Hao123 – What is it?

“Hao123” search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)¹, that is promoted as a plugin for your web browser. It is usually shared as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that assists to browse some precise details, as an example, about sporting activity events, make your web browser a lot more secure, allow downloading of any type of video, et cetera.

However, the “Hao123” plugin is fairly pointless due to the fact that all such functions are currently built-in to your web browser and/or system. Such marketing mottos are targeted at low-skilled computer users, like pensioners or schoolchildren. But frequently even experienced users are getting caught on such a lure. In particular scenarios, this hijacker is spread together with free apps.

How harmful is Hao123 hijacker?

Besides its uselessness, Hao123 hijacker is additionally pretty hazardous for web browser utilization. It transforms your search engine to its particular – Hao123.com, and additionally changes your background, putting its watermark on your background image (or, in some cases, changing it to default with the mentioned sign).

Apart from visual alterations done by Hao123 hijacker, you might observe that some of your search questions are redirecting to the unknown web pages, filled with links and ads – so-called doorway websites. Such websites can include web links for malware downloads. The chance of redirecting rises if you try to launch Google search page forcibly.

However all these activities are much more bothersome than really dangerous. The major danger, primarily for individuals who have a great deal of confidential information in their browsers, is installed in data collecting capabilities. Cookie files, conversations, often-visited web pages, as well as other activities are simply collected by Hao123 hijacker.