My Utility Box

If you have downloaded My Utility Box, your browser must have been hijacked. This potentially unwanted program (PUP) was created by Polarity Technologies Ltd. for the sole purpose of representing Search.hmyutilitybox.co. This browser hijacker, depending on the browser you use, could take over the New Tab, homepage, and/or default search provider. Even if you agreed to the changes, you do not want to trust this threat because of how it works. If you have no idea what we are talking about, you want to continue reading this report. You will find out why interacting with the hijacker can be very dangerous for your virtual security, as well as how the PUP can track information about you. Most important, you will learn how to remove My Utility Box. We offer a guide that shows how to delete this threat manually, but that is not the only option you have, and we discuss that as well.

My Utility Box is introduced to Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer users at http://myutilitybox.co. If you use Google Chrome, the installer is available at https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/my-utility-box/cpooojldmhfkhfhmoacpdihfakglidbf, and the official download page represents it too. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that many users would acquire the extension/hijacker via these sources. According to our research, it is most likely to be offered as additional freeware bundled along with other programs, and you need to analyze those too. Remember that even the most dangerous threats could be introduced as harmless and helpful applications. Install a trusted malware scanner to inspect your operating system and let you know if you need to delete My Utility Box along with other threats. Our research team found out that even the official installer can offer an additional program, SearchEncrypt, and it is not trustworthy either. All in all, regardless of how the PUP slithered in, you want to scan your operating system to make sure that you do not need to remove anything more serious. If you discover multiple threats, cleaning your operating system manually might not be the best idea.

Once My Utility Box is installed, it represents Search.hmyutilitybox.co. This hijacker has an interface that is very similar to that of Search.hdigitalcointracker.net, which is one of hundreds of hijackers created by Polarity Technologies. It is represented with the help of an extension called “Digital Coin Tracker.” At the top of the page, you can find easy-access links to calculator-1.com (Calculator), print-a-calendar.com (Calendar), shrib.com (Notepad), freetranslation.com (Translator), and oanda.com/currency/converter/ (Currency Converter) websites. These are the allegedly popular utilities that My Utility Box is meant to provide you with, but, as you can see, they are generic online tools that can be accessed by anyone. In fact, these tools are likely to be used as a distraction because the main function of the hijacker is to expose you to an unreliable search engine. Do not use it because you will be redirected to Yahoo Search and shown modified results every single time. Sponsored links could be misleading and route to malicious sites, which is why you must stay away from them. However, since they could be injected along with regular results, you should stay away from Search.hmyutilitybox.co altogether. Luckily, this hijacker will be dismantled as soon as you remove My Utility Box.

We strongly recommend deleting Search.hmyutilitybox.co because it does not offer reliable services. Instead, it can redirect your searches and show potentially unreliable links. Furthermore, cookies used by it can record personal information, as well as non-personal information. It all can be disclosed to parties that are not revealed by the creator of the infection. To eliminate the hijacker, you need to delete My Utility Box, and since this PUP is likely to have entered your operating system packaged with other PUPs or malware, you need to consider employing anti-malware software. If that is not what you want – for example, if other threats are not found by a legitimate malware scanner – you might be interested in manual removal. The instructions below show how to eliminate My Utility Box from all browsers. Note that the PUP operates as an application for Internet Explorer users.

My Utility Box Removal

Google Chrome:

1. Open the browser and tap Alt+F.
2. Go to More tools and then select Extensions.
3. Click the recycle bin next to the extension and select Remove.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open the browser and tap Ctrl+Shift+A.
2. In the Add-ons Manager menu click Extensions.
3. Identify the unwanted extension and then click the Remove button.

Internet Explorer:

1. Open the Start/Windows menu and click Control Panel.
2. Go to Uninstall a program/Add or Remove Programs.
3. Uninstall/Remove the undesirable application.