BoosterSearch

BoosterSearch is one of those applications that look like they could improve your web browsing experience, but security experts say they are potentially unwanted programs. What does that mean? It means that BoosterSearch could exhibit various behavior patterns that can be deemed undesirable by consumers. Also, it is very likely that this extension gets added to the target browser accidentally, and if that really happened to you as well, you can scroll down to the bottom of this description for the manual removal instructions. Don’t tolerate this program on your PC just because it is not a genuine malware infection.

We might not even notice that something like BoosterSearch gets added to our browsers at first. However, this extension performs a number of modifications that might take you by surprise if you are not aware of this extension entering your system. That’s also one of the reasons this extension can be mistaken for a browser hijacker. Nevertheless, a browser hijacker could not ask your permission before it enters your computer. And this extension DOES require your authorization. If you don’t notice how that happens, you should clearly be more careful about the content you encounter online. Otherwise, you might end up installing something dangerous one day.

How does BoosterSearch enter the target system? Well, since it is a potentially unwanted program, it clearly has official and third-party distribution sources. The official sources are the main homepage via portal.boostersearch.com, and the section at the Chrome Web Store. With the official website and the Chrome Web Store out there, it might seem that there is nothing extraordinary about this app. However, what about the third-party sources? That would be various websites that distribute freeware and pages full of random pop-ups and redirects.

If you happen to visit a lot of websites that promote third-party content, you have to be careful about unwanted apps, surveys, and other type of content that might reach you. For instance, BoosterSearch could come bundled with freeware, so you need to be attentive when you install new applications. You might also have to be careful of redirects that open a new tab on your browser and then offer you to add BoosterSearch (or any other application for that matter) through a pop-up. Normally, it is possible to close the offer without too much trouble. However, users often fail to read what those pop-ups have to say, and they end up adding unnecessary extensions to their browsers.

And now, let’s say BoosterSearch enters your browser. What happens then? Well, upon the installation, this extension requests a number of permissions. Those permissions are:

• Read your browsing history
• Change your search settings to: feed.bostersearch.com

Since the main objective of this application (supposedly) is to provide you with more relevant search results, it’s not so surprising to see that it modifies your search provider. However, here we have to point out that BoosterSearch doesn’t provide you with anything new. It doesn’t have an original search provider because it makes use of the Yahoo! Search engine.

What’s more, since BoosterSearch can read your browsing history, and so it can modify search results based on your likes and preferences. That’s something that most of the extensions do, but the question is whether we really want them to have so much power over what we can see? After all, there is no guarantee that the content promoted by BoosterSearch is safe. This extension cannot review the outgoing links, and so, it could be easily exploited by malevolent third parties. Hence, before any of that happens, you should do yourself a favor and remove BoosterSearch from your browser.

Needless to say, you can delete the extension simply by removing it from the list of extensions via your browser’s menu. But if you want to get rid of all the tracking cookies collected by this app, you might want to reset your browser to default. Afterwards, don’t forget to scan your computer with the SpyHunter free scanner. There might be more unwanted programs installed, and you have to terminate them all if you don’t want to get exposed to potentially harmful content. Finally, be sure to be attentive when you browse the web so you could avoid the likes of BoosterSearch in the future.

How to Remove BoosterSearch

1. Open your browser.
2. Press Alt+F and go to Settings.
3. Click Advanced at the bottom of the page.
4. Scroll down again and click Restore settings to their original defaults.
5. Click Reset settings to confirm.