Chromium is a web browser. As long as you installed it yourself, there is nothing to worry about. However, unbeknownst to a lot of non-tech-savvy users, there is a dangerous virus that brands itself with the same name. You might think it as a harmless browser, but it is a malware that can harm your data and PC.
Google introduced Chromium as part of its open-source initiatives. Since it was open-sourced, a number of cyber criminals dived into browser hijacking and customized the browser for their own nefarious objectives. So, what exactly is browser hijacker?
Browser hijacker is another addition to the malware family that is wreaking havoc over businesses and individuals around the world in the form of Trojans, worms, ransomware, cryptojackers, etc. Essentially, this malware is a lot more sophisticated than others; it can sneakily change the browser settings of the victims without asking for their permission. As a result, it can earn ad revenue by showing specific ads to a victim. The virus can also change the default search page and home page and add its own hijacked webpage. Thus, Chromium strategy depends on making user visit ads and websites that can earn them a great deal of money. Sometimes, it also uses spyware to steal personal and sensitive information such as credit card details.
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In case you downloaded and installed Chromium, you do not have to worry about any virus. On the flipside, if you can find a Chromium icon in your PC without any recollection of how it ended up in your desktop, it is plausible that it came along with a freeware that you downloaded from the internet. Keep in mind that the Chromium icon looks like the following.
Before you download any freeware, read through the installation screen and license agreement carefully or else Chromium or any similar virus can damage your data—after all, some minutes of reading are worth more than hours of searching on how to remove Chromium virus.
Software with Advanced or Custom installation options can display the types of third-party tools that they are going to install in your computer. In case the software clearly specifies that it intends to install an adware or toolbar in your browser, consider it a red flag. It is highly recommended to cancel the installation immediately.
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In order to completely eliminate the threat of Chromium, you have to complete all of the following steps and do exactly as stated.
If the tool identifies any threat, quickly terminate the processes in the Task Manager and then go on to perform a deletion of their respective folders. Some processes are sophisticated enough to avoid all types of scan from any anti-virus. Therefore, if you find a suspicious process, search online to assess whether or not it is the part of the operating system or any recognizable application software. If it still seems shady, get rid of it.
This command opens up the Control Panel, specifically the screen for those programs that are currently installed in your PC. Go through them one-by-one and look if you spot any Chromium software so you can uninstall it swiftly. It is not necessary that you find Chromium virus as “Chromium”; it may have added any other malware or may even have modified its own name. Hence, if you find anything remotely suspicious, remove it.
Type Apps and Features in the search bar and you can get Windows apps. Scroll through all the apps and try to evaluate whether you can find any malicious file.
Each software has an on-screen prompt with an uninstall button. Click it after which you will get a prompt informing about how all the programs and their information is going to be deleted. Carry on and click Uninstall to finish the procedure. Sometimes, you may get another pop-up that may warn you about any new changes to your computer after the deletion. Click Yes on them.
Don’t try to avoid reading these prompts. Some viruses have become so sophisticated that they can even meddle with the uninstall procedures.
Subsequently, hit the Start Key, search and enter msgconfig. In the pop-up window’s startup section, uncheck any radio button that either shows the Manufacturer field as “Unknown” or contains any strange information.
notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts
Hit up the Start Key now and Ctrl + z the above-mentioned file path.
As a result, a notepad file opens up. In order to check whether or not you are hacked, check the lower details. Beginning with your IP address, you can find a number of IP addresses.
If find any unfamiliar-looking IP address under the Localhost, something is certainly amiss.
Hold the Start Key and type and click on Network Connections. Right-click your Network Adapter and go to Properties à IP Version 4à Properties. Make sure that there is an Obtain DNS server automatically setting for the DNS line. Now, from the DNS tab, go to Advanced and if there is anything there, delete it at once.
Note: If you cannot find the AppData folder then it may happen because it is a hidden folder. What you can do is that, open the Run dialog box, type and enter control.exe. folders and get Folder Options. In the View tab, choose Hidden files, folders, and drives and click on Apply for permanent modifications.
Now you can search the Chromium folder in the AppData folder and eliminate it. Do not forget to empty your Recycle Bin as well.
Hold the Start Key and right click on Mozilla, Chrome, or any other browser’s properties. For this example, we are using Mozilla.
In the Shortcut tab, you can go to the Target field and if there is any string after the “.exe”, erase it.
Similarly, in Google, you can click on the dropdown menu and go to Tools à Extensions.
Similarly, in Google, you can click on the dropdown menu and go to Tools à Extensions. Look for any unfamiliar extension and remove it.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—Microsoft—Internet Explorer—-Main—- ThreatName
Sometimes, even after all the deletion, due to the change in the settings; your browser may continuously redirect you to the website of Chromium. In such a scenario, you can change your browser settings to the default settings.
Most of the times, the above-mentioned instructions do work. However, Chromium is an advanced malware that can modify itself and may attack you again with a newly-formed infection mechanism, equipped with a dangerous payload. As we discussed above, sometimes it is tricky enough to even tinker with the Uninstall processes.
Fortunately, there is a wide range of anti-virus tools today that are not only free but they are also quite effective. Among them, TotalAV has established itself quite prominently and carved out a reputation to eliminate various cyberthreats. In case of TotalAV, you don’t need to concern yourself with the heavy weight-lifting; the solution does everything itself. All you need to do is scan the solution against Chromium and it will do the rest.
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