Uc123.com virus (Removal Instructions) - updated Jun 2020
Uc123.com virus Removal Guide
What is Uc123.com virus?
Uc123.com is the site displaying ads in Chinese, other content caused by the PUP infection
Uc123.com is a browser hijacker[1] that is usually targeted Chinese internet users, although it does not mean that individuals in other countries cannot get infected as well. Just as many other applications of such types, it is typically distributed via software bundle packages, which guarantees prevalence, as users are less likely to pay close attention during the installation process of new apps acquired from third-party websites. The unwanted app also belongs to the search hijacker family known as Hao123 usually targets English-speaking users with its En.uc123.com version.
Once installed, the redirect virus begins alterations that are applied to Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, MS Edge, or another web browser: homepage and new tab URL are altered, and a customized search engine is applied. While it redirects all searches to a legitimate Chinese provider Baidu, it fills the results with sponsored links and ads. Besides, browser hijackers like this are programmed to collect various information about users' browsing habits with technologies such as cookies or web beacons.[2]
| Name | Uc123.com |
| Type | Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program |
| Targets | This hijacker typically targets Chinese users, although it can also infect users in the U.S., Canada, various European countries, etc |
| Distribution | Users can get infected with a browser hijacker during the installation of freeware and shareware that is downloaded from third-party websites (software bundling method). Additionally, PUPs are also distributed via deceptive ads, or fake Flash Player update prompts |
| Symptoms |
|
| Risks | Installation of other potentially unwanted programs or malware; personal information disclosure to unknown parties; monetary loss due to encountered scams, etc. |
| Elimination | To uninstall potentially unwanted applications, follow the guide we provide below |
| Optimization | If you notice negative side-effects after malware/PUP termination, you should scan your machine with FortectIntego to fix virus damage |
The hijack can be seen almost immediately, even if the potentially unwanted application was installed unintentionally. For example, redirects to other Chinese-related websites occur whenever you research any topic. Taking into account that everything is written in Chinese, users who are less tech-savvy might panic searching for an escape from such redirect web pages.
Additionally, a browsing session might become unbearable as troublesome advertisements cram every web page you are reviewing. What is more, it is likely that more unwanted elements will enter your device. If you are cautious about your privacy and cybersecurity, make a rush to remove Uc123.com.
To eliminate the Uc123.com browser hijacker, you should check the detailed instructions we provide at the bottom of the article. In case it is the extension that is causing you troubles, you can reset all the installed web browsers and then perform a full system scan with security software. We recommend SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
A few years ago, a browser hijacker known as Hao123 hit the stage. Since it was quite intrusive and spread to other countries, security experts rushed to warn users to be careful with this Chinese browser hijacker. There is a variety of such PUPs in the market: some quite a plan and do not attract many users except for their hijacking capabilities, while others intentionally fish for potential users by promoting links to other websites and cramming the homepages with intriguing links and photos.
In this regard, Uc123 does not leave any positive impression. Even if you cannot speak this Asian language, it is not difficult to realize the unreliability of such a website. The gossip-like content has no value, and even the connection is not secured by a valid SSL certificate. You might also notice multiple links to other domains.
Uc123.com redirect might have a more negative impact on the entire PC performance. Since the owners of such hijackers do not seem to care about distributing potentially damaging content or improve the security of the very web page, the chances are high that malicious elements cram your PC.
Note that the hijacker may not only collect information about your browsing habits but transfer or sell such data to third parties. As a result, not only your browser becomes the target for tons of ads, but you might find vivid spam messages in your email Inbox as well. Note that ransomware payload tends to disguise in spam emails as well. Anyway, Uc123.com removal should become your current priority.
Browser hijackers are hidden within software bundle packages
Most likely, you are to encounter a browser hijack if you tend to install freeware[3] frequently. Careless hoping through the settings usually leaves users puzzled after they found out about a hijack. Adware, browser hijackers, and other unwanted stuff often cling onto free file converters, media players, and PC optimization tools.
As users pay little attention after accelerating the installation process, the attached files remain unnoticed. Consequently, unnecessary tools infiltrate the device. As for the prevention means, you can escape similar cyber infections, if you opt for “Custom” settings. Likewise, you will see optional apps – remove the checkmarks on time so that they would not be installed.
Additionally, you should also ensure your computer security by equipping it with powerful security software that would prevent you from accessing malicious websites. In many cases, fraudulent messages that claim virus infections or that the Flash Player is out of date can be the main reason why unwanted programs access your computer.
A thorough PUP and Uc123.com virus elimination guide
Since the reason why browser-hijacking symptoms are showing up on your browsers may vary, Uc123.com removal needs to be performed in a different manner. For example, we would first like to suggest you check your web browser for extensions and toolbars. Typically these add-ons are shown as small icons that are located at the top-right of the web browser window. If that does not remove the virus, there are many more things that you can do.
If the culprit of Uc123.com hijack is not an extension, it might be that an app is installed on your computer. Therefore, you need to find it and uninstall it – we provide the instructions on how to do that on Macs and Windows machines below. If you are not sure about the manual elimination process, you can instead rely on anti-malware software with an enabled PUP detection feature.
Finally, if nothing that was mentioned above works, you should initiate a full browser reset. If the issue is prevalent among all web browsers, reset them all, as explained below.
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 Uc123.com virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
-
Click Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
-
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 Uc123.com and related programs
Here, look for Uc123.com or any other recently installed suspicious programs. -
Uninstall them and click OK to save these changes.
Delete from macOS
-
If you are using OS X, click Go button at the top left of the screen and select Applications.
-
Wait until you see Applications folder and look for Uc123.com or any other suspicious programs on it. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash.
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 web browser and click on Safari in menu at the top left of the screen. Once you do this, select Preferences.
-
Here, select Extensions and look for Uc123.com or other suspicious entries. Click on the Uninstall button to get rid each of them.
-
Reset Safari
Open Safari browser and click on Safari in menu section at the top left of the screen. Here, select Reset Safari....
-
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 Uc123.com removal process.
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 Uc123.com 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.
- ^ Browser Hijacking. PixelPrivacy. Learn How to Protect Your Online Privacy.
- ^ Web beacon. Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia.
- ^ Tim Fisher. What Is Freeware?. Lifewire. Tech Untangled.