Avoid being scammed by Firdayfun
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
(updated)
How to remove "Firdayfun" from Mac computers
What is "Firdayfun"?
Firdayfun is a family of scam websites designed to promote untrustworthy software. This variation promotes Smart Mac Booster, a dubious application categorized as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). Deceptive/Scam sites typically use scare tactics to encourage visitors into downloading/installing the products they endorse. Firdayfun displays virus detection alarms and urges people to install Smart Mac Booster. No website is capable of detecting threats/issues on devices. Therefore, all viruses/malware they claim to find are fake. Additionally, the software promoted on these web pages is usually bogus and nonfunctional. In most cases, Firdayfun is opened by PUAs already present on the system.
Once accessed, Firdayfun shows a pop-up window alerting users that a website they have visited today has infected their Mac Operating Systems with a virus. To begin the repair process, they are urged to press "OK". After this window is closed, Firdayfun displays a different web page. It repeats the alert and recommends a full system scan to detect and eliminate hazardous files/applications from the MacOS. To make these claims appear more legitimate, Firdayfun lists device details such as brand, OS version, browser, IP address, internet provider, and location. Pressing the "Scan Now" button initiates a fake system scan. The scan results in "detection" of a virus named "Bankworm". Additional information includes location of the allegedly infected file. Firdayfun offers Advanced Mac Cleaner for the removal of this threat. The "REMOVE VIRUS NOW" button redirects users to the download web page of Smart Mac Booster. During download of this application, the maccleaner.pkg file is also downloaded and known to proliferate PUAs. Fake Mac cleaners and optimizers are common forms of unwanted apps, which include, for example, K9-MacOptimizer, Qbit Mac Optimizer, and Mac Magician. These applications require activation to become operational (i.e., they must be purchased to perform their functions). Despite being activated, however, they frequently remain nonoperational.
In general, PUAs share several commonalities. They often seem legitimate and lure users to install by offering "useful" features. These rarely operate as advertised, if indeed they are operational at all. The sole purpose of these applications is to generate revenue for the developers - to regular users, they are essentially useless. PUAs cause redirects to sale-based, untrustworthy, compromised, deceptive/scam, and malicious websites. Others run intrusive advertisement campaigns (pop-ups, banners, surveys, coupons, etc.). Many have data tracking capabilities, which they employ to monitor users' browsing activity. They record browsing habits (URLs visited, pages viewed, search engine history, etc.) and collect personal information (IP addresses, geolocations, and personal details). Therefore, PUAs can cause browser and system infiltration/infections, and lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss, and even identity theft. To protect device integrity and user safety, remove all dubious apps and browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.
| Name | Firdayfun pop-up |
| Threat Type | Scam, Phishing, Mac malware, Mac virus. |
| Fake Claim | The error message alerts that system is infected/damaged and encourages users to download a system cleaning tool. |
| Detection Names (competition4840.firdayfun56[.]live) | G-Data (Phishing), Fortinet (Spam), Sophos AV (Malicious), Spamhaus (Spam), Full List (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address (competition4840.firdayfun56[.]live) | 176.119.1.201 |
| Related Domains | Full list below. |
| Promoted Unwanted Application | Smart Mac Booster |
| 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. |
Wenfuntoday, Funnytues, and Funnymonday are just some examples of scam web page families that are virtually identical to Firdayfun. These deceptive sites use scare tactics to trick people into downloading/installing and/or purchasing the software they advertise. The promoted applications are often bogus and nonoperational. Most visitors to these websites enter them unintentionally - they are redirected by intrusive advertisements or PUAs.
How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?
Some PUAs (e.g. Smart Mac Booster) have "official" download web pages, however, they also proliferate through the download/installation set-ups of other software. The deceptive marketing tactic of pre-packing regular products with unwanted or malicious content is called "bundling". Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, etc.) increase the risk of potential system infiltration and infections. Intrusive advertisements are also known to proliferate rogue software. When clicked, they can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' permission.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
Research content carefully before downloading/installing. Use only official and verified download channels. P2P sharing networks, free file-hosting sites, third party downloaders and similar sources are untrustworthy and should not be used. Download and installation processes should be treated with caution. Read the terms, explore all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and decline offers to download/install supplementary apps, tools, functions, etc. Intrusive ads often seem legitimate and harmless, however, once clicked they redirect to dubious web pages (e.g. pornography, gambling, adult-dating and others). If you experience these ads/redirects, check the system and immediately remove all suspicious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins. 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:
VIRUS FOUND
A website you visited today has infected your Mac with a virus.
Press OK to begin the repair process.
Screenshot of the second web page displayed by Firdayfun:
Text presented in this page:
VIRUS FOUND
A website you have visited today has infected your Mac with a virus. A full system scan is now required to find and remove harmful files or applications from your Mac OS X 10_13_6 device.
DEVICE INFORMATION
Brand: Apple
Device: Mac OS X 10_13_6
Browser: Safari 12.0.1
IP: 85.206.10.62
Provider: Telia Lietuva, AB
Location: - LT
Scan Now
Screenshot of fake scan performed by Firdayfun:
Text presented in this page:
DOWNLOAD REQUIRED
Please download the Advanced Mac Cleaner application to remove Bankworm from your Mac.
VIRUS INFORMATION
Virus Name: Bankworm
Risk: HIGH
Infected File: /os/apps/worm.icv
VIRUS REMOVAL
Application: Advanced Mac Cleaner
Rating: 9.9/10
Price: Free
REMOVE VIRUS NOW
Appearance of "Firdayfun" scam (GIF):
List of domains related to the Firdayfun family:
| firdayfun107[.]live | firdayfun56[.]live |
| firdayfun120[.]live | firdayfun57[.]live |
| firdayfun13[.]live | firdayfun62[.]live |
| firdayfun14[.]live | firdayfun68[.]live |
| firdayfun16[.]live | firdayfun75[.]live |
| firdayfun38[.]live | firdayfun81[.]live |
| firdayfun50[.]live | firdayfun88[.]live |
| firdayfun52[.]live | firdayfun8[.]live |
Installation setup of Smart Mac Booster:
Screenshot of Smart Mac Booster application:
Instant automatic Mac malware removal:
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 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 three days free trial available.
Quick menu:
- What is "Firdayfun"?
- 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 unwanted applications promoted via Firdayfun pop-up scam 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 firdayfun 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.
Firdayfun pop-up removal from Internet browsers:
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Remove firdayfun 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 firdayfun 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 firdayfun 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.
Outstanding!
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