How to stop redirects to search.yahoo.com

What is a browser hijacker?

When installed on devices, internet browsers automatically force-open fake or legitimate search engines (and/or other dubious websites). Typically, these redirects occur when attempts are made to search via the URL bar or when a new browser tab/window is opened.

Dubious software within the browser hijacker category achieves this by making certain modifications to browser settings. Additionally, most browser hijackers have data tracking capabilities, which are used to monitor browsing activity and collect sensitive information extracted from it.

Browser hijackers are also classified as Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs), since many users download/install them unintentionally.

Browser hijackers typically target Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox and other popular browsers with large user bases. These rogue applications operate by assigning the addresses of specific search engines as the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs.

Therefore, browsers with any/all of the aforementioned options set to Yahoo! (search.yahoo.com) will redirect to this search engine due to a browser hijacker having infiltrated the system. As mentioned, these redirects to Yahoo! are caused when a new browser tab/window is opened and/or search query is typed into the URL bar.

Note that search.yahoo.com is a legitimate search engine developed by the Yahoo! web service provider, however, this is more than an issue of search engine preference, as browser hijackers are notorious for data tracking.

They usually monitor browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and gather vulnerable data derived from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). The collected data is highly likely to contain personally identifiable information, which developers monetize by sharing with and/or selling to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals).

Therefore, the presence of browser hijackers on browsers/systems can cause serious privacy concerns, financial loss and even result in identity theft. Furthermore, recovering a hijacked browser without removing the software affecting it is impossible, since any changes users attempt to make to their browsers are undone, if access to the settings is allowed at all.

To ensure device integrity and user safety, you are strongly advised to eliminate all suspicious applications and likewise suspect browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	search.yahoo.com redirect
Threat Type	Browser hijacker, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Symptoms	Your Mac became 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.

Browser hijackers may seem normal and harmless. This software typically offers various "useful" and functionality, however, the advertised features seldom work as promised and, in most cases, do not work at all. Bright Start, NiceTab StartPage and MacAppExtensions are some examples of other browser hijackers.

The search engines they promote are often fake, despite their legitimate appearance. For example, searches.network, search.handlersection.com, searches.cloud, and searchsnow.com amongst countless others.

As these bogus search tools are rarely capable of providing unique search results, they simply redirect (or cause redirection chains leading) to Yahoo, Google, Bing and other genuine search engines. The only purpose of browser hijackers and other PUAs is to generate revenue for the developers.

How did a browser hijacker install on my computer?

PUAs (browser hijackers included) are distributed via the download/installation set-ups of other products. This deceptive marketing technique of packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions is called "bundling".

By rushing through download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, using pre-set options, etc.), many users risk inadvertently allowing dubious and bundled content into their devices. Some PUAs also have "official" promotional web pages, from which they can be downloaded.

Intrusive advertisements proliferate these applications as well. Once clicked, they can execute scripts to stealthily download/install PUAs.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are advised to research all products to verify their legitimacy, prior to download/installation or purchase. All downloads must be done from official and trustworthy sources.

Unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders can offer deceptive and bundled content - they are are untrusted download sources and should be avoided.

When downloading/installing, it is important to read the terms, explore all possible options, use the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, features and other additions. It is crucial to exercise caution when browsing. Intrusive ads may seem legitimate, however, they often redirect to dubious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, etc.).

If you encounter ads or redirects of this kind, inspect the system and immediately remove all suspicious 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.

Example of a rogue installation setup (fake Adobe Flash Player installer) used to proliferate a browser hijacker:

Example of a scam website promoting fake Adobe Flash Player updater/installer:

Example of a website used to promote a browser-hijacking extension:

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▼ 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 a browser hijacker?
• STEP 1. Remove browser hijacker related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove browser hijacker caused redirects from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove browser hijacker's homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

Browser hijacker removal:

Remove browser hijacker-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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