If you have filmsNow Search in your Google Chrome browser, it is possible that you are a movies fan and installed this questionable browser extension to be able to watch films online. However, it is also possible that you have no idea how this potentially unwanted program (PUP) slithered onto your system and ended up in your browser. As a matter of fact, this is not the first time we have seen such an extension. This PUP belongs to a growing family of equally useless and questionable tools, including MoviesNet Search, NetGaming Search, and FilmsNet Start. You could be exposed to potentially harmful third-party ads and links if you keep using this application. We believe that it is important that you remove filmsNow Search from your browser because you could let malware infections on board or even get scammed by cyber crooks on malicious websites if you are not careful.
There are basically three promotional pages where you can install this PUP. First, medianetnow.com is a collective page that promotes five "different" browser extensions (all of them virtually the same). Second, there is a subpage on this website, movie.medianetnow.com/wim/lp/lp13/index_28.php, which also provides you with a button to install this tool. Finally, the Chrome web store page at chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/filmsnow-search/pcflcdabljbmaodkpkpbepfihonpegjc. This page shows that over 160 thousand users have installed this tool over the past two weeks, which is quite suspicious. This success can be due to the keyword "films," which is probably one of the most sought after on the web. Once you install this extension, you get redirected to movie.friendlyappz.com/wim/lp/lp13/index2.php, where you are offered to install yet another useless tool.
The real security issue is presented by the fact that this PUP can also be found spreading via corrupt third-party pop-up ads as well as freeware bundles. You may click on such a pop-up while visiting a video streaming website, for instance, which ask you to install a Flash update or any other plugin to be able to see the videos. However, you would instead install this PUP without realizing. This can also happen when you click on other fake pop-ups and banners, i.e., third-party ads, which may be presented to you by suspicious websites or malware infections on your system like adware. Since in these cases you may drop a full bundle of threats that could include adware programs, browser hijackers, keyloggers, Trojans, and more, in addition to PUPs, your computer could be swarming with infections by now. This is why it could be essential to run a proper online malware scanner on your system after you delete filmsNow Search.
This PUP changes somewhat your homepage and new tab settings so that you can only use the address bar to search the web with your newly defined default search engine, search.medianetnow.com. Unfortunately, this questionable search engine can show you modified Yahoo search results that may contain potentially corrupt third-party ads and sponsored links. This extension also displays an icon in your Google Chrome browser taskbar, next to the menu button. If you press this icon, it opens a new tab with "api.medianetnow.com/wim/api/verticals/content.php?vert=movies&omni=m&id=pcflcdabljbmaodkpkpbepfihonpegjc&name=filmsNow%20Search" and a small pop-up is displayed to instruct you to type "m" and then, press the Tab key to be able to use this special search. If you enter keywords in your address bar now and press Enter, you will be redirected to a gomovix.com search page. This promoted website may display questionable third-party ads and you may not even be able to watch streaming videos there. All in all, we suggest that you remove filmsNow Search from your browser to be on the safe side.
If you would like to put an end to this potential threat source, you can use our instructions below. It is really not difficult to remove this extension. However, it may well be the least dangerous threat on your system. We recommend that you go on hunting down potential and malicious threats until your computer is fully clean. If you cannot do this manually, we advise you to install a reliable anti-malware program like SpyHunter.