{"id":8016,"date":"2011-08-05T10:26:57","date_gmt":"2011-08-05T10:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/browser-hijacker\/"},"modified":"2023-09-05T07:37:28","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T07:37:28","slug":"browser-hijacker","status":"publish","type":"definition","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/15644\/browser-hijacker","title":{"rendered":"Browser Hijacker"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is a Browser Hijacker?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Browser hijackers are a form of malware<\/a> that attacks and hijacks web browsers<\/a>. They take the form of malicious browser add-ons or plugins<\/a>. The threat actors<\/a> attack browsers so that they have as large a target to aim for as possible. By hijacking browsers and not operating systems<\/a>, the threat actors don\u2019t need to write a version<\/a> of their malware for the Windows<\/a>, Linux<\/a>, and Mac<\/a> platforms.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the type of computer you use, you\u2019ll still use a browser. Attacking browsers lets the threat actors produce what is effectively platform-agnostic<\/a> malware.<\/p>\n

Techopedia Explains<\/h3>\n

You can catch a browser hijacker from a malicious attachment<\/a> on an email, downloading infected files<\/a>, visiting a website<\/a> that is designed to infect visitors, or visiting a legitimate website that has been compromised by the threat actors so that it dispenses their browser hijacker.<\/p>\n

Browser hijackers override your browser\u2019s settings to change its behavior. You may see a new home page<\/a>, a new toolbar<\/a>, or a change in your default search engine<\/a>. These changes will put false entries in web search results<\/a> and redirect<\/a> (via a redirect virus) you to specific websites. The hijackers sometimes make modifications to your computer\u2019s registry<\/a> so that the hijackers are difficult to remove.<\/p>\n

The owners of websites pay the malware authors a small amount per visitor, in a similar way to adware<\/a>. The hijacker authors try to do what they can to herd internet traffic to the websites that will pay them. The websites may contain material that is fraudulent, indecent, or that can infect you with malware.<\/p>\n

How Hijackers Affect Your Computer<\/span><\/h2>\n

Once the browser hijacker has installed itself in your browser, it will use some or all of these methods to protect itself and control your browser.<\/p>\n

Modifying Your Browser\u2019s Behavior<\/h3>\n

A browser hijacker might change the appearance of your browser, the behavior of your browser, or both. Visual signs might include:<\/p>\n