How to remove the Bizzy Beaver browser hijacker

What is Bizzy Beaver?

Our research team discovered the Bizzy Beaver browser extension during a routine investigation of untrustworthy sites. It is endorsed as a productivity tool. However, our analysis uncovered that this extension modifies browsers to promote (thorough redirects) the search.bizzy-beaver.com fake search engine. Due to this behavior, Bizzy Beaver is categorized as a browser hijacker.

Bizzy Beaver browser hijacker overview

After we installed Bizzy Beaver on our test machine, it reassigned the browser's default search engine, homepage, and new tab/window URL to the search.bizzy-beaver.com website. Therefore, new browser tabs/windows opened and Web searches performed via the URL bar – resulted in redirects to search.bizzy-beaver.com. It is noteworthy that there are at least two appearance variants of this site.

Browser-hijacking software tends to employ persistence-ensuring techniques to prevent users from recovering their browsers, and this is true of Bizzy Beaver.

Illegitimate search engines are usually incapable of providing such results, so they redirect to genuine ones. In the case of search.bizzy-beaver.com, it redirected to the Bing search engine (bing.com) at the time of research. However, it might land elsewhere since redirects can depend on various factors (e.g., user geolocation, etc.).

Furthermore, Bizzy Beaver likely spies on users' browsing activity. Browser hijackers usually target the following information: visited URLs, viewed pages, searched queries, personally identifiable details, usernames/passwords, credit card numbers, etc. The collected data can then be shared with or sold to third-parties (potentially, cyber criminals).

To summarize, the presence of browser-hijacking software like Bizzy Beaver on devices may result in system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Bizzy Beaver
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab
Browser Extension(s)	Bizzy Beaver
Supposed Functionality	Productivity tool
Promoted URL	search.bizzy-beaver.com
Detection Names (search.bizzy-beaver.com)	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (search.bizzy-beaver.com)	34.213.62.252
Affected Browser Settings	Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine
Symptoms	Manipulated Internet browser settings (homepage, default Internet search engine, new tab settings). Users are forced to visit the hijacker's website and search the Internet using their search engines.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling).
Damage	Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Browser hijacker examples

We have analyzed countless browser hijackers; Qwik Search, Never Forget Tab, My Cloud Tab – are just a few examples of our latest finds.

Browser-hijacking software tends to appear legitimate and useful. It also offers various "handy" functionalities, which are rarely operational. It must be stressed that even if a piece of software works as indicated by its promotional material – that is not a guarantee of its legitimacy or safety.

How did Bizzy Beaver install on my computer?

We obtained Bizzy Beaver from its "official" promotional webpage. In addition to such sites, browser hijackers are commonly endorsed by scam websites. Most users enter these pages through redirects caused by sites that use rogue advertising networks, misspelled URLs, intrusive ads, spam browser notifications, or installed adware.

"Bundling" – packing ordinary program installers with unwanted/malicious additions – is used to proliferate browser-hijacking software as well. Download from untrustworthy sources (e.g., freeware and free for-hosting websites, P2P sharing networks, etc.) and rushed installations (e.g., used "Easy/Quick" settings, etc.) – increase the risk of inadvertently permitting bundled content into the system.

Additionally, intrusive advertisements are used to distribute browser hijackers. Once clicked on, some of these adverts can execute scripts to perform stealthy downloads/installations.

How to avoid installation of browser hijackers?

We strongly recommend researching software before downloading/installing or purchasing it. Furthermore, installation processes must be approached with care, e.g., by reading terms, studying possible options, using the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings, and opting out of all additions.

We also advise caution while browsing since fake and malicious content usually appears legitimate. For example, intrusive ads may look harmless – yet they redirect to highly questionable websites (e.g., adult dating, pornography, gambling, etc.).

In case of encounters with such advertisements/redirects, check the system and immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with Bizzy Beaver, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Permissions asked by Bizzy Beaver browser hijacker:

Website promoting Bizzy Beaver browser hijacker:

Alternative appearance of search.bizzy-beaver.com:

Appearance of search.bizzy-beaver.com redirecting to the Bing search engine (GIF):

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▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is Bizzy Beaver?
• STEP 1. Uninstall unwanted applications using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove Bizzy Beaver browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 3. Remove search.bizzy-beaver.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 4. Remove search.bizzy-beaver.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Bizzy Beaver browser hijacker removal:

Windows 11 users:

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

In the uninstall programs window: look for any recently installed suspicious applications, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Bizzy Beaver browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove Bizzy Beaver browser hijacker using Combo Cleaner:

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate "Bizzy Beaver" and other recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Change your homepage:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "Bizzy Beaver", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.search.bizzy-beaver.com) below the "Open a specific or set of pages" option. If present click on the three vertical dots icon and select "Remove".

Change your default search engine:

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for "search.bizzy-beaver.com", when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Delete".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.bizzy-beaver.com redirect, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate "Bizzy Beaver", as well as all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

Change your homepage:

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Settings", in the opened window disable "Bizzy Beaver", remove hxxp://search.bizzy-beaver.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

In the URL address bar, type "about:config" and press Enter. Click "Accept the Risk and Continue".

In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled". Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the button.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with search.bizzy-beaver.com redirect removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.

Select Troubleshooting Information.

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...

In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.

In the preferences window select General tab and make sure that your homepage is set to a preferred URL, if its altered by a browser hijacker - change it.

In the preferences window select Search tab and make sure that your preferred Internet search engine is selected.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate any recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.

Change your homepage and new tab settings:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click "Disable".

Change your default Internet search engine:

To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Privacy and services", scroll to bottom of the page and select "Address bar". In the "Search engines used in address bar" section look for the name of the unwanted Internet search engine, when located click the "Disable" button near it. Alternatively you can click on "Manage search engines", in the opened menu look for unwanted Internet search engine. Click on the puzzle icon near it and select "Disable".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.bizzy-beaver.com redirect, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

• If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

A browser hijacker is a type of adware infection that modifies Internet browser settings by assigning the homepage and default Internet search engine settings to some other (unwanted) website URL. Commonly, this type of adware infiltrates operating systems through free software downloads. If your download is managed by a download client, ensure that you decline offers to install advertised toolbars or applications that seek to change your homepage and default Internet search engine settings.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the purpose of forcing users to visit search.bizzy-beaver.com website?

Redirects to sites like search.bizzy-beaver.com are caused because cyber criminals (e.g., developers of browser hijackers and fake search engines) generate revenue through them.

Is visiting search.bizzy-beaver.com a threat to my privacy?

Most likely, yes. Websites like search.bizzy-beaver.com typically gather information about their visitors.

How did a browser hijacker infiltrate my computer?

Browser hijackers are primarily distributed via bundled installers, dubious download channels (e.g., freeware and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc.), online scams, spam browser notifications, and intrusive advertisements.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove Bizzy Beaver browser hijacker?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan systems and eliminate installed browser-hijacking apps. It must be mentioned that manual removal (unaided by security programs) might not be a perfect solution, particularly in cases involving multiple browser hijackers. In these instances, after one is removed – the others may simply reinstall it. Furthermore, removal-related settings might be unmodifiable with browser-hijacking software installed. Therefore, it is paramount to eliminate browser hijackers thoroughly and all at once.

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