How to uninstall CommonBrand adware

What is CommonBrand?

Like many other adware-type apps, CommonBrand supposedly improves the browsing experience and/or delivers various features.

In fact, it serves intrusive advertisements and gathers information. Furthermore, it promotes the Safe Finder website by opening it through akamaihd.net. Apps such as CommonBrand are categorized as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs), since people usually download and install the adware unintentionally.

When installed, applications such as CommonBrand display intrusive advertisements in the form of coupons, banners, pop-ups, surveys, and so on. These ads commonly open untrusted, potentially rogue websites or download and install unwanted, malicious software by executing certain scripts.

Furthermore, programs such as CommonBrand can collect browsing data. For instance, details such as IP addresses, addresses of visited web pages, entered search queries, geolocations, and other browsing-related information.

Research shows that CommonBrand can read sensitive information such as credit card details, telephone numbers, passwords and other confidential data as well. The developers might sell the data to third parties misuse it to generate revenue in other ways.

The recorded information might also be sent to cyber criminals. Details gathered by CommonBrand could be misused to make fraudulent transactions and purchases, steal identities, etc. Users risk suffering monetary loss becoming victims of identity theft, experiencing problems relating to browsing safety, online privacy, and other serious issues.

Therefore, remove CommonBrand from browsers and operating systems immediately. The same applies to other adware-type applications.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by CommonBrand
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Adload-AB [Trj]), AVG (MacOS:Adload-AB [Trj]), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/Adware.Synataeb.C), Kaspersky (Not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.OSX.Adload.g), Full List (VirusTotal)
Additional Information	This application belongs to Adload malware family.
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.

More examples of adware similar to CommonBrand are ProcessSign, TaskBrowser and MoreResults. Most apps of this type feed users with advertisements and track information. Note that adware-type applications are useless (do not deliver any genuine features) and can cause serious problems. Therefore, adware and other PUAs should never be installed.

How did CommonBrand install on my computer?

PUAs are usually downloaded and installed through the set-ups of other, mainly free, programs. I.e., when they are included into set-ups as additional offers. This distribution method is called "bundling".

In most cases, additional downloads and installations are listed in settings such as "Custom", "Advanced", and other similar sections, however, many people fail to check and change these when they download and install programs. That is how they allow PUAs to be downloaded and installed together with regular software.

PUAs are sometimes downloaded/installed when users click deceptive advertisements that run certain scripts.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Programs and files should be downloaded from official websites and through direct links. Channels such as third party downloaders/installers, unofficial websites, Peer-to-Peer networks such as torrent clients, eMule, and so on, should not be used to download or install software - they can distribute unwanted applications including malware.

Check all download/installation settings such as "Custom" and "Advanced" - dismiss offers to download or install additional software. Typically, unwanted offers can be declined before finishing the download and installation processes.

Do not click intrusive ads that appear on dubious websites - they can redirect to untrusted pages or download and install unwanted, potentially malicious software. Remove any suspicious, unwanted extensions, plug-ins and add-ons already installed on the browser, and remove programs of this kind installed on the operating system immediately.

If your computer is already infected with CommonBrand, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Pop-up window displayed once CommonBrand installation is complete:

CommonBrand redirecting users to Safe Finder website via akamaihd.net:

CommonBrand installed on Safari:

CommonBrand installation folder and its files:

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 CommonBrand?
• STEP 1. Remove CommonBrand related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove CommonBrand ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove CommonBrand adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove CommonBrand ads from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove CommonBrand adware using Combo Cleaner:

CommonBrand adware removal:

Remove CommonBrand-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 adware-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 exact 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 exact 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 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 adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove malicious extensions from Internet browsers

Remove malicious Safari extensions:

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.

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

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

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".

• 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".

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

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