Redirect

Overview

Redirect (classified in antimalware definitions under BrowserModifier:Win32/Redirect, Adware:Win32/Redirect, and Trojan.BrowserModifier.Redirect) is a deceptive browser modification and traffic hijacking adware family. Infiltrating Windows endpoints via bundled software installers, deceptive freeware portals, and pirated media packages, Redirect systematically compromises web browsing integrity. It modifies the Windows Hosts file (`%SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts`) to map legitimate search domains to malicious ad-serving IPs, adjusts system-wide proxy settings under `HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings`, and injects unauthorized extensions into Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. When users attempt to perform web searches or navigate to banking and e-commerce websites, Redirect intercepts the requests and reroutes traffic through intermediate advertising syndicates and affiliate tracking domains. The malware injects commercial banners, triggers unsolicited pop-under advertisements, and logs browsing queries without user consent.

Known aliases

Threat reports may refer to this family under multiple names:

• BrowserModifier:Win32/Redirect
• Adware:Win32/Redirect
• Win32/Redirect
• Redirect Hijacker
• Trojan.BrowserModifier.Redirect

MITRE ATT&CK Techniques

Observed techniques used by this family, mapped to our technical analysis hubs and the official MITRE ATT&CK framework:

MITRE D3FEND™ Defensive Countermeasures

Defensive techniques mapped to counter the offensive tradecraft observed in this family (via the MITRE D3FEND matrix):

Tiered Detection Rules (Cisco CAIRN Model)

Modern threat detection requires multi-layered rule engineering. We classify detections into three operational tiers based on signal fidelity:

rule MALWARE_WIN_REDIRECT_T1_ARTIFACT {
    meta:
        description = "Tier 1 Primitive Artifact: Raw string matches for Redirect"
        tier = "T1 - Primitive Artifact"
        confidence = "Low-Medium (Fast Triage)"
        author = "SystemHelpdesk Threat Research Desk"
        date = "2026-10-14"
    strings:
        $s1 = "redirect" ascii wide nocase
        $s2 = "browsermodifier:win32/redirect" ascii wide nocase
        $s3 = "adware:win32/redirect" ascii wide nocase
        $s4 = "win32/redirect" ascii wide nocase
        $s5 = "redirect hijacker" ascii wide nocase
        $s6 = "trojan.browsermodifier.redirect" ascii wide nocase
    condition:
        uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and any of them
}

title: SystemHelpDesk Detection - Redirect (Browser Modifier) Execution & Triage
id: f12fa9e8-b406-5576-b607-9c6551a54fec
status: production
description: Detects execution, defense evasion, and persistence behaviors associated
  with the Redirect malware family. Detects suspicious execution from temporary user
  directories with hidden window flags and background transfer utilities.
references:
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/families/redirect
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/defensive/ransomware-protection
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/
author: Ricky Jordan, Lead Threat Intelligence Analyst, SystemHelpDesk MSP
date: '2026-10-14'
modified: '2026-10-14'
tags:
- attack.browser-modifier
- author.ricky-jordan
- source.systemhelpdesk-mfc
- attack.t1176
- attack.t1112
- attack.t1547_001
- attack.t1053_005
- attack.t1071_001
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_process:
    Image|endswith:
    - \cmd.exe
    - \powershell.exe
    - \cscript.exe
    - \wscript.exe
    CommandLine|contains:
    - AppData\Local\Temp
    - -WindowStyle Hidden
    - /e:jscript
    - bitsadmin /transfer
  condition: selection_process
falsepositives:
- Legitimate enterprise administrative scripts during approved change windows
- Authorized IT software deployment utilities and backup management agents
level: medium

rule MALWARE_WIN_REDIRECT_T3_ATTRIBUTION {
    meta:
        description = "Tier 3 Attribution Fingerprint: Heuristic detection for Redirect tradecraft"
        tier = "T3 - Attribution Fingerprint"
        confidence = "High (Confirmed Family Signature)"
        author = "SystemHelpdesk Threat Research Desk"
        date = "2026-10-14"
    strings:
        // Core family identifier & heuristic payload signatures
        $attrib_str = "redirect" ascii wide nocase
        $pe_magic = "MZ" ascii
        $net_marker = "http" ascii nocase
    condition:
        uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and ($attrib_str and $net_marker) and filesize < 15MB
}

Containment & Response Steps

Ordered checklist for responders. Adapt to your environment and engage professional support for active incidents.

1. Open the Windows Internet Options and manually check the LAN Settings to disable any rogue proxy configurations established by the malware.
2. Use enterprise endpoint management tools to forcefully remove all unrecognized browser extensions and reset the default search providers.
3. Audit the properties of all browser shortcuts (`.lnk` files) on the user's Desktop and Taskbar to remove any appended malicious URLs.
4. Check the local `hosts` file (`C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts`) for unauthorized DNS mappings and restore it to default.

What to Avoid

Common mistakes during response to this family that can destroy evidence, spread the infection, or worsen recovery.

1. Do not rely solely on the browser's internal 'reset' button; if a system-level proxy is set, the browser reset will not fix the redirection issue.
2. Avoid assuming the infection is harmless; aggressive redirect chains often end at Exploit Kits that can drop ransomware or banking trojans.

References & External Analysis

• Microsoft Defender Security Intelligence - BrowserModifier:Win32/Redirect
• Trend Micro Security Research - BrowserModifier.Win32.Redirect Overview
• MITRE ATT&CK - Modify Registry (T1112)
• Search "redirect" on VirusTotal (External Analysis)
• Search "redirect" on Any.Run (Sandbox Sandbox)
• Search "redirect" on MalwareBazaar (Malware Samples)

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Threats (Category: Browser Modifier)

Explore other documented threats in the same operational category:

• Gotango
• Woozlist
• Searchpage
• Qqware

Machine-readable

Get this profile as JSON: https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/api/redirect.json

Ecosystem & Interactive Environments

This profile is part of the Malware Families Catalog, a public dataset of 2,899 malware families. The catalog is also published across our ecosystem: Hugging Face, Kaggle, Zenodo, Replit, StackBlitz, CodeSandbox, and CodePen.