Apple.com-shield.live POP-UP (Mac)

How to remove apple.com-shield[.]live from Mac?

What is apple.com-shield[.]live?

Apple.com-shield[.]live is a website that is designed to promote an app called Cleanup My Mac. This app is promoted as a tool that can remove viruses detected by this website. However, this deceptive website displays a fake virus alert, it is designed to trick people into thinking that their computers are infected, when in fact they are not. We recommend not to trust apps that are promoted through such pages. Besides, these pages are often opened by potentially unwanted apps (PUAs) that are already installed.

First, this apple.com-shield[.]live enables a pop-up window that encourages users to take immediate action. It contains information that this page has detected a trojan virus named "e.tre456_worm_osx" that should be removed immediately. The page behind this pop-up contains more details. It is stated that the visitor's Mac computer is infected with more than one virus: with two malware and one phishing or/and spyware-type programs. If they will not be removed, they might cause data loss. Besides, it mentioned that user's personal and banking details are at risk too. To remove these viruses, it encourages people to scan their systems within 5 minutes. When the "Scan Now" button is clicked, apple.com-shield[.]live begins scanning the system by running a fake scan. When finished, it displays detected viruses: Tapsnake, CronDNS and Dubfishicv. To remove them, visitors are encouraged to download Advanced Mac Cleaner app by clicking the "REMOVE VIRUSES NOW", however, it downloads the aforementioned Cleanup My Mac app. Either way, it is not recommended to trust any of the websites of this type or to download and install apps that are promoted on them.

It is very likely that most people end up visiting apple.com-shield[.]live because of the PUAs that are installed on their computers or browsers. However, unwanted redirects are not the only problem with these apps. Most PUAs feed their users with ads and gather various information too. They deliver various coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups and other intrusive ads. These ads usually are really annoying and, if clicked, they open potentially malicious websites. In some cases, they might be designed to execute scripts that download and install other unwanted apps. Furthermore, many apps of this type record user's IP addresses, URLs of visited websites, entered search queries, geolocations and other similar information. Their developers share all this information with other parties who misuse it to generate revenue. It is possible that some of those parties might be cyber criminals.

Threat Summary:

Name	apple.com-shield.live pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Mac Virus, Mac malware
Serving IP Address	94.237.87.169
Fake Claim	The fake error claims that user's system is infected and encourages to download a system cleaner.
Distributed Unwanted Apps	Cleanup My Mac (presented as Advanced Mac Cleaner).
Symptoms	Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan.
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
Removal	To eliminate apple.com-shield.live pop-up our malware researchers recommend scanning your computer with Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner Free scanner checks if your computer is infected. To remove malware, you have to purchase the full version of Combo Cleaner.

Apple.com-shield[.]live is very similar (or even identical) to apple.com-monitor[.]live, apple.com-mac-booster[.]live, macos-online-security-check[.]com and other pages of this type. All of them are designed to trick people into downloading and installing one or another unwanted application that supposed to remove fake virus infections. PUAs that often lead to these pages are also similar: they supposed to be legitimate and useful, however, most the times they cause only problems. Typically, people download and install apps of this type unwillingly.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

As a rule, PUAs get downloaded and installed through deceptive ads that people unintentionally or intentionally click, or when software developers bundle these apps into setups of other software. They include/bundle PUAs into setups of various (usually free), software, however, most of the times this information is not disclosed properly. Simply said, developers hide it in "Custom", "Advanced" options of software download/installation setups. When people download and install software without checking and changing any of the setup's options/settings, they download and install not only the desired programs, but unwanted ones too.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

It is important to download all software from official and trustworthy websites, sources like third party downloaders, Peer-to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule, etc.), unofficial pages and other similar channels should not be trusted. Additionally, is its recommended to check all the included "Advanced", "Custom" and other settings when downloading and installing any software, especially if it's free. Bundled applications should be deselected before completing any download or installation setup. Furthermore, there are many advertisements that should not be trusted. Typically, these ads are displayed on pages related to gambling, adult dating, pornography and so on. If clicked, they open malicious pages or cause unwanted downloads/installations. If unwanted ads or redirects occur often, then check the list of installed applications (extensions, add-ons, plug-ins) on your web browser. If there are any unknown/suspicious entries, they should be removed as soon as possible. Moreover, we recommend to uninstall unwanted programs that are installed on the operating system too. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Text presented in the pop-up window and in the page behind it:

Text in the pop-up:

 

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED

We have detected a trojan virus (e.tre456_worm_osx) on your Mac.

Press OK to begin the repair process.

 

Text in the page:

 

Your system is infected with 3 viruses! Monday, June 3, 2019 12:43 PM

Your Mac is infected with 3 viruses. Our security check found traces of 2 malware and 1 phishing/spyware. System damage: 28.1% - Immediate removal required!

The immediate removal of the viruses is required to prevent further system damage, loss of Apps, Photos or other files.
Traces of 1 phishing/spyware were found on your Mac with MacOS 10.14 Mojave.

Personal and banking information is at risk.

To avoid more damage click on 'Scan Now' immediately. Our deep scan will provide help immediately!
4 minute and 32 seconds remaining before damage is permanent.

Scan Now

Screenshot of fake scan results provided by apple.com-shield[.]live deceptive page:

Text presented in this page:

DOWNLOAD REQUIRED
Your Mac is heavily damaged! (33.2%)
Please download the Advanced Mac Cleaner application to remove 3 Viruses from your Mac.
VIRUS INFORMATION

Virus Name: Tapsnake; CronDNS; Dubfishicv
Risk: HIGH
Infected Files: /os/apps/hidden/os-component/X/snake.icv; /os/local/conf/keyboard/retype.icv...
REMOVE VIRUSES NOW
VIRUS REMOVAL

Application: Advanced Mac Cleaner
Rating: 9.9/10
Price: Free

Screenshot of the Cleanup My Mac app:

Appearance of apple.com-shield[.]live scam (GIF):

Instant automatic removal of apple.com-shield.live pop-up: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of apple.com-shield.live pop-up. 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. Free scanner checks if your computer is infected. To remove malware, you have to purchase the full version of Combo Cleaner.

Quick menu:

• What is apple.com-shield[.]live?
• 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 potentially unwanted applications promoted via apple.com-shield.live using Combo Cleaner:

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 apple.com-shield.live pop-up 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 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 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 in the correct order you Mac should be clean of infections. To be sure 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 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 it's virus definition database and click "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.

apple.com-shield.live pop-up removal from Internet browsers:

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Remove apple.com-shield.live pop-up related Safari extensions:

Open 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 normal browser operation.

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

Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:

Remove apple.com-shield.live pop-up related Mozilla Firefox add-ons:

Open your Mozilla Firefox browser. At the top right corner of the screen, click the "Open Menu" (three horizontal lines) button. From the opened menu, choose "Add-ons".

Choose the "Extensions" tab and look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the "Remove" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Mozilla Firefox browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.

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

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Remove apple.com-shield.live pop-up related Google Chrome add-ons:

Open Google Chrome and click the "Chrome menu" (three horizontal lines) button located in the top-right corner of the browser window. From the drop-down menu, choose "More Tools" and select "Extensions".

In the "Extensions" window, look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the "Trash" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Google Chrome browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.

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