Facts on Showbox Malware, Virus and Overall Safety
Don’t you just hate it when a good app turns bad?
Most of the time, the developer’s intentions are good but something went wrong at some point and everything just falls apart. In some case, the intent to infect is embedded into the app itself.
Which case does Showbox belong to?
Let’s find out.
Contents
What is Showbox?
It’s an Android app that lets you watch TV shows and movies in HD for free. Free and HD usually don’t go together so that’s a red flag. Consider the app as one of those things that are too good to be true.
A common complaint about the app is its many bugs, causing the app to crash frequently. Over time, however, fixes have been issued and it was considered safe to use.
But because it is sideloaded, there’s a huge possibility that it may come with a malware.
And the truth is revealed…
According to the research team from Malwarebytes, the app is a browser hijacker.
Showbox was published by cyber thieves, allowing them to invade your system through malicious torrents, spam email attachments, and porn websites. It is also capable of using bugs in your system to mess up your phone and PC.
Long story short, it is a harmful malware that can cause major damage when installing to a Windows computer since it can alter registry and browser settings.
Once installed, expect several things to happen:
- Slower internet speed and browsing experience
- Slower PC or mobile device performance
- Loss of personal data
- Problems with security tools and other routine applications
- Introduction of new viruses into your system
Clearly, Shadowbox was designed to infect.
Before malware starts stealing confidential information, you should uninstall Showbox and all files related to it.
Remove Showbox and all traces of the app
This can be done using anti-virus and anti-malware apps like Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and Plumbytes Anti-Malware. The apps automatically remove Showbox and other unwanted programs that can potentially harm your computer.
You can also get rid of the app manually if you’re looking for a bit of a challenge.
Remove Showbox from Google Chrome
- Open the browser and click the menu button.
- Click Tools > Extensions.
- Look for Showbox and then click on the garbage bin icon to delete the extension.
- Click the ‘Remove’ option from the confirmation dialog box that will pop up.
Remove Showbox from Mozilla Firefox
- Open the browser and click on the menu button.
- Choose ‘Add-ons’ > Add-ons Manager tab.
- Select the Extension panel.
- Look for Showbox and click on the ‘Disable’ or ‘Remove’ option
- Remove all other unwanted extensions.
- Click ‘Restart now’ when prompted.
Remove Showbox from Internet Explorer
- Open a browser and click Tools option > ‘Manage add-ons’
- Click ‘Toolbars and Extensions’
- Look for Showbox and select it.
- Click the ‘Disable’ or ‘Remove’ option.
Once you’ve removed Showbox from the browser, you still need to uninstall related files and registry files, which were generated by the app.
To be safe…
Avoid installing apps that are sideloaded or not accessible from the Play Store or App Store. If an app doesn’t go through these channels, it can come with risks.