Pugu5l.com POP-UP Redirect (Mac)
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is "pugu5l.com"?
Pugu5l.com is a dubious, deceptive website that cannot be trusted. Once visited, it opens various scam websites that display fake notifications about detected errors, viruses, and so on. It also opens websites that trick people into updating their Flash players by downloading fake updaters (unwanted or malicious software).
It often redirects to websites designed to promote various potentially unwanted applications (PUAs). Therefore, avoid the pugu5l.com website.
People who are forced to visit this site generally have PUAs installed. These cause redirects to untrustworthy pages, deliver ads, and collect data. Examples of other websites similar to pugu5l.com include dartsearch.net, tweakingtools.info, and getmacsoft.com.
Once installed, PUAs open this rogue website in a new browser tab (or window). When visited, it opens other deceptive websites. Therefore, redirects from pugu5l.com can lead to installation of various malicious PUAs (and others).
Some PUAs continually open this website, however, they can also feed users with advertisements such as coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, and so on. Generally, these ads are delivered using tools that enable placement of third party content, thereby concealing visited websites.
These advertisements may seem tempting, however, when clicked, they often open other dubious (possibly malicious) websites.
They can sometimes run scripts designed to download/install additional unwanted apps. Unfortunately, intrusive ads are not the only problem: unwanted apps of this type usually record data such as IP addresses, geo-locations, URLs of visited websites, search queries, and so on.
In some cases they collect sensitive (personal) information. PUA developers share the data with third parties (who may be cyber criminals). Whoever receives the data will misuse it to generate revenue. People with these apps installed on their systems are likely to experience problems relating to browsing safety, online privacy, or even identity theft.
| Name | pugu5l.com pop-up |
| 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. |
Typically, PUAs are promoted as legitimate and useful applications, however, developers promote them in this way simply to trick more people into downloading and installing them. In fact, they cause only problems and deliver no real value, tools, or features, etc.
How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?
Potentially unwanted apps can sometimes be downloaded from websites that their developers use to promote them, however, most people end up having them installed when they click intrusive ads or download/install other software.
The reason behind these unintentional installations is often "bundling", a deceptive marketing method that developers use to trick people installing unwanted apps together with other regular software. They achieve this by hiding unwanted apps in "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar sections of the download/installation set-ups.
Failing to disclose information about the inclusion of PUAs in set-ups is often enough to trick people, especially those who do not check the settings - they download and install software without paying attention to the details.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
Download software from official (trustworthy) websites, and not third party software downloaders, torrent clients, eMule (and other Peer-to-Peer networks), unofficial websites, and so on. Install software carefully. Check all available "Advanced", "Custom" and other sections/settings of the download or installation procedures. Deselect offers to install unwanted apps.
Furthermore, carefully choose which ads to click. Dubious ads may seem legitimate, however, once clicked, they often cause redirects to untrustworthy websites (gambling, pornography, adult dating, and so on). Unwanted redirects or intrusive ads are often a consequence of having unwanted apps installed.
Check for any new plug-ins, add-ons, or extensions installed on the web browser, or suspicious programs installed on the operating system. Eliminate/uninstall unwanted apps immediately. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.
Appearance of "pugu5l.com" deceptive website (GIF):
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 "pugu5l.com"?
- STEP 1. Remove PUA related files and folders from OSX.
- STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
- STEP 3. Remove rogue add-ons from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.
Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:
Potentially unwanted applications removal:
Remove 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.
Outstanding!
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