Sm.de is a dubious application that takes control of Google Chrome and other browsers

Sm.de is a browser hijacker[1] which is targeted towards German-speaking users. It was created by a developer called Aller Media e.K. that is responsible for a similar PUP – Startfenster.de. Typically, browser hijackers enter unsuspecting users’ machines via software bundling and instantaneously modify browser settings.
| SUMMARY | |
| Name | Sm.de |
|---|---|
| Type | Browser Hijacker |
| Language | German |
| Affected browsers | Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc. |
| Symptoms | Altered browser settings, intrusive advertisement, etc. |
| Distribution | Software bundling |
| You can delete Sm.de automatically by installing FortectIntego. Otherwise, you can check manual instructions below | |
Sm.de is devised to look like Google.com search engine. It has similar design and instead of Google logo users can see six paper clips painted in different colors. It is not a coincidence, as Sm.de developers try to make users subconsciously associate the hijacker with the most popular browser in the world.
Additionally, users can find a multitude of links to familiar websites, including eBay, Wikipedia, Bing Maps, various email providers, etc. For convenience, the date and time are added. However, all this additional functionality is merely an attempt to disguise the real purpose of a browser hijacker, which is bringing monetary benefit for Sm.de developers.
Hijacked browser effects can range from very minor annoyances to full-out malware infections. Nevertheless, the smartest move would be to remove Sm.de from your machine as quickly as possible. To do that, you can employ a robust anti-spyware tool like FortectIntego or any other program of your choice.
Sm.de hijack exhibits the following symptoms:
- Startup page, new tab URL and search engine are altered to hxxps://www.sm.de/. These changes are irreversible until the dubious app is uninstalled;
- Questionable redirects may lead to dangerous places on the internet, such as fake software, phishing, scam or hacked websites;
- Generated intrusive ads might block the background of legitimate sites;
- Search results can lead to sponsored websites;
- Additional extensions, add-ons, toolbars or other software might be installed without permission;
- The browser speed might be significantly diminished as background processes are regularly run to communicate with external servers to generate advertisements.
Sm.de virus authors do not care about and do not check the content of web pages you might be linked to. Therefore, the possibility of malware infections is quite high. If you are unlucky enough, ransomware might lock up your files and demand ransom to be paid for its release.

Additionally, a browser hijacker may gather a variety of personal and anonymous information about you. Hence, credentials that you enter while browsing through a hijacked browser might end up in cybercrooks’ hands. It goes without saying that such activity might leave your bank account empty or steal your identity[2] altogether.
To conclude, it is not wise to keep a potentially unwanted program on your PC, so Sm.de removal is an essential step to a safe and secure internet browsing.
Unwanted applications enter machines without giving much warning
Despite PUPs being deceptive when it comes to their distribution, it is entirely possible to avoid them in the first place. Indeed, you can never know what can happen on the internet as it is so vast. Nevertheless, if you will learn how to install freeware correctly, you will eliminate the most prevalent method of PUP transmission – software bundling.
Bundling is a well-known marketing technique used widely. It was first adopted by telecommunications, healthcare, financial services and many others. No wonder that software developers accommodated the practice swiftly.
Bundling works by adding additional components into one installer. However, if users rush steps but clicking “Next” quickly, they might not notice that they just accepted terms and conditions, agreeing to additional program installation.
To avoid that, security researchers from virusai.lt[3] recommend picking Advanced or Custom installation mode. The Recommended or Quick settings will not allow users to decline additional components in most cases.
Two different methods can be used for Sm.de removal
Sm.de removal can be performed by following our illustrated guide. We must warn you that this method requires your full attention as well as might take a significant amount of time. As soon as you eliminate all the suspicious components, you should reset all your browsers.
If you are looking for a quick solution – you should download and install robust anti-malware tool. Security software will help you to remove Sm.de without much effort and will protect your computer from further infections.
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.

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