Do you know what Crypto Hub is?
Crypto Hub is an extension that is supposed to provide all Google Chrome users with access to websites that can teach “about crypocurrency, blockchain and […] mining.” Although the extension is presented as a beneficial tool, our researchers warn that it is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) that can not only spy on you but also expose you to unreliable search results. The creator of this PUP is Aztec Media Inc., and this is not the first time we have encountered suspicious extension linked to it. A few other PUPs created by this company include Flixtab Movie Center, My1tab, and Download Manager Star. Needless to say, we do not recommend trusting any of these tools, but in this report, we discuss why you should remove Crypto Hub if you have downloaded it already. A guide that shows how to delete this PUP manually is already available below, but we hope that you will read the report first.
Sometimes, it is pretty obvious that an extension or a program is unreliable just because it is not introduced to users in a transparent manner. However, even unreliable programs can be presented in a way that makes them attractive and even trustworthy looking. For example, Crypto Hub has an official download website (cryptohubnt.aztproducts.com), and its installer can be found on the Chrome Web Store (chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/crypto-hub/ccpdihgbflplbpmbgmpclenhipdnbbhk). For many users, this is enough to assume that the extension is legitimate and reliable. It is a mistake to think that way about Crypto Hub. If you install it, it can change the homepage/New Tab on your browser to introduce a page that looks like a normal search engine. At the top, you have links to websites that can provide you with information about cryptocurrency. In the center, you can find links to various popular sites, including Facebook or Amazon. You can also see a search dialog box, and this is our main reason to delete the PUP.
If you enter keywords into the search box of Crypto Hub, you are redirected via blpsearch.com/search? to search.yahoo.com. Yahoo Search, as you might know, is a legitimate and trusted search engine. Sadly, various PUPs have been able to exploit it. Crypto Hub redirects you to this engine because you are likely to trust the search results shown via it. However, these results cannot be trusted because they are modified by the PUP. What does that mean? That means that the suspicious extension can influence what you end up seeing on Yahoo Search. If you trust that only reliable and useful links would be added by this PUP, we have to disappoint you. In reality, no one knows what kinds of additional links could be injected into normal search results because it is impossible to know what kinds of parties could place their content. Aztec Media does not disclose who it is working work, and that is why we have to consider the possibility that the injected content could not only be useless but also misleading. Unfortunately, they could be based on your browsing activity that the PUP is able to record.
Crypto Hub screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
If you want to use Yahoo Search, you are free to do so, but you should access this search engine without any mediators. If you allow Crypto Hub to redirect you to search.yahoo.com, the results you see can be modified and include unreliable or unrelated search results. If you are willing to face potentially unreliable links just so you could access websites related to cryptocurrency content and news, why not bookmark those sites for easy access. You do not need to install anything. So, if you decide to delete Crypto Hub, you can follow the instructions below, or you can employ anti-malware software. This is the best option if you have found other PUPs or threats, and if you know that protecting your browser and the entire operating system is not something you can handle on your own.
Remove Crypto Hub from Google Chrome
- Open the browser and then tap ALT+F keys.
- Open the More tools menu and then click Extensions.
- Remove the undesirable extension.
- Tap CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE keys.
- In the Clear browsing data menu, click Advanced.
- Select a time range and boxes of the data you want to clear.
- Click Clear data and then restart the browser.
In non-techie terms:
Crypto Hub is mean to help you, but in reality, it was created to expose you to a search engine that shows advertisements and sponsored links. If you interact with them, Aztec Media is likely to earn money, but who can say how trustworthy the advertisers associated with this company are? We would not dare say that they are trustworthy. If you realize that you want to delete Crypto Hub, you can follow the manual removal guide (see above), but if you are worried about your system’s security in the future, and if you have found that you need to delete other PUPs or even threats as well, the best thing you can do is install a legitimate anti-malware tool. It will simultaneously clean and secure your system.