Apkgstore.com site advertisements annoy you and are a sign of browser hijackers running in your system. This malware type aims at changing your browser behavior to show huge amounts of ads.
What are the Apkgstore.com ads?
Apkgstore ads you can see in your browser are an outcome of browser hijacker activity. They are shown with the only purpose – to bring money to the developers of this malware. Instead of relevant ads you can expect from Google, Facebook or other advertisers, you can see completely irrelevant junk ads. Moreover, Apkgstore.com does not care about the number of advertisements – so you will see dozens of them on each page.
A browser hijacker is a type of malicious software or potentially unwanted program (PUP) that modifies web browser settings without the user’s consent or knowledge. The main goal of a browser hijacker is to redirect the user’s web traffic to specific websites or search engines, often for the purpose of generating advertising revenue or promoting certain websites.
Main page of the Apkgstore.com site
When it comes to the original purpose, the Apkgstore.com site appears to be the source for cracked programs for Android. It offers downloading .apk files of paid programs that have their license checking disabled. This obviously falls under digital piracy, and is punishable in the vast majority of countries. Moreover, edited installers can contain malicious stuff – the handyman who made it can inject whatever he wants.
Apkgstore.com malware symptoms
Certain users or even malware analysts do not call browser hijackers malicious. They rather classify them as potentially unwanted programs or junk programs. Though, I think differently. Let’s have a look at the behavior of browser hijackers on the example of Apkgstore.com hijacker.
- Changing the default search engine. The hijacker sets the browser to use a specific search engine, often one that may display sponsored search results or ads.
- Redirecting search queries. When users try to search using their preferred search engine, the browser hijacker may redirect them to a different search engine or a fake search results page.
- Displaying excessive ads. Browser hijackers may inject numerous advertisements into webpages, pop-ups, and banners to generate revenue for the hijacker’s creators.
- Modifying the homepage and new tab page. The hijacker may set a specific website as the browser’s homepage and change the new tab page to promote certain sites.
- Tracking user activities. Some browser hijackers gather user data, such as browsing habits, search queries, and online behavior, to deliver more targeted ads or sell the information to third parties.
Is Apkgstore.com a virus?
Yes, Apkgstore.com is a virus that can create troubles for you and your system. And that’s not a prejudice – let me explain my opinion. It has a lot of things going for it.
While some points from the list above may not be so concerning, there are two you should worry about. First thing is redirecting search queries. It may sound innocent, but this way crooks can spoof the results to show you phishing pages. You will deliberately go into the trap thinking these results are legit. Second thing is about tracking your activities and behavior. Yes, some programs collect telemetry data to offer more relevant functions to the user, but this one gathers information for profit. Further, data about your typical working hours, visited sites and even time spent on each page will be sold on the Darknet. And no one knows which rascals will buy it and where they will use it.
Apkgstore.com advertisements are also questionable, though not so outright dangerous. Contents of these banners can throw you to scam shopping sites, or offer downloading “a useful tool for your PC”. The latter is most often a potentially unwanted program. In the worst case scenario, clicking the ad will throw you to a phishing page – the one which mimics a legitimate login page of a well-known online service.
Remove Apkgstore.com with Gridinsoft Anti-Malware
We have also been using this software on our systems ever since, and it has always been successful in detecting viruses. It has blocked the most common Hijacker as shown from our tests with the software, and we assure you that it can remove Apkgstore.com as well as other malware hiding on your computer.
To use Gridinsoft for remove malicious threats, follow the steps below:
1. Begin by downloading Gridinsoft Anti-Malware, accessible via the blue button below or directly from the official website gridinsoft.com.
2.Once the Gridinsoft setup file (setup-gridinsoft-fix.exe) is downloaded, execute it by clicking on the file.
3.Follow the installation setup wizard's instructions diligently.
4. Access the "Scan Tab" on the application's start screen and launch a comprehensive "Full Scan" to examine your entire computer. This inclusive scan encompasses the memory, startup items, the registry, services, drivers, and all files, ensuring that it detects malware hidden in all possible locations.
Be patient, as the scan duration depends on the number of files and your computer's hardware capabilities. Use this time to relax or attend to other tasks.
5. Upon completion, Anti-Malware will present a detailed report containing all the detected malicious items and threats on your PC.
6. Select all the identified items from the report and confidently click the "Clean Now" button. This action will safely remove the malicious files from your computer, transferring them to the secure quarantine zone of the anti-malware program to prevent any further harmful actions.
8. If prompted, restart your computer to finalize the full system scan procedure. This step is crucial to ensure thorough removal of any remaining threats. After the restart, Gridinsoft Anti-Malware will open and display a message confirming the completion of the scan.
Remember Gridinsoft offers a 6-day free trial. This means you can take advantage of the trial period at no cost to experience the full benefits of the software and prevent any future malware infections on your system. Embrace this opportunity to fortify your computer's security without any financial commitment.
Trojan Killer for “Apkgstore.com” removal on locked PC
In situations where it becomes impossible to download antivirus applications directly onto the infected computer due to malware blocking access to websites, an alternative solution is to utilize the Trojan Killer application.
There is a really little number of security tools that are able to be set up on the USB drives, and antiviruses that can do so in most cases require to obtain quite an expensive license. For this instance, I can recommend you to use another solution of GridinSoft - Trojan Killer Portable. It has a 14-days cost-free trial mode that offers the entire features of the paid version. This term will definitely be 100% enough to wipe malware out.
Trojan Killer is a valuable tool in your cybersecurity arsenal, helping you to effectively remove malware from infected computers. Now, we will walk you through the process of using Trojan Killer from a USB flash drive to scan and remove malware on an infected PC. Remember, always obtain permission to scan and remove malware from a computer that you do not own.
Step 1: Download & Install Trojan Killer on a Clean Computer:
1. Go to the official GridinSoft website (gridinsoft.com) and download Trojan Killer to a computer that is not infected.
2. Insert a USB flash drive into this computer.
3. Install Trojan Killer to the "removable drive" following the on-screen instructions.
4. Once the installation is complete, launch Trojan Killer.
Step 2: Update Signature Databases:
5. After launching Trojan Killer, ensure that your computer is connected to the Internet.
6. Click "Update" icon to download the latest signature databases, which will ensure the tool can detect the most recent threats.
Step 3: Scan the Infected PC:
7. Safely eject the USB flash drive from the clean computer.
8. Boot the infected computer to the Safe Mode.
9. Insert the USB flash drive.
10. Run tk.exe
11. Once the program is open, click on "Full Scan" to begin the malware scanning process.
Step 4: Remove Found Threats:
12. After the scan is complete, Trojan Killer will display a list of detected threats.
13. Click on "Cure PC!" to remove the identified malware from the infected PC.
14. Follow any additional on-screen prompts to complete the removal process.
Step 5: Restart Your Computer:
15. Once the threats are removed, click on "Restart PC" to reboot your computer.
16. Remove the USB flash drive from the infected computer.
Congratulations on effectively removing Apkgstore.com and the concealed threats from your computer! You can now have peace of mind, knowing that they won't resurface again. Thanks to Gridinsoft's capabilities and commitment to cybersecurity, your system is now protected.
