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

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

Shady.


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.

Screenshot of CNET's Shady "Safe Downloader"


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.