How to remove Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension browser hijacker

What kind of application is Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension?

Our investigation of the Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension found that it takes over web browsers by modifying their settings. The main purpose of this browser-hijacking extension is to promote a fraudulent search engine called search.basketball-fan.com. Also, it is possible that the Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension can collect various types of information.

Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension browser hijacker overview

During our examination, we discovered that the Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension app hijacks the user's browser settings, replacing the default search engine, homepage, and new tab page with its own search engine, search.basketball-fan.com. Additionally, the Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension has the capability to access and modify various types of data.

It is important to note that while search.basketball-fan.com displays search results from Bing by redirecting users to bing.com, which is a legitimate search engine, search.basketball-fan.com is not trustworthy and should be treated with caution. Same goes for basketballfansearch.com - another URL, which behaves exactly the same, promoted via this browser hijacker.

Fake search engines like search.basketball-fan.com have the capability to present deceptive or malicious content to users and gather their search queries and other personal data. The information collected by these search engines can be misused in various ways that pose a risk to users' privacy and security.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab
Browser Extension(s)	Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension
Supposed Functionality	Improved browsing experience
Promoted URL	search.basketball-fan.com, basketballfansearch.com
Detection Names (search.basketball-fan.com)	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (search.basketball-fan.com)	104.21.83.64
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), fake Flash Player installers.
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.

More about apps of this type

It is important to note that browser hijackers can prevent users from changing their default homepage or search engine settings, making it difficult or even impossible for them to revert to a legitimate search engine. Additionally, browser hijackers are frequently distributed through deceptive tactics.

Some examples of browser-hijacking extensions are JoyTab - Your News Tab, Nature Extension, and Architecture Tab.

How did Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension install on my computer?

Browser hijackers can be unintentionally added or installed by users when they download and install free software or applications from the internet. Software installers often bundle additional programs, including browser hijackers, which are automatically installed if users do not carefully review and uncheck optional offers during the installation process.

Furthermore, users may unknowingly add or install browser hijackers by clicking on misleading or malicious ads, links, or pop-ups that trick them into downloading and installing extensions or other software.

How to avoid installation of browser hijackers?

Avoid downloading software from unfamiliar or suspicious websites. Stick to reputable and official sources like the official app stores (e.g., Google Play Store, Apple App Store) or the official websites of the software developers. Before downloading an app, check the reviews and ratings provided by other users.

Avoid clicking on ads or pop-ups that prompt you to download software. Be cautious when downloading software from sites that offer free or discounted software. These sites may bundle additional unwanted apps or adware along with the software.

If your computer is already infected with Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Search.basketball-fan.com redirects to bing.com (GIF):

Permissions asked by Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension browser hijacker:

Websites promoting Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension browser hijacker:

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ 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 Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension?
• STEP 1. Uninstall Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 3. Remove search.basketball-fan.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 4. Remove search.basketball-fan.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension 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 (which cause browser redirects to the search.basketball-fan.com website), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension 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 "Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension" 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 "Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.search.basketball-fan.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.basketball-fan.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.basketball-fan.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 "Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension", 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 "Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension", remove hxxp://search.basketball-fan.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.basketball-fan.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.basketball-fan.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 visit search.basketball-fan.com website?

The purpose of forcing users to visit a fake search engine like search.basketball-fan.com is to generate revenue through advertising practices or gather user data for nefarious purposes.

Is visiting search.basketball-fan.com a threat to my privacy?

Yes, visiting search.basketball-fan.com, being a fake search engine, can pose a threat to your privacy. Fake search engines are designed to collect user data, including search queries, browsing habits, IP addresses, and other personally identifiable information.

How did a browser hijacker infiltrate my computer?

Browser hijackers can infiltrate your computer through bundled software downloads, malicious websites or ads, phishing emails or spam attachments, and exploiting outdated software or security vulnerabilities.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove Ultimate Basketball Fan Extension browser hijacker?

Manual removal may not be sufficient in cases where multiple browser hijackers are present and can reinstall each other. Moreover, certain settings may remain inaccessible while a browser hijacker is active, necessitating the simultaneous removal of all of them. Combo Cleaner can scan your computer and remove all detected browser-hijacking applications.

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