Clearing search and search using empty field won't remove the previous search term from the URL

[sdgun]

Steps to Reproduce

• Login as a valid user

• Go to http://community-app.topcoder.com/challenges

• enter '*^&%&^%^&%&(%(%' and search

• Now delete the *^&%&^%^&%&(%(% text and click search

• Page will return to the Challenge listing page but the URL http://community-app.topcoder.com/challenges?%[0]=&%[1]=&^%^=&(%(%=

Actual Result(s)

• Clearing search and search using empty field won't remove the previous search term from the URL
• http://community-app.topcoder.com/challenges?^^$%^$)(*^=&^=

Expected Result(s)

• Must clear the search term from URL and display as http://community-app.topcoder.com/challenges

Environment

• Device(s): Laptop
• Operating System: Windows 7 64bit
• Browser(s): Chrome 60.0.3112.101 (Official Build) (64-bit)

Image/Video/JS Log/Console Log (If not attached here, Please check the comments section)

[sdgun]

[birdofpreyru]

Accepted, 3 points.
The actual problem here is that when search text is appended to URL special characters are not escaped. As in this example he used & in the search string, once it gets to URL, it is treated as params separator, and when filters reseted only known query params are removed, so this string is considered as a bunch of unknown params, and is not removed. We should properly escape the search string, and ensure that search still works properly once it is read from URL.