Search.safewebfinder.com Redirect (Mac)
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
How to remove search.safewebfinder.com browser hijacker from Mac?
What is search.safewebfinder.com?
search.safewebfinder.com is a fake Internet search engine identical to search.webfinderresults.com,search.webfindersearch.com, search.macsafefinder.com, and many others. By offering improved search results, search.safewebfinder.com attempts to give the impression of legitimacy. Be aware, however, that developers promote this site using rogue download/installation set-ups (browser hijackers) that modify browser options without permission. Furthermore, search.safewebfinder.com continually records various information (mostly relating to users' Internet browsing activity).
Research shows that browser hijackers target Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. Following infiltration, set-ups assign the new tab URL, default search engine, and homepage options to search.safewebfinder.com. In addition, they stealthily install a number of "helper objects" (potentially unwanted programs [PUPs] and/or browser add-ons). Although these changes may seem insignificant, users are unable to revert them. Helper objects automatically reassign browser options when attempts are made to change them. Therefore, returning browsers to their previous states becomes impossible and users continually encounter unwanted redirects to search.safewebfinder.com, significantly diminishing the Internet browsing experience. Another downside is information tracking. Helper objects and search.safewebfinder.com record various user-system information (such as IP addresses, keystrokes, URLs visited, search queries, etc.) that might contain personal details. This information is sold to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals). Therefore, information-tracking apps pose a direct threat to your privacy. Be aware that some PUPs/extensions stealthily misuse system resources to run various processes (including cryptocurrency mining). In doing so, PUPs/extensions significantly diminish overall computer performance. If you encounter redirects to search.safewebfinder.com, uninstall all suspicious applications and browser plug-ins. Never return to this website.
| Name | safewebfinder.com browser hijacker |
| Threat Type | Mac malware, Mac virus |
| Symptoms | Your Mac became slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you get redirected to shady websites. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads. |
| Damage | Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites, loss of private information. |
| Malware Removal (Mac) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
There are hundreds of fake Internet search engines (for example, home.pdftoolkit.net, search.yofitofix.com, aristotlesearch.com, etc.) that share similarities with search.safewebfinder.com. All claim to enhance the browsing experience by generating improved results and providing other "useful features" (such as weather forecasts, currency exchange rates, shortcuts to popular websites, etc.), however, these claims are merely attempts to trick users into believing that the websites are legitimate and useful. Fake search engines such as search.safewebfinder.com are designed only to generate revenue for the developers. Only a few provide the functionality promised - most are useless for regular users. Fake search engines cause unwanted redirects and record private data. In some cases, they generate false results and display malicious ads (coupons, banners, etc.) These results and ads can lead to malicious websites. In addition, the ads might execute scripts that download and install malware. Therefore, using a fake Internet search engine is very risky.
How did search.safewebfinder.com install on my computer?
As mentioned above, search.safewebfinder.com is promoted using browser-hijacking downloaders/installers (the "bundling" method). Research shows that developers hide details of browser settings' modification within various sections (most likely the "Custom/Advanced" options) of the download or installation processes - they do not reveal this information. Rushing these processes and skipping steps grants set-ups permission to modify various options. In addition, it expose systems to risk of various infections and compromises users' privacy.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
Potentially unwanted programs (helper objects) are distributed using the bundling method and via the aforementioned ‘malvertising’ advertisements. Therefore, be cautious when downloading/installing software and browsing the Internet. Carefully analyze each step of the download/installation processes (especially the "Custom/Advanced" settings) and opt-out of all additionally-included programs. Bear in mind that criminals monetize third party download/installation tools by promoting unwanted software (bundling). Therefore, download your software from official sources only using a direct download link. Most malicious ads appear genuine, however, they usually lead to gambling, pornography, adult dating, survey, and other similar sites. If you encounter such ads, uninstall all suspicious applications and browser plug-ins. The key to computer safety is caution.
Website promoting search.safewebfinder.com:
Instant automatic Mac malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of Mac malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for Mac
By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited three days free trial available.
Quick menu:
- What is search.safewebfinder.com?
- STEP 1. Remove search.safewebfinder.com related files and folders from OSX.
- STEP 2. Remove search.safewebfinder.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 3. Remove search.safewebfinder.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove search.safewebfinder.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:
search.safewebfinder.com redirect removal:
Remove search.safewebfinder.com related potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:
Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select “Applications”. In the applications folder, look for “MPlayerX”,“NicePlayer”, or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.
Remove safewebfinder.com browser hijacker related files and folders:
Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar, choose Go, and click Go to Folder...
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents
In the “LaunchAgents” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - “installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the same string.
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/Application Support folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/Application Support
In the “Application Support” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, “MplayerX” or “NicePlayer”, and move these folders to the Trash.
Check for adware-generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents folder:
In the Go to Folder bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents
In the “LaunchAgents” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - “installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the same string.
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons
In the “LaunchDaemons” folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example, “com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist”, “com.myppes.net-preferences.plist”, "com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist”, “com.avickUpd.plist”, etc., and move them to the Trash.
Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:
If you have followed all the steps in the correct order you Mac should be clean of infections. To be sure your system is not infected run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file double click combocleaner.dmg installer, in the opened window drag and drop Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates it's virus definition database and click "Start Combo Scan" button.
Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays "no threats found" - this means that you can continue with the removal guide, otherwise it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.
After removing files and folders generated by the adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.
safewebfinder.com browser hijacker homepage and default Internet search engine removal from Internet browsers:
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Remove safewebfinder.com browser hijacker related Safari extensions:
Open Safari browser. From the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".
In the preferences window, select "Extensions" and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the "Uninstall" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
Change your homepage:
In the "Preferences" window, select the "General" tab. To set your homepage, type the preferred website URL (for example: www.google.com) in the Homepage field. You can also click the “Set to Current Page” button if you wish to set your homepage to the website you are currently visiting.
Change your default search engine:
In the "Preferences" window, select the "Search" tab. Here you will find a drop-down menu labelled "Search engine:" Simply select your preferred search engine from the drop-down list.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.
Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Remove safewebfinder.com browser hijacker related Mozilla Firefox add-ons:
Open your Mozilla Firefox browser. At the top right corner of the screen, click the "Open Menu" (three horizontal lines) button. From the opened menu, choose "Add-ons".
Choose the "Extensions" tab and look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the "Remove" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Mozilla Firefox browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
Change your homepage:
To change your homepage, click the "Open Menu" (three horizontal lines) button and choose "Preferences" from the drop-down menu. To set your homepage, type the preferred website URL (for example: www.google.com) in the Homepage Page.
Change default search engine:
In the URL address bar, type "about:config" and click the "I'll be careful, I promise!" button.
In the "Search:" field, type the name of the browser hijacker. Right click on each of the found preferences and click "Reset" from the drop-down menu.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Remove safewebfinder.com browser hijacker related Google Chrome add-ons:
Open Google Chrome and click the "Chrome menu" (three horizontal lines) button located in the top-right corner of the browser window. From the drop-down menu, choose "More Tools" and select "Extensions".
In the "Extensions" window, look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the "Trash" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Google Chrome browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
Change your homepage:
Click the "Chrome menu" (three horizontal lines) button and choose "Settings". In the "On Startup" section, click the "Set pages" link near to the "Open a specific page or set of pages" option. Remove the URL of the browser hijacker (for example trovi.com) and enter your preferred URL (for example, google.com).
Change default search engine:
Click the "Chrome menu" (three horizontal lines) button and choose "Settings". In the "Search" section, click the "Manage search engines..." button. In the opened window, remove the unwanted Internet search engine by clicking the "X" button next to it. Select your preferred Internet search engine from the list and click the "Make default" button next to it.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.
Outstanding!
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