SettingsModifier:Win32/PossibleHostsFileHijack — Removal Guide

The SettingsModifier:Win32/PossibleHostsFileHijack detection means a presence of a malicious program in your system. In particular, this one aims at changing your HOSTS file, so your browser will direct you to a different website.

The PossibleHostsFileHijack detection pretty much says for itself. It stands for a malware that changes system settings, particularly aiming for HOSTS file. The latter is a system-wide config file that is responsible for setting a specific IP address for the specific website. By modifying this file, hackers can make you see a phishing copy of the website even when you’re trying to open a genuine page.

Win32/PossibleHostsFileHijack Overview

“SettingsModifier:Win32/PossibleHostsFileHijack” is a designation employed by Microsoft Defender to identify a particular form of malware that alters the Windows Hosts file. The Hosts file serves the purpose of mapping hostnames to corresponding IP addresses.

When malware manipulates the HOSTS file, it has the capability to redirect your web traffic towards malicious websites or hinder your access to legitimate ones. This can give rise to various issues, such as phishing attacks, malware infections, and other potential security risks.

If Microsoft Defender has detected this threat on your PC, it is recommended that you take action immediately to remove it. You can start by following the instructions provided by Microsoft Defender to quarantine or remove the threat. Additionally, you should also consider running a full system scan with an updated antivirus or anti-malware tool to ensure that there are no other infections on your PC.

The exact SettingsModifier:Win32/PossibleHostsFileHijack virus is a very nasty thing. This malware demonstrates to you an extraordinary amount of commercials. Have you ever visited the doorway web pages? They are filled up only with banners – blinking, improperly designed, and with weird information. Threats does the identical thing to all sites you open. That virus brings profit to its developers in a really tricky way. You check the banners – they get money. Furthermore, these banners oftentimes contain fraudulent and sometimes shocking content. Penis enlargement, porn websites ads, Microsoft virus alerts – all these things are usual for such ads.

Threat Summary:

Is SettingsModifier:Win32/PossibleHostsFileHijack dangerous?

How did I get this virus?

It is hard to trace the sources of malware on your PC. Nowadays, things are mixed up, and spreading tactics chosen by adware 5 years ago may be used by spyware nowadays. However, if we abstract from the exact spreading method and will think of why it has success, the explanation will be really basic – low level of cybersecurity awareness. Individuals click on promotions on strange websites, open the pop-ups they get in their web browsers, and call “Microsoft tech support” thinking that the scary banner that says about malware is true. It is necessary to understand what is legitimate – to prevent misunderstandings when trying to identify a virus.

Nowadays, there are two of the most extensive tactics of malware spreading – lure emails and injection into a hacked program. While the first one is not so easy to evade – you should know a lot to recognize a fake – the second one is very easy to get rid of: just do not utilize cracked apps. Torrent trackers and other sources of “totally free” applications (which are, exactly, paid, but with a disabled license checking) are really a giveaway place of malware. And SettingsModifier:Win32/PossibleHostsFileHijack is simply among them.

How to remove the SettingsModifier:Win32/PossibleHostsFileHijack from my PC?

Reset Browser settings after the hijacker attack

Hijacker makes a lot to keep annoying you even after being removed from your computer. It distorts the browser configurations, so it will not work correctly. Until you reset it, of course. Each browser has its own way to restore the default settings. Here are the guides for the most popular ones:

To reset Edge, do the following steps:

1. Open the “Settings and more” tab in the upper right corner, then find here “Settings” button. In the appeared menu, choose “Reset settings” option :

2. After picking the Reset Settings option, you will see the following menu, stating about the settings which will be reverted to original :

For Mozilla Firefox, do the next actions :

1. Open Menu tab (three strips in upper right corner) and click the “Help” button. In the appeared menu choose “Troubleshooting information” :

2. In the next screen, find the “Refresh Firefox” option :

After choosing this option, you will see the next message :

If you use Google Chrome

1. Open Settings tab, find the “Advanced” button. In the extended tab choose the “Reset and clean up” button :

2. In the appeared list, click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” :

3. Finally, you will see the window, where you can see all the settings which will be reset to default :

Opera can be reset in the next way

1. Open Settings menu by pressing the gear icon in the toolbar (left side of the browser window), then click “Advanced” option, and choose “Browser” button in the drop-down list. Scroll down, to the bottom of the settings menu. Find there “Restore settings to their original defaults” option :


2. After clicking the “Restore settings…” button, you will see the window, where all settings, which will be reset, are shown :

When the browsers are reset, you need to make sure that your browser will be connected the proper DNS while connecting to the web page you need. Make a text file named “hosts” on your desktop, after that open it and fill it with the following content¹:


# Copyright (c) 1993-2006 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host
# localhost name resolution is handle within DNS itself.
# 127.0.0.1 localhost
# ::1 localhost


Find the hosts.txt file in “C:/Windows/System32/drivers/etc” directory. Rename this file to “hosts.old.txt” (to distinguish it from the new one), and then move the file you created on the desktop to this folder. Remove the hosts.old from this folder. Now you have your hosts file as good as new.

1. Official Microsoft guide for hosts file reset.