GoodbyeSearch – What is it?

“GoodbyeSearch” search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)¹, that is promoted as a plugin for your web browser. It is typically shared as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that helps to browse some specific info, for example, about sporting activity events, make your web browser much more safe, enable downloading of any video, et cetera. Also, this app adds the “Managed by your organization” feature (on Chrome browsers).

Nevertheless, the “GoodbyeSearch” plugin is rather ineffective since all such features are currently embedded to your browser and/or system. Such marketing slogans are targeted at low-skilled computer users, like pensioners or schoolchildren. However occasionally even experienced users are getting caught on such an attraction. In specific cases, this hijacker is distributed together with free apps.

How harmful is GoodbyeSearch hijacker?

Besides its impracticality, GoodbyeSearch hijacker is also considerably unsafe for browser usage. It modifies your search engine to its specific – Goodbyesearch.com, and additionally modifies your background, putting its watermark on your background image (or, sometimes, altering it to default with the mentioned sign).

Apart from aesthetic changes done by GoodbyeSearch hijacker, you may see that several of your search inquiries are redirecting to the suspicious web pages, full of links and promotions – so-called doorway websites. Such websites can include links for malware downloads. The possibility of redirecting boosts if you try to launch Google search page by force.

But all these activities are more annoying than truly destructive. The major danger, particularly for individuals who have a great deal of secret information in their web browsers, is installed in information collecting capabilities. Cookie files, conversations, often-visited web pages, and other activities are simply gathered by GoodbyeSearch hijacker.