Browser Enhancement

· Overview ·
· Origins ·
· Operation ·
· Risks ·
· Detection and Removal ·
· Research ·

Overview

Summary:

 [default]

Vendor Notes:

 from the web site: ' GoHip.com, Inc. (GoHip!) was incorporated in 1998 and today is one of the fastest growing portals on the Internet. GoHip! offers users sophisticated meta-search options, free Web-based e-mail, avatar chat, and customizable radio player on its site. By combining an intelligent product with pioneering technologies (patents pending) GoHip! has achieved tremendous success and revolutionized marketing on the Web. GoHip! is dedicated to simplifying the search process for its millions of users by bringing back relevant and timely results as efficiently as possible...'

If you are a member of GoHip.com who has download the BROWSER ENHANCEMENT, you have agreed to accept the following changes to your Internet browser:

1. GoHip! will add a search frame to the bottom of your Internet browser. This means that when you open your browser your homepage will contain a frame with a search box. The search frame is reinstalled each time you restart your computer.

2. Your SEARCH DEFAULT will take you to the GoHip! search. This means that when you click the search icon (button) within your browser interface you will be directed to a GoHip search page.

3. Several PROMOTIONAL CONSOLES (daughter consoles/interstitials) may be launched for the duration of time you spend online. These consoles may continue to be launched as long as you have the GoHip! BROWSER ENHANCEMENT installed on your machine. GoHip! does not monitor the activities or collect information from users once they have left www.gohip.com.

4. BOOKMARKS will be added to your bookmark folder (directory) for the purposes of promoting sites other than GoHip!. The destinations (URLS) of these bookmarks may change frequently.'

Category:

Hijacker: Any software that resets your browser's settings to point to other sites. Hijacks may reroute your info and address requests through an unseen site, capturing that info. In such hijacks, your browser may behave normally, but be slower.

Browser Helper Object: (BHO). A component that Internet Explorer will load whenever it starts, shares IE's memory context, can perform any action on the available windows and modules. A BHO can detect events, create windows to display additional information on a viewed page, monitor messages and actions. Microsoft calls it "a spy we send to infiltrate the browser's land." BHOs are not stopped by personal firewalls, because they are seen by the firewall as your browser itself. Some exploits of this technology search all pages you view in IE and replace banner advertisements with other ads. Some monitor and report on your actions. Some change your home page.

Similar Pests:

 Hijacker · Browser Helper Object

Origins

Group:

 GoHip.com

Mailing Address:

 GoHip.com, Inc. 8306 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 54 Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Phone:

 (213) 596-6248

EMail:

 information@gohip.com

URL:

 http://www.gohip.com/

Date of Origin:

 February, 2004

Operation

Advertising:

 Yes. "Several PROMOTIONAL CONSOLES (daughter consoles/interstitials) may be launched for the duration of time you spend online. These consoles may continue to be launched as long as you have the GoHip! BROWSER ENHANCEMENT installed on your machine. GoHip! does not monitor the activities or collect information from users once they have left www.gohip.com." - http://www.gohip.com/privacy.html

Storage Required:
  • Browser Enhancement: at least 245 KB
    		•

    Browser Performance:

    		 Likely to slow performance of Internet Explorer.

    Risks

    Privacy Policy:

    		 http://www.gohip.com/privacy.html

    Stability Issues:

    		 Yes. You may see this error: "GoHip! has encountered a problem and must be closed. We apologize for the inconvenience."

    Detection and Removal

    Automatic Removal:

    PestPatrol detects this.

    PestPatrol removes this.

    Manual Removal:

    		 "By downloading the GoHip! BROWSER ENHANCEMENT, you understand that these changes cannot be reversed without running the removal executable that can be found at: http://www.gohip.com/remove_browser_enhancement.html If you try to change the items above manually, your changes will be lost when you reboot or turn off your computer. " -- http://www.gohip.com/privacy.html Follow the instructions at http://www.gohip.com/remove_browser_enhancement.html
    Unregister DLLs:

    Unregister these DLLs with Regsvr32, then reboot:

    Clean Registry:

    Remove these registry items (if present) with RegEdit:

    Remove Files:

    Remove these files (if present) with Windows Explorer:

    Restore Settings:

    After following the instructions above, you will still need to restore your original settings and prevent this from happening again. Here''s how.

    Research

    File Analyses:

    More Info:
  • http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=323654
  • AllTheWeb, AltaVista, AOL Search, Ask Jeeves, Google, HotBot, Lycos, LookSmart, MSN, Yahoo!
    		•

    Research By:
  • PestPatrol's Pest Research Center
    		•

    Last Revised:

    		 March 03, 2005