How to remove Dancing Tubes browser hijacker and the redirects it generates

What kind of software is Dancing Tubes?

Our researchers found the Dancing Tubes browser extension during a routine inspection of dubious websites. After analyzing this extension, we determined that it operates by hijacking browsers.

Dancing Tubes makes alterations to browser settings in order to promote (via redirects) the search.dancingtubes.net fake search engine. Additionally, this browser hijacker spies on users' browsing activity.

Dancing Tubes browser hijacker overview

On our test machine, Dancing Tubes assigned search.dancingtubes.net as the browser's default search engine, homepage, and new tab/window URL. Therefore, when we performed a Web search via the URL bar or opened a new browser tab/window – it resulted in redirects to the search.dancingtubes.net site.

Illegitimate search engines are rarely capable of generating such results, so they tend to redirect to genuine Internet search websites. At the time of research, search.dancingtubes.net landed on the Bing search engine (bing.com). However, this website could lead elsewhere since factors like user geolocation may impact redirects.

It is pertinent to mention that browser-hijacking software may block access to removal-related settings and/or undo user-made changes.

Furthermore, Dancing Tubes has data-tracking functionalities. Targeted information can include: URLs visited, webpages viewed, search queries typed, bookmarks, Internet cookies, usernames/passwords, personally identifiable details, finance-related data, and so on. This sensitive information can then be monetized via sale to third-parties.

In summary, browser hijackers like Dancing Tubes can cause system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Dancing Tubes
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab
Browser Extension(s)	Dancing Tubes
Promoted URL	search.dancingtubes.net
Detection Names (search.dancingtubes.net)	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (search.dancingtubes.net)	3.225.140.174
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 examined numerous browser hijackers; Retro Sunset, Gradient Blobs, and AerospaceSearchTab are just a couple of examples.

Browser-hijacking software appears legitimate and offers a wide variety of functionalities. However, these functions seldom work as promised, and in most cases – they do not work at all. It must be stressed that even if a piece of software operates as indicated by its promotional material – that is not a guarantee of either legitimacy or safety.

How did Dancing Tubes install on my computer?

We obtained Dancing Tubes from its "official" download page. Aside from these seemingly legitimate webpages, browser hijackers are commonly promoted on scam sites. Users typically access such pages through redirects generated by mistyped URLs, websites using rogue advertising networks, spam browser notifications, intrusive adverts, or installed adware.

The bundling marketing technique – packing regular program installers with unwanted/malicious additions – is also used to distribute browser-hijacking software.

Download from dubious channels (e.g., freeware and third-party websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc.) and rushed installations (e.g., ignored terms, used "Quick/Easy" settings, etc.) – increase the risk of allowing bundled content into the system.

Intrusive advertisements proliferate browser hijackers as well. Once clicked on, some of the ads can execute scripts to perform stealthy downloads/installations.

How to avoid installation of browser hijackers?

We highly recommend researching software and downloading it only from official/trustworthy sources. Installation processes must be treated with care. Therefore, we advise reading terms, exploring possible options, and using the "Custom/Advanced" settings to opt out of all additions (e.g., apps, extensions, tools, etc.).

Another recommendation is to exercise caution when browsing since fake and dangerous online content usually appears ordinary and innocuous. For example, while intrusive adverts may look harmless – they redirect to unreliable/questionable sites (e.g., pornography, gambling, adult dating, etc.).

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

Permissions asked by Dancing Tubes browser hijacker:

Website promoting Dancing Tubes browser hijacker:

Appearance of search.dancingtubes.net redirecting to the Bing search engine (GIF):

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 Dancing Tubes?
• STEP 1. Uninstall unwanted applications using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove Dancing Tubes browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 3. Remove search.dancingtubes.net homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 4. Remove search.dancingtubes.net redirect from Safari.
• STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Dancing Tubes 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.

Dancing Tubes browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove browser redirects:

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Extensions" and click "Manage Extensions". Locate "Dancing Tubes" 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 "Dancing Tubes", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.search.dancingtubes.net) 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.dancingtubes.net", 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.dancingtubes.net 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 "Dancing Tubes", 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 "Dancing Tubes", remove hxxp://search.dancingtubes.net 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.dancingtubes.net 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.dancingtubes.net 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.dancingtubes.net website?

Redirects to websites like search.dancingtubes.net are typically generated because cyber criminals (e.g., developers of fake search engines and browser hijackers, etc.) profit through them.

Is visiting search.dancingtubes.net a threat to my privacy?

To a certain extent, yes. Websites like search.dancingtubes.net tend to collect data about their visitors.

How did a browser hijacker infiltrate my computer?

Browser hijackers are mainly spread via bundled installation setups, online scams, deceptive promotional webpages, freeware and free file-hosting websites, P2P sharing networks, intrusive ads, and spam browser notifications.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove Dancing Tubes browser hijacker?

Yes, Combo Cleaner will scan your computer and eliminate all the browser-hijacking applications present. Note that manual removal (unaided by security programs) might be ineffective, particularly when multiple browser hijackers have infiltrated the system. In these cases, after one is removed – the others may reinstall it. Furthermore, browser-hijacking software might be able to deny access to removal-related settings or undo user-made changes. Therefore, it is essential to eliminate browser hijackers thoroughly and all at once.

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