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Searchnewworld.com Redirect (Mac)

Also Known As: searchnewworld.com browser hijacker
Type: Mac Virus
Damage level: Medium

What is searchnewworld.com?

searchnewworld.com is a dubious website, a fake search engine that opens bing.com. Note that searchnewworld.com is opened by goto-searchitnow.global.ssl.fastly.net, which in turn, is opened by a number of unwanted applications/malware, such as Fake Calculator.

Unlike browser hijackers, Fake Calculator does not change browser settings, however, people who have this app installed on their systems are forced to visit searchnewworld.com (by opening goto-searchitnow.global.ssl.fastly.net) each time they attempt to search the web. This app is related to another unwanted app called MacSecurityPlus.

searchnewworld.com browser hijacker on a Mac computer

There are many potentially unwanted apps (PUAs) that promote fake search engines. When used (voluntarily or involuntarily), they gather various information such as URLs of visited websites, entered search queries, IP addresses, geolocations, and other details relating to users' browsing habits. Fake search engines also gather similar information.

Furthermore, searchnewworld.com is a useless search engine. As mentioned above, it redirects users to bing.com. Therefore, users enter a search query and end up searching the web via Bing, a legitimate search engine owned by Microsoft. This renders searchnewworld.com pointless and redundant, since it does not generate any unique results.

In summary, unwanted redirects to searchnewworld.com significantly diminish the browsing experience. Furthermore, visiting this site can lead to various privacy issues due to stolen personal data.

Threat Summary:
Name searchnewworld.com browser hijacker
Threat Type Mac malware, Mac virus.
Serving IP Address 192.64.119.60
Observed Subdomains search.searchnewworld.com, search2.searchnewworld.com
Symptoms Your Mac became slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites.
Distribution methods Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious 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.

The number of fake search engines online is countless. Some examples of other similar engines are search.wizconvert.com, search.margamish.com, and search.prosearchtip.com

They supposedly generate unique and accurate results, deliver fast searches, and are legitimate, however, most are designed by developers who use them to generate revenue. In summary, fake search engines are useless and cause problems relating to privacy, browsing safety, and so on.

How did searchnewworld.com install on my computer?

Unwanted apps are commonly downloaded/installed together with regular software ('bundling') or by clicking intrusive/deceptive advertisements. Bundling is a deceptive marketing method that developers use to trick people into downloading and installing unwanted apps by hiding them into set-ups of regular software.

They hide information regarding the inclusion of these rogue apps in "Advanced", "Custom", and other similar sections. PUAs apps are thus installed when people leave settings unchanged or even unchecked.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Download software from official websites and avoid using Peer-to-Peer networks (eMule, torrent clients, and so on), third party downloaders, dubious/unofficial websites and other similar sources. Study each download and installation step by checking all available "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar parts of the setup.

Reject any offers to install/download unwanted apps before finishing the download or installation process. Intrusive ads (especially if displayed on dubious websites) should not be clicked, since they can open various gambling, pornography, adult dating, and other untrustworthy web pages (or cause unwanted downloads/installations).

If intrusive ads or redirects to dubious pages occur regularly, check for any unwanted extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons installed on the browser and remove/uninstall them. The same applies to programs of this kind installed on the 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.

To remove the fake Calculator app, go to "~/Library/Application Support/", open the ".dir" folder, and remove these files:

  • MacSecurityPlus.app
  • Finder
  • Finder.app
  • CompanyUpdater.app
  • update.zip
  • params.json

Go to "~/Applications/" and remove the "Calculator.app" file. Finally, go to "~/Library/LaunchAgents/" and remove the following files:

  • com.company.InstallerAgent.plist
  • com.engineering.calulator.plist
  • com.xyz.abc.MacSecurityPlus.plis

Screenshot of searchitnow.info set as the homepage:

searchitnow.info set as a homepage

Screenshot of the fake Calculator application:

fake calculator app

MacSecurityPlus process running in Activity Monitor:

macsecurytiplus process in activity monitor

Appearance of redirect from a new tab to searchnewworld.com (GIF):

searchnewworld redirect appearance in 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:

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

searchnewworld.com redirect removal:

Remove searchnewworld.com-related potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:

mac browser hijacker removal from 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

Mac Go To Folder step

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

Mac removing related files and folders - step 1Check for browser hijacker generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

Mac go to /Library/LaunchAgents - step 1

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents/

Mac go to /Library/LaunchAgents - step 2

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.

Mac removing related files and folders - step 2Check for browser hijacker generated files in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder:

Mac go to /Library/Application Support - step 1

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/Application Support/

Mac go to /Library/Application Support - step 2

In the "Application Support" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, "MplayerX" or "NicePlayer", and move these folders to the Trash.

Mac removing related files and folders - step 3Check for browser hijacker generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

Mac go to ~/Library/LaunchAgents - step 1

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

Mac go to ~/Library/LaunchAgents - step 2

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.

Mac removing related files and folders - step 4Check for browser hijacker generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder:

Mac go to /Library/LaunchDaemons - step 1

In the "Go to Folder..." bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons/

Mac go to /Library/LaunchDaemons - step 2

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.

Mac removing malware related files and folders - step 5Scan 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.

Mac remove malware with Combo Cleaner - step 1

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.

Mac remove malware with Combo Cleaner - step 2

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

Safari iconRemove Safari browser hijackers:

Removal of malicious extensions in Safari - step 1

Open the Safari browser, from the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".

Removal of malicious extensions in Safari - step 2

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:

Change Safari 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:

Change Safari 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.

Google Chrome logoRemove Google Chrome browser hijackers:

Removal of malicious extensions in Google Chrome - step 1

Click the Chrome menu icon Google 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".

Removal of malicious extensions in Google Chrome - step 2

Change your homepage

Change Google Chrome homepage

Click the Chrome menu icon Google 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:

Change Google Chrome default search engine

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon Google 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.

Mozilla Firefox logoRemove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Removal of malicious extensions in Mozilla Firefox - step 1

Click the Firefox menu firefox menu icon (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".

Removal of malicious extensions in Mozilla Firefox - step 2

Change your homepage

Change Mozilla Firefox homepage

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu firefox menu icon (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:

Change Mozilla Firefox default search engine - step 1

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

Change Mozilla Firefox default search engine - step 2

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

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

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About the author:

Tomas Meskauskas

Tomas Meskauskas - expert security researcher, professional malware analyst.

I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats. Contact Tomas Meskauskas.

PCrisk security portal is brought by a company RCS LT. Joined forces of security researchers help educate computer users about the latest online security threats. More information about the company RCS LT.

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Removal Instructions in other languages
Malware activity

Global malware activity level today:

Medium threat activity

Increased attack rate of infections detected within the last 24 hours.

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