Where has the SearchMe extension for Safari and Chrome come from?

Again, today, I found out that my default search engine has been changed to "Yahoo", which is weird as I didn't do that.

This is the second time it happens, and I found out there is an extension named "search me" is installed both in safari and chrome. Where is this stupid plugin comes from? I don't remember I install it.

^{Some other guys also have this issue: Apple Support Communities thread}

Solution 1:

The current versions of uTorrent and bitTorrent, as of July 2013, bundle the SearchMe extension in their package installers.

Shady.

Solution 2:

I just encountered the same problem after downloading a piece of software from CNET.

I just tried downloading a tool from CNET (the app was Time Out: link on CNET), and the CNET downloader's 2nd page (which looks idential to a EULA and even says "I accept the terms and conditions) actually contains a shady acceptance of installing all SearchME extensions in all browsers, as well as making Yahoo! the default search engine in all browsers.

Solution 3:

I downloaded BitTorrent and Spigot/SeachMe/Yahoo was bundled with it. I don't remember there being an option to not install but I usually never would.

I am running OS X 10.8.5 and I used the alt key to open Library through Go in Finder.

These are the files I found and their locations.

• ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/External Extensions/hjalolmjgklbjgaomjjofphdjnajmnim.json

  This contains the following:

  {
      "external_version": "1.1", 
      "external_crx": "/Users/name/Library/Application Support/Spigot/Searchme.chromeextension.crx"
  }
  

• ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari/Extensions/searchme.safariextension

• ~/Library/Safari/Extensions/me.safariextz

I can't find the extensions for Chrome but Safari isn't opening the the toolbar anymore. This happened to me once before and I ended up uninstalling Chrome and just reinstalling and it seemed to work ok.