Remove redirects to and from search.newsflashapp.com

What is search.newsflashapp.com?

search.newsFlashapp.com is a fake search engine, allegedly capable of providing enhanced search results and quick access to latest news sources. Judging on appearance alone, the site barely differs from legitimate search engines such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo.

Therefore, users frequently believe it to be a genuine and useful tool. In fact, developers promote search.newsFlashapp.com through the News Flash browser hijacker, and possibly via other download/installation set-ups of similar rogue applications. These apps operate by modifying browsers without users' consent.

Additionally, search.newsFlashapp.com and browser hijackers gather information relating to browsing activity.

Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox are common targets of rogue set-ups. Once successfully infiltrated, they change browser homepages, default search engines, and new tab/window URLs promote their fraudulent web searching tools. Each new tab/window opened and each web search via the URL bar redirects to search.newsFlashapp.com.

Most fake search engines are unable to generate unique results, and therefore redirect to (or cause redirection chains leading to) a legitimate search engine. This is the case with search.newsFlashapp.com - it redirects to search.yahoo.com. 

Furthermore, News Flash (and other browser hijackers used to promote search.newsFlashapp.com) limit/deny access to browser settings and/or simply reset any changes made. Consequently, recovery of affected browsers impossible, unless the rogue app is removed.

As mentioned, browser hijackers and search.newsFlashapp.com have data tracking abilities. They monitor users' browsing habits (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.), which contain personal information (IP address, geolocation, and private details).

This private data is then passed on to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals), seeking to misuse it to generate profit. Therefore, the presence of data tracking content on systems can lead to severe privacy issues and even culminate in identity theft.

If you experience redirects to search.newsFlashapp.com or similar websites, remove all dubious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins.

Threat Summary:

Name	News Flash browser hijacker
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus.
Serving IP Address	18.211.175.241
Symptoms	Your Mac becomes 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), display 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.

There are thousands of fake search engines online, most of which are similar. For example, search.newsflashapp.com is very similar to search.pardessov.com, genieonews.com, search.mapsglobalsearch.com, and many others. These fraudulent web search tools usually offer improved search results and an enhanced browsing experience.

They often advertise additional features such as quick access to news, TV-content, weather forecasts, and so on. Despite how useful and beneficial these features may sound, in most cases, they are redundant. The only purpose of these fraudulent web searchers is to generate revenue for the developers - they have no real value for regular users.

Fake search engines cause redirects to sale-oriented, untrustworthy, malicious websites and gather sensitive data.

How did search.newsflashapp.com install on my computer?

search.newsFlashapp.com is promoted by rogue download/installation set-ups. This marketing technique is called "bundling". Developers of fraudulent and unwanted content are well aware of users' tendency to rush through these set-ups and they freely misuse this information.

Details about how a certain application or browser extension/plug-in operates (e.g. changes to browser settings, data tracking, etc.) are frequently hidden within download/installation terms and other similar sections. Opt-out/decline options are often located within the "Custom/Advanced" settings or other download/installation windows.

By ignoring these terms, skipping steps, and using pre-set options, many users endanger their systems with potential infiltration and infections.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are advised to use official and verified download channels. Note that peer-to-peer sharing networks (e.g. BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule, etc.), free file hosting and unofficial websites, and third party downloaders are classed as untrustworthy. Be very cautious when downloading/installing your content.

Read download/installation terms to avoid installing unwanted or malicious software. Use "Custom/Advanced" settings to opt-out/decline additional offers (e.g. applications, tools, features, and others). When browsing, refrain from clicking various ads. Intrusive advertisements usually seem normal and harmless, and thus it is easy to be tricked into clicking them.

In fact, they can redirect to untrustworthy websites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, etc.) and might also execute scripts to download/install dubious apps. If you encounter suspicious redirects and/or dubious advertisements, study the system and remove all unwanted applications and browser extensions/plug-ins.

If your computer is already infected with browser hijackers, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Website promoting search.newsflashapp.com:

News Flash extension on Google Chrome:

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 search.newsflashapp.com?
• STEP 1. Remove search.newsflashapp.com related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove search.newsflashapp.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove search.newsflashapp.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove search.newsflashapp.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove unwanted applications that promote search.newsflashapp.com website using Combo Cleaner:

search.newsflashapp.com redirect removal:

Remove search.newsflashapp.com-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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