is the manual Search.cl-cmf.com removal technique. It is useful in cases when there are problems with the computer’s performance capacities or memory. But if your computer is running smooth and you have a couple of gigabytes of free space on it — we recommend automatic virus removal. The antivirus utility will scan your entire system, leaving no undesirable files behind, and you will be able to enjoy a virus-free computer.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from 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 Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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