Colorian Adware (Mac)

What is Colorian?

Colorian is an adware-type potentially unwanted application (PUA) that promotes a fake search engine (search.thecolorian.com).

Despite this, developers promote Colorian as an app that provides daily 'colouring pages'. Generally, applications such as Colorian are promoted and distributed using a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". Therefore, most people install this app inadvertently.

Once installed, Colorian supposedly provides various websites containing original artwork (colouring pages), however, applications that are promoted using the "bundling" method usually also gather data such as queries, IP addresses, geo-locations, URLs of visited websites, etc. Personal details are also recorded.

Furthermore, developers of these apps (potentially, cyber criminals) share collected data with third parties who misuse it to generate revenue. Therefore, users might start experiencing privacy issues, problems with browsing safety, and even identity theft. Another problem with potentially unwanted programs (PUAs) is that users can encounter intrusive advertisements.

These apps employ tools that enable placement of third party graphical content (ads) on any site, thereby concealing underlying content. These ads can be annoying and, when clicked, open dubious or even potentially malicious websites. Alternatively, they can execute/run scripts designed to download/install other unwanted apps.

Note that Colorian promotes a fake search engine (search.thecolorian.com), and thus users might be forced to visit this website when they open browsers, new browser tabs, or simply search using the URL bar.

Furthermore, this search engine records data and its search results are simply generated by Yahoo (the site redirects users to search.yahoo.com if any search query is made). Therefore, Colorian can lead to a number of problems. We recommend that you uninstall this PUA immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by Colorian
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.

Video Monkey, PDF King, and ZipRar are just some examples of applications that are similar to Colorian and promoted using the "bundling" method. In most cases, apps of this type are promoted as 'useful' - developers present them as legitimate tools, however, they provide no real value for regular users and are designed only to generate revenue.

How did Colorian install on my computer?

Developers promote Colorian through their website, however, these apps are usually are installed unintentionally. This usually happens during installation or download of other regular software. "Bundling" is a deceptive method used to trick people into downloading/installing unwanted apps together with other software.

Typically, this is achieved by hiding information regarding the presence of PUAs in "Custom", "Advanced", and other settings of the installation/download set-ups. Unwanted installations (or downloads) usually occur when settings are left unchanged or the download/installation process is rushed by skipping steps.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

To avoid installation of various unwanted applications, choose software download sources/channels with care. Download software using official and trustworthy sources/websites only. Avoid third party downloaders, untrustworthy/unofficial websites, various Peer-to-Peer networks, and so on.

Examine each download/installation set-up (all steps), check available options, and settings such as "Advanced", "Custom", and so on. Decline offers to download or install additionally-included PUAs and only then finish the installation or download process.

Avoid clicking advertisements displayed on untrustworthy websites, since they can redirect to dubious websites such as gambling, adult dating, pornography, etc. If you often encounter these ads or unwanted redirects, PUAs might be installed on your browser or operating system.

Check extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons installed on your browser and programs on your computer. Remove (uninstall) all unwanted, suspicious entries immediately. If your computer is already infected with Colorian, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Website promoting Colorian:

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 Colorian?
• STEP 1. Remove Colorian related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove Colorian ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove Colorian adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove Colorian ads from Mozilla Firefox.

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

Colorian adware removal:

Remove Colorian-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 adware-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 exact 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 exact 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 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 adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove malicious extensions from Internet browsers

Remove malicious Safari extensions:

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.

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

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

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".

• 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".

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

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