Gsrch.com

Browser hijackers are malicious search engines set to enter your computer without your permission. Gsrch.com is one such browser hijacker, and we recommend that you remove it from your PC as soon as possible because it can include promotions in its search results that can prove to be malicious in nature. We are of the opinion that this hijacker’s advertising practices are unacceptable since its promotional links can be mistaken for legitimate search results. Apart from subjecting you to commercial content, this so-called search engine can collect information about you to be used for marketing purposes. These are the only two things unique about this “search engine” because its search results are supplied by a third party. Please continue reading if you want to know more.

This particular browser hijacker was developed by a company located in Berlin, Germany. This company’s name is UpdateStar GmbH, and we have received information that primarily it develops adware-type software which is not a good sign. Therefore, we find this company untrustworthy and advise that you view its products with suspicion. Not only has it been made in Germany but it is most popular in Germany as well. We have found that 27.1 % of visitors are located in Germany, followed by Japanese visitors with 25 %, and visitors from the US with 7.2 %. And, this hijacker is getting popular due to its deceptive distribution methods.

We have found that UpdateStar GmbH has developed an application called UpdateStar Password Finder, and it is believed that this program in unreliable. Furthermore, we have received information suggesting that this particular program is bundled with Gsrch.com and that this program injects this hijacker into the web browser. Also, this hijacker is distributed using malicious software installers featured on websites that host freeware downloads, and it is more than likely those installers inject Gsrch.com without your knowledge or consent which is unacceptable.

It has been revealed that this hijacker is hosted on the same server as Updatestar.com at 91.250.81.8. This IP is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. As mentioned, UpdateStar GmbH primarily distributed adware-type software, so all software on Updatestar.com could show ads, and some of those ads can be unreliable. In fact, generating advertising revenue is probably Gsrch.com’s primary objective. Many browser hijackers are dedicated to doing just that, so let us take a look if the same holds true to this hijacker as well.

Once you install a program made by UpdateStar, such as UpdateStar Password Finder, it may ask you whether you want to use Google Custom Search. Now, that is a trick because while Gsrch.com uses Google Custom Search to generate search results, it is not the same as Google.com. We believe that the only reason this hijacker uses Google Custom Search is to customize its search algorithm to include additional ads which we do not find unsurprising because it is not called Custom Search for nothing. Another thing worth mentioning about this hijacker is that currently it is supported by Internet Explorer only. Nevertheless, certain software may be configured to inject Gsrch.com to other web browsers as well.

While researching this hijacker, we did not find any legal documentation regarding its privacy policy. A privacy policy is, in most countries, required by law, and its absence do UpdateStar GmbH any favors. In any case, like most browser hijackers this one also has to collect information about you to customize the advertising campaign. In most cases, this hijacker should collect information such as your Internet Protocol address, Internet Service Provider name, approximate geographical location, browser type, computer specification, and installed software, among other things. Now, we cannot confirm that this is the exact list of collected information, but based on our experience with other browser hijackers it is entirely plausible. This information is generally used for commercial purposes and can even be given or sold to third parties. Therefore, you should not trust this hijacker’s developers with sensitive information

In conclusion, Gsrch.com is a browser hijacker set to subject you to commercial advertisements found in its customized search results. It comes from an adware-developing company, so chances are that its promotions are unreliable. Also, we think that it can collect information about you and use it for commercial purposes. So, now that you know what Gsrch.com is all about you should delete it using our removal instructions or an antimalware tool.

How to remove this browser hijacker from Internet Explorer

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Press Alt+T and click Internet Options.
3. Select the Advanced tab and click the Reset button.
4. Tick the checkbox.
5. Click Reset again and click Close.