Bing.com Redirect (Mac)

What is bing.com?

bing.com is a well-known, legitimate search engine owned by Microsoft and is not associated with any viruses, malware, and so on.

Despite this, many browser hijackers, potentially unwanted applications (PUAs), promote bing.com to give the impression of legitimacy. Typically, users install apps of this type unintentionally. Once installed, they modify browser settings, deliver ads, and collect data relating to users' browsing activity.

Most browser-hijacking apps target popular browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer. When installed, they stealthily assign the default search engine, homepage, and new tab URL to bing.com. Some unwanted apps even add a URL extension to the shortcut targets of each affected browser.

These changes force users to visit bing.com when they open a browser/new tab and attempt to search. Another downside of having a browser hijacked by these unwanted apps is that they are often installed with so-called "helper objects". These are installed as extensions, plug-ins, or add-ons, and prevent users from changing the settings assigned by browser hijackers.

Therefore, "helper objects" reassign settings when attempts are made to change them. Redirects to bing.com pose no threats to browsing safety, privacy, etc., however, browser hijackers can cause issues, regardless of the legitimacy of the promoted search engine.

Furthermore, PUAs often feed users with intrusive advertisements (pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys, and so on) that usually conceal underlying content of any website. If clicked, they might redirect to untrustworthy, deceptive websites, thus potentially leading to installation of adware or even malware.

Another downside of browser-hijacking PUAs is that most gather browsing-related data (IP addresses, search queries, URLs of visited websites, geo-locations, etc.). Developers share this information with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals). Some of the collected data might include personal details.

Therefore, data tracking apps can cause privacy or browsing safety issues. We recommend that you uninstall all unwanted, unknown apps from browsers immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	browser-hijacking applications
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. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Most PUAs of this type (browser hijackers) are promoted as providing 'useful' tools or features, however, these are merely attempts by their developers to trick people into downloading/installing them.

Generally, these apps are designed only to generate revenue for and deliver no real value for regular users. Some examples of other websites promoted by browser hijackers include search.hogwarin.com, search-me.club, and mysearchency.com.

How did bing.com install on my computer?

In most cases, browser hijackers infiltrate systems without direct user permission - they are installed when software developers use a deceptive marketing method called "bundling" or through other (clicked) intrusive advertisements. Bundling is used to trick users into installing unwanted apps (such as browser hijackers) together with regular software.

Software developers hide these apps in "Custom", "Advanced" and other options/settings of the installation/download processes. They do not disclose information about additionally-included apps. Furthermore, many users skip installation/download steps without checking settings, thus leading to inadvertent installations.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Be careful when browsing the web and downloading/installing software, especially freeware (free software). Do not download apps from unofficial websites, using third party software downloaders/installers, or other similar sources. Check all available "Custom", "Advanced", and other settings/options when installing or downloading software.

Deselect offers to download/install various apps, change browser settings, and so on, and only then complete the process. Be careful with ads displayed on dubious websites. Clicking them might cause redirects to other unwanted/untrustworthy sites.

If you are continually redirected to pornography, gambling, adult dating, or other suspicious websites, check the list of installed applications/browser plug-ins, add-ons or extensions and remove any suspicious entries immediately. The same applies to programs installed on your operating system.

If your computer is already infected with browser hijackers, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Example of a browser-hijacking software installer that promotes bing.com:

Instant automatic Mac malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT 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 seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is bing.com?
• STEP 1. Remove browser hijacker related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove bing.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove browser hijackers from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove bing.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove browser redirects to bing.com using Combo Cleaner:

bing.com redirect removal:

Remove bing.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 browser hijacker-related files and folders

Click the Finder icon from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Check for browser hijacker 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 browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for browser hijacker 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 browser hijacker 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 browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for browser hijacker 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 correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure 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 the 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 its virus definition database and click the "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 browser hijackers, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove browser hijackers from Internet browsers

Remove Safari browser hijackers:

Open the 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 regular 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 labeled "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 Google Chrome browser hijackers:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Change your homepage

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable the malicious extension (if present), look for a browser hijacker URL below the "Open a specific or set of pages" option. If present, click on the three vertical dots icon and select "Remove".

Change your default search engine:

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for a browser hijacker URL, when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Delete".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

Change your homepage

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Settings", in the opened window disable malicious extension (if present), remove the browser hijacker URL and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

In the URL address bar, type "about:config" and press Enter. Click "Accept the Risk and Continue".

In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled". Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the button.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

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