Blog | G5 Cyber Security

Yahoo Search Redirecting to Hacked Site

G5 Cyber Security

TL;DR

Your Yahoo search results are sending you to a hacked website. This guide helps you clear your browser cache, check for malicious extensions, scan for malware, and report the issue to Yahoo.

Step-by-step Solution

  1. Clear Your Browser Cache and Cookies: This is the first thing to try as old data can sometimes cause problems.
    • Chrome: Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac). Select ‘All time’ for the time range, check ‘Cookies and other site data’ and ‘Cached images and files’, then click ‘Clear data’.
    • Firefox: Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac). Select ‘Everything’ for the time range, then click ‘OK’.
    • Edge: Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete. Select ‘All time’ for the time range, check ‘Cookies and other site data’ and ‘Cached images and files’, then click ‘Clear now’.
  2. Check Your Browser Extensions/Add-ons: Malicious extensions can redirect your searches.
    • Chrome: Type chrome://extensions in the address bar and press Enter. Disable any extensions you don’t recognise or trust.
    • Firefox: Type about:addons in the address bar and press Enter. Go to ‘Extensions’, disable suspicious add-ons.
    • Edge: Type edge://extensions in the address bar and press Enter. Disable any extensions you don’t recognise or trust.
  3. Run a Malware Scan: Use a reputable antivirus/anti-malware program to scan your computer.
    • Popular options include Windows Defender (built-in), Malwarebytes, and Bitdefender. Ensure the software is up-to-date before scanning.
  4. Check Your Hosts File: A modified hosts file can redirect you to incorrect websites.
    • Windows: Open Notepad as an administrator (right-click, ‘Run as administrator’). Open the file C:WindowsSystem32driversetchosts. Look for any unusual entries that don’t start with ‘#’. If you find anything suspicious, delete it and save the file.
    • macOS/Linux: Open Terminal. Type sudo nano /etc/hosts and press Enter (you’ll need your password). Look for any unusual entries. Delete them if found and save the file (Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter).
  5. Reset Your Browser Settings: This will restore your browser to its default state.
    • Chrome: Type chrome://settings/reset in the address bar and press Enter. Click ‘Restore settings to their original defaults’.
    • Firefox: Type about:support in the address bar and press Enter. Click ‘Refresh Firefox’.
    • Edge: Type edge://settings/resetProfileSettings in the address bar and press Enter. Click ‘Restore settings to their default values’.
  6. Report to Yahoo: Let Yahoo know about the issue.
    • Visit the Yahoo Help Center and search for a way to report malicious activity or phishing.
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