Avoid downloading fake Flash updates from mainsourceofupdates.best

How to remove redirects to mainsourceofupdates[.]best from Mac computers

What is mainsourceofupdates[.]best?

mainsourceofupdates[.]best is a deceptive website claiming that Adobe Flash Player is outdated. It operates by encouraging users into downloading/installing a fake Flash Player updater. The rogue update installers are high-risk, since they are used to proliferate Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs) such as adware, browser hijackers, and malicious content (e.g. trojans, ransomware and other malware). Few visitors arrive at mainsourceofupdates[.]best intentionally - most are redirected by intrusive advertisements or PUAs already infiltrated into the device.

When this site is accessed, it displays multiple pop-up windows. Firstly, visitors are shown a large pop-up in the center of the page. It urges them to update their Flash Player, as the latest updates are necessary to ensure 'peak performance'. It elaborates that this software is an essential browser plug-in, which enables various media (e.g. video, animation, audio, online games, etc.). The text repeats contextually identical messages, claiming that Adobe Flash Player does not have the latest security updates and has been blocked. Therefore, users can no longer use the software, unless it is updated. The second window, located in the bottom-right corner of the web page, encourages users to update, to continue watching unspecified content. Then mainsourceofupdates[.]best displays another pop-up, which overlays the initial window. It makes identical claims. I.e., that Flash Player is out of date, lacks the latest security updates, and use can only be continued following the installation of latest updates. Each of these pop-ups has download/update buttons, all of which lead to download of the fraudulent updater. Clicking any presents users with installation instructions. The first step instructs them to go to their "Downloads" list; the second, to locate and double-click a file leading with the words "Flash Player". Lastly, users are to confirm the installation by clicking the "Confirm" and then "Install" buttons. These updates are fake and cannot update Adobe Flash Player - users will simply allow untrustworthy and/or malicious software onto their systems. You are strongly advised against trusting mainsourceofupdates[.]best or similar websites. Downloading/Installing or purchasing content promoted on such pages should be avoided - doing so is likely to expose the device to various infiltration and infections, and can endanger user safety.

One of the main causes of redirects to mainsourceofupdates[.]best and similar sites are PUAs. These rogue apps can force-open a broad array of deceptive/scam, sale-oriented, untrustworthy, compromised and malicious sites, however, applications within this category can have other dangerous capabilities/purposes. Fake system cleaners/optimizes require activation (i.e., must be purchased) to become functional. Yet, even after activation, they remain nonoperational. Adware-type unwanted apps deliver intrusive ad campaigns. The ads (pop-ups, banners, surveys, etc.) significantly diminish the browsing experience and, when clicked, redirect to harmful web pages and/or stealthily download/install PUAs. Browser hijackers make unauthorized changes to browsers and limit/deny access to their settings. Most PUAs track data. They can monitor browsing habits (browsing and search engine histories) and collect users' personal information (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). This sensitive data can then be shared/sold to third parties, seeking to misuse it for financial gain. The only purpose of PUAs is to generate revenue for the developers. Rather than operating as advertised, they cause various infiltration and infections, lead to financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft. To ensure device/user safety, remove all suspicious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	mainsourceofupdates.best pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	Site claims visitors Flash Player is outdated.
Detection Names (fake updater)	Avast (Other:Malware-gen [Trj]), BitDefender (Adware.MAC.Bundlore.DPS), ClamAV (Osx.Trojan.SHLayer-6992220-1), Kaspersky (HEUR:Trojan-Downloader.OSX.Shlayer.a), Full List (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	212.83.134.94
Promoted Unwanted Application	Site promotes fake Flash Player updates.
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 three days free trial available.

mainsourceofupgrade.best, yourfine2upgradesfree.best, and bambootornado.pw are some examples of other scam web pages virtually identical to mainsourceofupdates[.]best. Deceptive websites often employ social engineering and scare tactics to trick visitors into performing specific actions. For example, to encourage them into downloading/installing/purchasing untrustworthy, malicious software, revealing personal and confidential information, making monetary transactions and so on. The purpose of these schemes is to generate revenue for the PUA designers.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

PUAs commonly infiltrate systems through the download/install set-ups of other software. This deceptive marketing method of pre-packing regular products with unwanted or malicious content is called "bundling". Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, etc.) endangers devices with potential infiltration and infections. Some PUAs have "official" download web pages. When intrusive ads are clicked, they can execute scripts designed to download/install these apps.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are strongly advised to research all content before downloading/installing. Use only official and verified download channels. Avoid untrustworthy download sources such as P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.), free file-hosting sites, third party downloaders and similar. When downloading/installing, read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of bundled products (e.g. apps, tools, features and so on). Intrusive advertisements often seem legitimate and normal, however, they redirect to dubious pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating and others). If you encounter these ads/redirects, check the system and remove all dubious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins without delay. 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 initial pop-up window:

Software update
Update your Adobe Flash Player

Install the latest Flash Player for better performances.

Update now

"Adobe Flash Player" is an essential plugin for your browser that allows you to view everything from video to games and animation on the web. The version of “Adobe Flash Player" on your system does not include the latest security updates and has been blocked.

The version of this plug-in on your computer doesn't include the latest security updates. Flash cannot be used until you download an update from Adobe.

> Click "Download Flash"

> Install updates and enjoy performances.
Download Flash... Update

Text presented in the bottom-right corner pop-up window:

Flash Player Update REQUIRED
Install latest version of Adobe Flash Player in order to continue watching.
Download

Screenshot of the pop-up overlaying the initial pop-up window:

Text presented in this pop-up window:

“Adobe Flash Player” is out-of-date

The version of this plug-in on your computer doesn't include the latest security updates. Flash cannot be used until you download an update from Adobe.Update Download Flash...

Screenshot of the fake Flash Player update installation instructions provided by mainsourceofupdates[.]best:

Text presented in this page:

1
Go to the ‘Downloads’
Open your downloads list by
clicking on the top right corner
the ‘arrow’.

 

2
Open the file
Locate and double-click the file
starting with ‘Flash Player’.

 

3
Run the application
Confirm the installation by clicking
Continue and Install
buttons.
Type your password.

Appearance of mainsourceofupdates[.]best scam (GIF):

Screenshot of the fake Flash Player update installation setup:

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 "mainsourceofupdates[.]best"?
• 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 mainsourceofupdates.best 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.

mainsourceofupdates.best pop-up removal from Internet browsers:

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Remove mainsourceofupdates.best 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 mainsourceofupdates.best 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 mainsourceofupdates.best 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.

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