Do you know what Search.smartmediatabsearch.com is?
While you may be given the impression that Search.smartmediatabsearch.com is a legitimate and reliable search engine, the reality is very different. Our malware analysts have concluded that it is a browser hijacker as its developers have made arrangements to distribute it via software bundles, and, therefore, you ought to remove it. It replaces the homepage address of the most popular web browsers in an effort to have as many users as possible that would view the promotional links featured in Search.smartmediatabsearch.com’s search results. To find out more about this hijacker, please continue reading.
Our malware researchers have concluded that Search.smartmediatabsearch.com is compatible with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Internet Explorer. However, the good news is that it does not affect Microsoft’s Edge browser as it is protected from browser hijackers. If you use any of the other three aforementioned web browsers, then there is a good chance that your homepage address will be replaced with Search.smartmediatabsearch.com. This hijacker’s developers have designed it for advertising purposes. Therefore, its search results are bound to include promotional links and advertisements. These promotional links can come from unknown and unreliable advertising partners that may want to promote rather unreliable and sometimes even outright malicious content. As a result, your computer can become vulnerable to infections such as adware, spyware, ransomware, and so on. Therefore, using this hijacker as a regular search engine is a bad idea, and we advise you against doing that.
If you use Search.smartmediatabsearch.com as a regular search engine, then be warned that it was designed to collect some information about you automatically. Granted the collected information is obtained legally, we want to inform you that it will not only be used to improve this unreliable search engine’s services but also customize the advertising campaign for each unique user. According to Search.smartmediatabsearch.com’s privacy policy, it can obtain information such as your IP address, ISP, location, browsing history, search terms, OS type, and browser type automatically. However, you should not allow it to obtain it as it can be used to present you with malicious advertisements.
Search.smartmediatabsearch.com screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
Research has shown that Search.smartmediatabsearch.com is very similar to Search.rapidserach.com, Search.ourmediatabsearch.com, and Search.futuremediatabsearch.com. They are similar because they all come from the same company called Stepitapp. This highly unreliable company is in the web monetization business, so none of its search engines are safe as they were created for showing you modified search results.
Now let us discuss how this search engine is disseminated. According to our malware analysts, this hijacker is distributed on free software sharing websites such as Descargar.es, Filewin.com, Filewon.com, and Malavida.es. These websites host software bundles that contain more than one application. Unfortunately, additional content can be hidden and, as a result, you can install Search.smartmediatabsearch.com accidentally. The installers interact with the web browsers and inject this hijacker without your knowledge or consent. This unsanctioned action can only be described as malicious. Therefore, you ought to consider getting rid of this malicious search engine.
In closing, the research performed by our cyber security experts has concluded that Search.smartmediatabsearch.com is a search engine that is highly unreliable. Therefore, we recommend that you remove it from your computer before it can compromise your computer’s security with links to its promoted websites that can feature malicious downloads and other unreliable content.
Change the homepage address
Google Chrome
- Hold down Alt+F keys.
- Select Settings.
- Click Set pages.
- Erase this hijacker’s URL.
- Enter a new URL.
- Click OK.
Mozilla Firefox
- Hold down Alt+T and click Options.
- Select General.
- In the Home Page box, erase this hijacker’s URL.
- Enter a URL.
- Exit the Options menu.
Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Hold down Alt+T keys.
- Select Internet Options.
- Erase this hijacker’s URL.
- Enter a new URL in the home page address line.
- Click OK.
In non-techie terms:
Search.smartmediatabsearch.com is a browser hijacker that was designed to hijack your browser’s homepage address in an effort to make you use it like a regular search engine. This hijacker generates advertising revenue from promotional links and ads featured in its search results. If you want to remove it, please use the guide provided above.