Do you know what Chrom1um Browser is?
Have you downloaded Chrom1um Browser by accident, thinking it is an authentic browser? Although this program uses the icons of Chromium, it is not a legitimate or reliable web browser, and our research team classifies it as a potentially unwanted program. In fact, this PUP is more suspicious and unreliable than it might appear to be at first. We have analyzed this program in our internal lab, and we know all the reasons why you should delete Chrom1um Browser from your Windows operating system. Unfortunately, many users confuse this web browser with Chromium and Chrome. Google Chrome uses the source code from the Chromium project, and it is not surprising that this popular browser and Chromium-based browsers are often compared. Well, this is something malicious parties exploit to create fake Chrome and Chromium lookalikes. The good news is that you have already figured out that the browser we are discussing is not reliable, and you are on the right track.
Just like the infamous Chroomium Browser or Crxbro Browser, Chrom1um Browser does not have an interface. This web browser is most likely to employ Google Chrome by changing its Target. The Target determines the location of the browser it is launched from, and, if this location is changed to the one belonging to the suspicious PUP, you might be exposed to it without even realizing it. Fortunately, this suspicious program is most likely to install a browser hijacker (e.g., newsearch123.com or yessearches.com), which means that you should notice that something is not right. Of course, if these hijackers are not downloaded, you might not suspect you are using some other, completely unfamiliar browser. Overall, even though it might be tough detecting Chrom1um Browser, you need to remove it from your operating system because it might attempt tricking you. Even if this PUP keeps your regular search tools, it is dangerous. This unreliable program might track information about you and even leak it to unknown parties. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to predict how this PUP will act because there is no legal information that supports it.
It is very likely that Chrom1um Browser uses tracking cookies to spy on you. It might employ other technologies, such as web beacons, as well. Because an official website representing this PUP does not exist, users cannot check the legal information (e.g., a Privacy Policy) associated with it. Due to this, it is nearly impossible to know what actions this potentially unwanted program will initiate. As you already know, this program can download browser hijackers without your permission. Unfortunately, the web is flooded with all kinds of malicious programs, and there are no guarantees that they will not find their way into your operating system with the assistance of the PUP. Of course, malware might be active even without the interference of Chrom1um Browser. Our research has revealed that this program is often spread by unfamiliar installers that promote software bundles, which means that you might have let malware in just by downloading the browser.
The removal of Chrom1um Browser is important, and we hope that you will not postpone this task for much longer. Because you cannot uninstall this PUP, we suggest eliminating this threat by erasing its components, which you can do following the guide below. If this is the method you choose to follow, do not forget to erase all other threats. Another method we want to discuss is automatic removal. Implement an anti-malware tool you can trust, and let it clean your operating system from all malicious infections automatically. Note that anti-malware software can also help you protect your PC from malware in the future, and this is why we recommend installing this software over proceeding with the manual removal.
Delete Chrom1um Browser from Windows
- Simultaneously tap keys Win+E to launch Explorer.
- Type %PROGRAMFILES(x86)% (or %PROGRAMFILES%) into the address bar and tap Enter.
- Right-click the Chrom1um Browser folder and choose Remove.
- Type %WINDIR%\Tasks into the address bar and tap Enter.
- Right-click and Delete the task called Chrom1umBrowserUpdateCore.
- Type %WINDIR%\System32\Tasks into the address bar and tap Enter.
- Right-click and Delete two tasks called Chrom1umBrowserUpdateUA and Chrom1umCheckTask.
- Simultaneously tap Win+R keys to launch RUN.
- To launch the Registry Editor, enter regedit.exe and click OK.
- Move down these paths and Delete the Chrom1um related keys:
- HKCU\Software\Classes\Chrom1umHTM
- HKLM\Software\Chrom1um
- HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Chrom1um
- HKLM\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\Chrom1um
- HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Clients\StartMenuInternet\Chrom1um
- Delete the WSModules key in these paths:
- HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\services\WSModules
- HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\WSModules
- HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\WSModules
- Delete the progid value in these keys (if value data is Chrom1umHTM):
- HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.htm\UserChoice
- HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.html\UserChoice
- HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.shtml\UserChoice
- HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.xht\UserChoice
- HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.xhtml\UserChoice
In non-techie terms:
Chrom1um Browser is not a trusted application, and you should better remove it from your operating system right away. As you can see above, the manual removal of this PUP is not the most complicated of tasks, but you do not need to waste your time with it. Instead, you can install a reliable anti-malware tool that will not only erase this PUP, but will also get rid of all other active infections and prevent them from entering in the future. If you have any more questions regarding the removal process or the protection of your Windows operating system, you can start a discussion in the comments box below, and we will join in shortly.