How to remove Light Tab browser hijacker
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of application is Light Tab?
We have discovered the Light Tab application after inspecting a deceptive website instructing visitors to download and install a recommended application. After examining this app, we found that it hijacks a web browser by changing some of its settings to search.lighttab.me. Light Tab is a browser hijacker that promotes a fake search engine.
Light Tab in detail
Light Tab changes the default search engine, homepage, and new tab page to search.lighttab.me. Moreover, it does not allow to remove search.lighttab.me from the settings while it is present. After testing search.lighttab.me, we found that it shows results generated by Bing (redirects to bing.com), a legitimate search engine.
Fake search engines can generate misleading results and show results generated by untrustworthy search engines. Another reason not to use fake search engines like search.lighttab.me is that they can be designed to collect information about users. That information can be sold to third parties or misused in other ways.
| Name | Light Tab |
| Threat Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab |
| Browser Extension(s) | Light Tab |
| Supposed Functionality | Providing background wallpapers for browsers |
| Promoted URL | search.lighttab.me |
| Detection Names (search.lighttab.me) | N/A (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address (search.lighttab.me) | 104.21.22.42 |
| 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), fake Flash Player installers. |
| 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. |
Browser hijackers in general
Browser hijackers promote untrustworthy (mainly fake) search engines. Not all browser hijackers change the settings of a web browser to promote fake search engines. Typically, apps of this type are promoted/distributed using deceptive methods. Thus, most users add them unknowingly.
More examples of browser-hijacking applications are YoSearch Weather Tab, SwiftSearch, and Keep Secure Search.
How did Light Tab install on my computer?
Light Tab is promoted using deceptive websites, and it has an "official" site. One of the pages promoting Light Tab encourages visitors to "Click Download and Install Recommended Chrome Extension". This browser hijacker gets added to a web browser after following the steps provided by that page.
In other cases, browsers get hijacked through installers for other programs, fake installers, or deceptive advertisements. Installers containing browser hijackers have "Custom", "Advanced", or similar settings (or ticked checkboxes). Browser hijackers get added after finishing software installations without changing those settings.
How to avoid installation of unwanted applications?
Use trustworthy sources (official websites and stores) to download applications. Do not trust files and apps downloaded from or through P2P networks, third-party downloaders, shady websites, etc. Also, do not click on advertisements while visiting questionable pages or allow pages of this kind to show notifications.
Deselect unwanted applications (change "Custom", "Advanced", or similar settings) before downloading and installing software. If your computer is already infected with Light Tab, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.
search.lighttab.me redirects to bing.com (GIF):
Deceptive promoting Light Tab browser hijacker:
Official Light Tab promotion site:
A notification displayed by a browser before adding Light Tab:
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:
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Quick menu:
- What is Light Tab?
- STEP 1. Uninstall Light Tab application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove Light Tab browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 3. Remove search.lighttab.me homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 4. Remove search.lighttab.me redirect from Safari.
- STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Light 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 (for example, "Light Tab"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications (which cause browser redirects to the search.lighttab.me website), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Light 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 "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate "Light Tab" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.
Change your homepage:
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "Light Tab", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.search.lighttab.me) 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.lighttab.me", when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Remove from list".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.lighttab.me 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 plugins from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Firefox menu 
(at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and remove "Light Tab", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins.
Change your homepage:
To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window disable "Light Tab", remove hxxp://search.lighttab.me 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 "I'll be careful, I promise!".
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.lighttab.me 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.lighttab.me 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 visit search.lighttab.me website?
Its creators generate more revenue when more users visit the search.lighttab.me page (use this fake search engine).
Is visiting search.lighttab.me a threat to my privacy?
Fake search engines can be designed to collect information about their userrs. It is known that Light Tab can read browsing history and chane data on all viaisted poages.
How did a browser hijacker infiltrate my computer?
Most browser hijackers are distributed via shady pages or using social engineering tactics, such as browser notifications, intrusive advertisements, etc. Also, they are distributed by bundling them with other programs.
Will Combo Cleaner help me remove Light Tab browser hijacker?
Yes, Combo Cleaner will remove a browser hijacker from your browser. If there is more than one browser hijacker present, all of them have to be removed at once to prevent them from reinstalling one another. Since it is difficult to achieve it manually, we recommend using Combo Cleaner for removal.
Outstanding!
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