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Avoid downloading suspicious content promoted by 0wnpr0m0.com

Also Known As: 0wnpr0m0.com pop-up
Type: Mac Virus
Damage level: Medium

What is 0wnpr0m0[.]com?

0wnpr0m0[.]com is a deceptive/scam website. Its behavior varies, as does the material it displays. In general, it promotes dubious and possibly malicious content and generates redirects to likewise dangerous sites. It has been observed redirecting to a fake software update scam web page.

These rogue updaters are commonly used to proliferate adware, browser hijackers and other Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs), as well as various malicious programs (e.g. trojans, ransomware, etc.). In fact, software downloaded from 0wnpr0m0[.]com itself is often untrusted or malicious (for example, it can include unwanted apps or malware).

Deceptive websites are often accessed inadvertently, and most visitors are redirected to them by intrusive ads or PUAs already infiltrated into the system.

0wnpr0m0[.]com scam

The appearance of 0wnpr0m0[.]com can vary. Typically, visitors are presented with a blank page with a "Continue" button in the center, however, in some variants, it might display a different web page before the blank page (for example, stating that it is automatically checking the visitor's browser and will shortly redirect them as per their request).

In this version, clicking the "Continue" button is unnecessary - users are redirected elsewhere regardless. In other variants, once the button is clicked, 0wnpr0m0[.]com will encourage visitors to download software without any preamble - i.e., without any deceptive claims (e.g. that Flash Player is outdated) or other misleading advertising.

As mentioned, content downloaded from 0wnpr0m0[.]com (or from sites to which it redirects) might be nonoperational, untrusted or malicious. Furthermore, the presence of this software on systems endangers device and user safety. Therefore, you are strongly advised against visiting 0wnpr0m0[.]com or downloading/installing content promoted by it.

As well as redirecting to deceptive/scam web pages such as 0wnpr0m0[.]com, PUAs can also force-open untrusted, rogue, sale-oriented, compromised and malicious websites, however, these unwanted applications can also have other dangerous capabilities.

They can run intrusive ad campaigns, delivering harmful ads that diminish the browsing experience. When clicked, they can redirect to dangerous web pages and even execute scripts to stealthily download/install unwanted content. Other PUAs hijack browsers by modifying and restricting/denying access to settings to promote fake search engines.

Most PUAs track data. They monitor activity (browsing and search engine histories) and collect personal information inferred from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other personal details). This gathered data is shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) intent on misusing it for profit.

To summarize, PUAs can cause browser/system infiltration and infections, lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft. Therefore, remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-is immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:
Name 0wnpr0m0.com pop-up
Threat Type Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Detection Names Avira no cloud (Malware), CRDF (Malicious), CyRadar (Malicious), ESET (Malware), Full List (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address 78.140.165.14
Promoted Unwanted Application Site promotes a variety of dubious content.
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.

The Internet is rife with deceptive sites. Through the use of social engineering and scare-tactics, they urge visitors into performing specific actions.

Popular scam models include alerts that software is outdated/missing (e.g. bestevervideoplayers.infotherightwaytofindplayering.pro, etc.), the device is infected or at risk (e.g. "Mac OS X is infected (4) by viruses", "Your OSX 10.11 El Capitan Is Infected With 3 Viruses!", etc.), prize giveaways and/or random awards (e.g. "You've Made The 5-billionth Search", "Dear Browser User", etc.), "amazing" offers (e.g. "Get the new iPhone 11 Pro", "Randomly selected to test the new iPhone", etc.) and many others.

The only purpose of these online schemes is to generate revenue for their designers.

This can be done by tricking users into downloading/installing and purchasing nonfunctional, untrustworthy or malicious content, calling fake and expensive technical support services, revealing personal information (e.g. banking account or credit card details, etc.), making monetary transactions (e.g. fake fees and other bogus payments), and so on.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

PUAs can be downloaded from "official" promotional pages where they are often endorsed as "useful" and "free". These apps are frequently promoted by other deceptive/scam sites, however, they can also be downloaded/installed together with other products.

This deceptive marketing technique of pre-packing normal content with unwanted or malicious software is called "bundling". Rushing through download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, etc.) endangers systems with potential infiltration and infections originating from bundled applications.

Intrusive advertisements also proliferate these apps. Once clicked, they can execute scripts designed to download/install PUAs without users' consent.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Research all products to verify their legitimacy, before download/installation or purchase. Use official and verified download channels, since untrusted sources such as free file-hosting sites, P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.) and other third party downloaders can offer deceptive or bundled content.

Software should be updated with tools/functions provided by genuine developers. When downloading/installing, read the terms, explore all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, features and so on.

Intrusive ads usually seem legitimate and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious web pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, etc.). 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.

Appearance of 0wnpr0m0[.]com scam (GIF):

0wnpr0m0[.]com scam appearance (gif)

Appearance of 0wnpr0m0[.]com redirecting to a fake Flash update scam site (GIF):

0wnpr0m0[.]com redirecting to another scam website (gif)

Screenshot of the dubious content installation setup promoted by 0wnpr0m0[.]com:

0wnpr0m0[.]com scam pormoted dubious installer

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:

Potentially unwanted applications removal:

Remove 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 adware-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 adware 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 adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Mac removing related files and folders - step 2Check for adware 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 adware 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 adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Mac removing related files and folders - step 4Check for adware 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 adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove malicious extensions from Internet browsers

Safari iconRemove malicious Safari extensions:

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.

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

Google Chrome logoRemove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

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

  • 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

  • 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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About PCrisk

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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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