Safari Redirect Virus (Mac)

What is Safari Redirect Virus?

Rogue applications that are categorized as browser hijackers and modify Safari browser settings have a generic name: "Safari Redirect Virus". When installed, browser-hijacking apps change settings of the affected browser and record various information (usually browsing-related). Typically, people install these apps inadvertently.

Browser hijackers are categorized as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs). When installed, they modify browser settings such as default search engine, homepage, and new tab URL. They assign a specific URL to these settings, overwriting any previous values.

Once these changes are made, users are redirected to the new URL or to visit a particular website when a browser window or new tab is opened, or a search query is entered into the URL bar.

As the name suggests ("Safari Redirect Virus"), these browser hijackers target Safari browsers, however, PUAs of this type also target other popular browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Most affect browsers installed on Windows Operating Systems.

Changes made by browser hijackers may seem insignificant, however, it is impossible to undo them as long PUAs are installed. They prevent users from reverting the settings and change them back when attempts are made.

Another downside of having unwanted apps of this type installed is that they usually gather browsing-related (and other) data. Browser hijackers collect IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, geo-locations, search queries, URLs of visited websites, pages viewed, and so on. PUAs might also record sensitive/personal information.

Developers use the data to generate revenue by sharing or selling it to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals). These people misuse private data to generate revenue. Thus, having data tracking apps such as browser hijackers installed might cause problems relating to privacy, browsing safety, and identity theft. You are advised to remove all PUAs immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	Safari redirect malware
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 virtually identical: developers promote them by promising 'useful' features and tools, however, these are merely attempts to trick people into downloading/installing them. Once installed, they provide none of the functionality promised.

On the contrary, they cause unwanted redirects, change browser settings, and gather data. They are designed only to generate revenue for their developers. Some examples of browser hijackers that target Safari include homesweeklies.com, weknow.ac, and playsearchnow.com.

How did Safari Redirect Virus install on my computer?

In some cases, PUAs can be downloaded from their (supposedly official) websites, however, users often download/install them unintentionally through intrusive ads that, once clicked, execute scripts designed to download and install PUAs, or when software developers use a deceptive marketing method called "bundling".

Bundling is used to trick people to install potentially unwanted apps together with other, regular software. Developers hide bundled apps in "Custom", "Advanced" (and other similar settings) of the installation (or download) set-ups.

Most users cause inadvertent installations (or downloads) by skipping installation/download procedures without checking available settings and leaving them unchanged. In other cases, they cause infiltration by clicking untrustworthy, deceptive advertisements.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Download software from official sources and using direct links only. Avoid using third party software downloaders (and installers), since these are usually monetized by promoting potentially unwanted apps. Avoid using peer-to-peer networks (such as torrent clients, eMule, and so on) or various unofficial, dubious websites.

Install software with care - do not skip installation or download steps and analyze each step by checking all available settings/options such as "Custom", "Advanced", and other similar parts.

Bear in mind that most malicious (or other untrustworthy) advertisements often seem legitimate, however, by clicking them, many users are redirected to adult dating, gambling, pornography, or other untrustworthy websites. If you experience unwanted redirects, it is possible that PUAs are installed on the browser or computer.

Check the list of installed apps, such as extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins on the browser and remove all suspicious, unwanted entries immediately. Also apply this to programs installed on your computer. If your computer is already infected with browser hijackers, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

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 Safari Redirect Virus?
• STEP 1. Remove browser hijacker related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove unwanted browser redirects from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove browser hijackers from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove rogue extensions from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

Safari Redirect Virus redirect removal:

Remove Safari Redirect Virus 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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