3Spiral Wave is a rogue website that might hijack browser’s startup page

Search.triplespiralwave.com by Axel Division LP is categorized as a browser hijacker. However, developers present it as an application provides a unique homepage with a huge number of “useful features,” like the weather forecast or shortcuts to popular websites. In reality, 3 Spiral Wave is considered as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) due to three main reasons:
- installation without user’s knowledge and consent;
- modification of browser settings;
- browsing-related information tracking.
Search.triplespiralwave.com virus targets all popular web browsers, including Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome,[1] and Internet Explorer. After it appears on the system, it changes the default search engine and homepage to hxxp:\\search.triplespiralwave.com. Additionally, it prevents users from changing back to the default settings. Thus, victims are forced to see this page every time they launch the browser or a new tab.
PUPs rarely provide the promised features – the majority of them have little to no value for regular users, and 3 Spiral Wave virus is not an exception. The purpose of the program is to generate revenue for the developers. Meanwhile, user’s privacy and safety might be put in danger.
Apart from altering browser’s settings, the hijacker might also display intrusive ads (i.e., coupons, banners, pop-ups, etc.), deliver false search results or redirect to affiliate websites once you click on a search result. These Search.triplespiralwave.com redirect tendencies are concerning, security specialists from LosVirus.es[2] say.
Keep in mind that commercial content provided by the hijacker might lead to malicious websites or execute scripts that download and install malware. Therefore, fake search engines may cause severe computer infections. Thus, you remove Search.triplespiralwave.com from your computer.
Additionally, 3Spiral Wave tracks various information, which may include personal data. Keep in mind, that these developers share gathered information (IP addresses, visited URLs, search queries, etc.) with third parties and – potentially – with cybercriminals. These people then misuse these such data for their benefits.
If you noticed that your browser’s homepage was changed, you should scan the system with FortectIntego or another anti-malware to get rid of the browser hijacker. Also, you can follow manual Search.triplespiralwave.com removal guide given at the end of the article.

Browser hijackers keep hiding in bundled software
Search.triplespiralwave.com has its website where users can set it as the default homepage. However, users rarely do it themselves. Most of the time browser hijack becomes a surprise because developers actively use software marketing method called “bundling.”[3]
Therefore, this app may travel with other freeware programs and often infiltrate the system without being noticed by the unsuspecting user, especially when user tends to rush through the installation or download procedure.
Keep in mind that, by selecting Quick/Recommended settings, you can give indirect permission for malicious add-ons to appear on your computer's system. To prevent that, make sure you select Advanced/Custom settings during the installation process. These settings reveal additional content and give the opportunity to unmark the agreeing fields that confirm installation of PUPs.
Elimination of 3SpiralWave virus
You may use one of the two methods to remove Search.threespiralwave.com. First of them is an automatic process that allows you to fix your computer within several minutes using anti-malware software. We recommend using this method because it’s quick, simple and little less time-consuming than manual removal option.
The second available method is removing the virus manually. If you want to go with this method, we suggest you read guides prepared by our team with caution. Making mistakes in manual Search.threespiralwave.com removal process may leave hijacker components in the system, or even put your data in danger.
Uninstall from Windows
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.

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
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.

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.

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.
- 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.

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 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.

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.

Was this guide helpful?
Be the first to comment