Have you ever wondered: “What is this sneaky Spigot malware, and how to get rid of it?” after seeing it pop up in your antivirus scans?
Spigot malware is a rather annoying (and potentially unsafe) group of browsers hijackers classified as adware. They hide among your downloads and install themselves as browser extensions that bombard you with advertisements.
While seemingly the least dangerous threat out of all types of malware, Spigot applications are often misused to infect your system with spyware and collect your data.
Keep on reading to learn more about this pesky intruder!
What Is Spigot Malware?
The Spigot malware is a group of browser modifier programs that change your web browser’s settings to display pop-up ads and redirect you to scam sites. Some users may even see their ‘New tab’ page changed to a different search engine.
In addition to the barrage of unwanted ads all over your screen, Spigot applications may also hide keyloggers that record your keystrokes and collect sensitive information.
Therefore, even though the Spigot adware is not technically a virus, it can have malicious traits if modified to hijack your browser, inject a rootkit, or spy on you.
Ultimately, the purpose of the Spigot adware is to generate revenue via the advertisements it displays, which are sponsored by third-party sites.
How Does the Spigot Malware Infect Your Device?
This specific adware bundles itself with downloads from apparently reputable sites. To fool users, it also uses clever, seemingly legitimate names, like Slick Savings and Amazon Shopping Assistant. So, when they install it as an extension, they don’t immediately attempt to eliminate it since it appears as a genuine and useful browser add-on.
Once it is neatly situated in your browser, the Spigot adware begins collecting your inputs and personal data and constantly displays a slew of irritating ads.
While both individuals and companies are targeted by this adware, individuals are the easier target as they are fooled by ads of new games, movies, or other enticing offers.
How Much Damage Can the Spigot Malware Do?
The apparent purpose of the Spigot malware is to redirect you to shady promotional sites, adult domains, and dating sites, so it generates income for its advertisers.
However, Spigot also starts doing serious damage as soon as it is installed by recording anything you enter in sign-in fields across websites, including your usernames, passwords, credit card data, and personal information (name, address, date of birth).
In addition to this risk of identity theft, this type of adware can also access your search history, see all your bookmarks, and even modify your Windows registry!
With all this information in the hands of threat groups, your entire digital life is at risk since they can access and steal your funds, ruin your reputation, and do unimaginable damage by contacting your friends, family, and employers.
How to Avoid Getting Infected by the Spigot Malware?
You should utilize two tools to avoid catching any malware: premium antivirus software and common sense. The first will keep your device protected at all times and stop most (if not all) digital threats that attempt to infect your device). The second helps you identify the warning signs that you are about to be attacked by malware.
The standard safe practices you can employ in your day-to-day digital life include:
- Stay off shady sites,
- Download from official sources,
- Abstain from installing third-party add-ons,
- Refrain from freely entering your credentials,
- Update your device and antivirus software,
- Verify the authenticity of messages and emails.
Coupled with efficient AV software, the above precautions are all you need to stay safe online and keep your data away from the hands of malicious users.
How to Remove the Spigot Malware?
If you inadvertently installed the Spigot malware, you’ll soon notice all the symptoms, such as the abundance of pop-up ads and general lag in your browser and system.
At this point, immediately get rid of it by following these or similar steps:
- Install a reputable antimalware software;
- Open your AV and run a deep scan;
- Quarantine and/or delete all found threats;
- Restart your machine to complete the process.
| 📝Note When removing the Spigot malware, your AV software will generally detect it under ‘Adware.Spigot’, ‘PUP.Optional.Spigot’, and ‘spigot-ay’. |
In addition to completing the above procedure, you may have to remove any Spigot-related extension from your browsers manually. To do so, open your browser, navigate to its ‘Extensions’ or ‘Add-ons’ page, and remove any and all of the following extensions: Slick Savings, Searchme, Amazon Shopping Assistant, and Ebay Shopping Assistant.
If you are on macOS, you may also have to manually delete the following three files:
- ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.spigot.SearchProtection.plist
- ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.spigot.ApplicationManager.plist
- ~/Library/Application Support/Spigot/
They are located in your User Library folder, which you can easily access via the Finder.
Bottom Line
To sum up, Spigot adware is a family of browser hijackers that are annoying to deal with at the least and potentially dangerous at the most since they can mislead users to access malware-ridden sites or may contain spyware that records their actions. Thankfully, you can quickly get rid of the sneaky Spigot malware with a free-to-use antimalware app.
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With a master's degree in telecommunications and over 15 years of working experience in telecommunications, networking, and online security, he deeply understands cybersecurity's value and importance. Max leverages his vast experience and knowledge to research the latest cyber threats, scams, malware, and viruses in-depth.