How to remove unTabs extension virus

Hundreds of user complaints about unTabs extension disclose the real functionality of it

UnTabs extension is a malicious browser hijacker^[1] which is far more dangerous than typical programs of the same kind. This suspicious browser redirect virus targets Google Chrome browser and hijacks them without user's permission.

It typically changes user's default search engine to cleanserp.net or another suspicious one and also starts delivering various ads in pop-up windows or banners.

The malicious extension shows up in Chrome Extensions list, but what confuses the victims the most is that they're marked as “Installed by enterprise policy,” and there is also a suspicious line next to them, saying that the extension is managed and cannot be removed and disabled.

Such signs can make the victim fall into despair and panic, however, it IS possible to remove UnTabs redirect virus, although the removal process requires some time and patience. To find out whether's you're infected with the described browser extension, please see a list of common signs of infection below.

• UnTabs virus changes homepage and new tab address to hxxp://cleanserp.net or another bogus search site that serves corrupted search results;
• The malicious extension acts like malware and slows down the computer, making the compromised web browser lag or crash from time to time;
• It seems to be very hard or nearly impossible to remove it;
• The browser suddenly starts opening new tabs or windows^[2] and loading third-party advertisements in them. The victim might also notice underlined text spots in websites he visits, that display advertisements as soon as he hovers the mouse over them;
• The infected browser can also unexpectedly redirect the user to shady websites without victim's permission to do so.

The malicious extension is advertised as a cool tool that helps to convert Chrome tabs to a list, save them in one or more groups and restore them in one click. Unfortunately, instead of providing useful features this extension has numerous malware traits. We must warn you that the extension is currently available on Google Web Store, so you should be very careful until Google suspends its distribution. And there are plenty of reasons why this application deserves that.

You don’t even have to download the program to notice the negative reviews it has already received from the users. At the moment of writing this article, there were over 600 negative 1 star reviews^[3] about the extension and even more complaints about issues when trying to remove it.

This clearly creates an image of an untrustworthy piece of software that does everything to prevent users from removing it from their computers. It goes without saying that it is a typical malware behaviour.

Nevertheless, this rogue extension does not rely on the legitimate means of distribution alone to enter computers. In fact, it belongs to the group of malware which use “Add Extension to Leave” pop-ups^[4] to force users into installing it on their computers.

It also infiltrates PCs via indecent marketing methods, such as bundling ^[5]. We’ll elaborate on the virus distribution strategies later, but first, let’s learn about what this virus does, what is the purpose of its hijack and what technique should be used for a complete unTabs removal.

UnTabs has been categorized as a potentially unwanted program, more specifically, a rogue forced extension which infiltrates computers in order to generate profit for its developers.

Once the extension is installed, it starts to inject ads, banners, interstitial advertisements, pop-ups and other commercially-based components on websites and pages that the user visits, hoping that some people would feel tempted and click on them. Unfortunately, it is hard to understand that these ads do not originate from sites the victim visits and that poses even a bigger threat to victim's privacy and security.

The developer of this shady extension will make sure the advertising is as intense as possible because it receives commissions for the traffic it manages to redirect to its promoted websites. In other words, the users engage in this so-called pay-per-click advertising strategy unknowingly.

To achieve even better results, the malware may also start tracking your browsing habits, keeping records of your search queries, visited websites, time spent there, etc. For this purpose, the extension employs tracking technologies such as cookies and web beacons.

This way, the advertiser picks ads according to victim's interests, making them harder to ignore. Over time, you may start getting the feeling that your every step online is being watched and monetized. Thus, we highly suggest performing unTabs virus removal before your browser is turned into a full-blown billboard for ads. You will get rid of the virus quickly with professionals malware-fighting software such as FortectIntego.

Deceptive sites using “Add Extension to Leave” pop-ups to push malicious extensions to people

unTabs virus typically reaches Chrome browsers as a result of a forced installation. The users who regularly browse through illegal or adult content websites may be redirected to unTabs.com directly or be prompted to install the extensions via JavaScript-based “Add Extension to Leave” dialog box. Beware that you might receive a suggestion to install it after being redirected to scam sites such takeitnow.club or carrerafun.club.

Users often try canceling the installation by marking the “Prevent this page from creating additional dialogs” checkbox. But this won’t work.

To exit such malicious pages and prevent unTabs installation the browser tab or the browser must be terminated via Task Manager. We’ll explain the technique in more detail later on.

As we already mentioned, the malware can be installed directly from its official website, other sites that push various malicious extensions, however, it is also possible to install it along with another free program that is bundled with it. For this reason, we suggest you check software installation settings very carefully whenever you are about to install new software on your PC.

If it urges you to choose Standard or Default installation option, disobey such instruction and switch the selection to Custom or Default option instead. One or another choice gives you a possibility to review all programs and tools bundled with your chosen software and refuse to install them.

Typically, all that it takes to drop off the additional software is just to remove marks from check boxes next to permissions to install suggested additions.

Prepare yourself to remove unTabs virus

UnTabs removal requires patience. This malicious extension roots into the system and unlike typical browser hijackers, it doesn't simply drop the extension to the browser. In order to remove unTabs virus, the victim has to follow strict instructions and eliminate dangerous components both from web browsers and the system.

There are a few ways to uninstall the malware manually, although you will achieve best results if you finish the manual removal by performing a system scan with anti-malware software as well. This way, you will detect all remaining elements of the malware that you may have overlooked.

The method of elimination should be selected according to your computing skills and your system’s performance capacities. You should not try to remove the malware from your computer manually if you have no such practice from before. It is enough to scan your device with some trusted antivirus utility, and it will carry out the virus elimination for you. The user friendly-guide below will help you with this procedure.