How to eliminate The Yellow Tab browser hijacker

What kind of software is The Yellow Tab?

While inspecting a Torrenting website that uses rogue advertising networks, our researchers were redirected to a deceptive page endorsing The Yellow Tab browser extension. This promotional material describes the extension as an easy-access tool for news, updates, and other information regarding celebrities.

After examining The Yellow Tab, we determined that it is a browser hijacker. It modifies browsers to promote (via redirects) theyellownewtab.com fake search engine.

The Yellow Tab browser hijacker overview

In most cases, browser hijackers make alterations to browsers' default search engines, homepages, and new tabs/windows. Due to these modifications, users can be forced to visit the endorsed website when they open a new browser tab/window or enter a search query into the URL bar.

In case of The Yellow Tab, the redirects lead to theyellownewtab.com. Illegitimate search engines usually cannot provide search results and redirect to genuine Internet search websites. At the time of research, theyellownewtab.com landed on the Yahoo search engine (search.yahoo.com). However, this site could lead elsewhere since factors like user geolocation might influence redirects.

It is pertinent to mention that browser-hijacking software commonly employs persistence-ensuring techniques to complicate its removal and stop users from recovering their browsers.

Furthermore, browser hijackers typically spy on users' browsing activity, and such data-tracking abilities may be possessed by The Yellow Tab.

Targeted information can include: visited URLs, viewed webpages, searched queries, Internet cookies, account log-in credentials, personally identifiable details, finance-related data, etc. The collected information can be sold to third-parties or otherwise abused for profit.

To summarize, software like The Yellow Tab may cause system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	The Yellow Tab
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab
Browser Extension(s)	The Yellow Tab
Supposed Functionality	Easy access to celebrity news and updates
Promoted URL	theyellownewtab.com
Detection Names (theyellownewtab.com)	Avira (Malware), Combo Cleaner (Malware), CRDF (Malicious), CyRadar (Malicious), Fortinet (Malware), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (theyellownewtab.com)	172.67.130.118
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

Customize Your New Tab, QweZ, Daily Quote, and Colour Picker are just some examples of browser hijackers we have examined recently. This software typically entices users into downloading/installing with its harmless appearance and promises of "handy" functionalities. However, these functions rarely work as advertised, and in most cases – they do not work at all.

It must be stressed that even if an extension or app operates exactly as indicated by its promotional material – that is not a guarantee of legitimacy or safety.

How did The Yellow Tab install on my computer?

We obtained The Yellow Tab from its "official" download page. Aside from such legitimate-looking sites, browser hijackers are endorsed by scam webpages that employ scare tactics and similar techniques.

Most visitors to these pages enter them via redirects generated by intrusive ads, sites utilizing rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs, spam browser notifications, and installed adware.

Browser-hijacking software can also be bundled with ordinary programs. Downloading from freeware and free file-hosting sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, and other suspicious sources – poses a threat of bundled content infiltrating the system. The risk is further compounded by treating installations with negligence (e.g., ignoring terms, skipping steps, using "Easy/Quick" settings, etc.).

Intrusive advertisements proliferate this software as well. Once clicked on, some of these adverts can execute scripts to perform downloads/installations without user consent.

How to avoid installation of browser hijackers?

We recommend researching software before downloading or purchasing. All downloads must be made from official and verified channels. When installing, we advise reading terms, studying available options, using the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opting out of all supplements (e.g., apps, extensions, features, etc.).

Another recommendation is to be vigilant while browsing since fake and malicious online content usually appears legitimate and innocuous. For example, while intrusive ads may look harmless – they redirect users to unreliable and questionable websites (e.g., scam-promoting, pornography, adult dating, gambling, etc.).

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

Appearance of theyellownewtab.com redirecting to the Yahoo search engine (GIF):

Website promoting The Yellow Tab 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 The Yellow Tab?
• STEP 1. Uninstall unwanted applications using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove The Yellow Tab browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 3. Remove theyellownewtab.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 4. Remove theyellownewtab.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

The Yellow Tab 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.

The Yellow Tab 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 "The Yellow Tab" 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 "The Yellow Tab", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.theyellownewtab.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 "theyellownewtab.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 theyellownewtab.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 "The Yellow Tab", 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 "The Yellow Tab", remove hxxp://theyellownewtab.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 theyellownewtab.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 theyellownewtab.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 theyellownewtab.com website?

The motivation behind developing software that causes rogue redirects is profit. In other words, the developers generate revenue through redirects to sites like theyellownewtab.com.

Is visiting theyellownewtab.com a threat to my privacy?

To a certain extent, yes. Websites classed as fake search engines (e.g., theyellownewtab.com, etc.) usually gather visitor data. This information may then be sold to third-parties.

How did a browser hijacker infiltrate my computer?

The most commonly used distribution techniques include: bundled installers, deceptive promotional webpages, online scams, freeware and free file-hosting websites, P2P sharing networks, spam browser notifications, and intrusive advertisements.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove The Yellow Tab browser hijacker?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan systems and eliminate detected browser-hijacking applications. Note that manual removal (performed without the aid of security programs) might be ineffective, particularly when multiple browser hijackers are present. In these instances, after one is removed – the others may reinstall it. This software might also be capable of denying access to removal-related settings or undoing user-made changes. Therefore, browser hijackers must be eliminated thoroughly and all at once.

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