How to uninstall NeedSearch adware from your operating system

What is NeedSearch?

NeedSearch is an adware-type application that possesses browser hijacker traits. Following successful infiltration, it runs intrusive advertisement campaigns and makes modifications to browser settings to promote fake search engines. Additionally, most adware programs and browser hijackers monitor users' browsing activity.

Due to the dubious methods used to proliferate NeedSearch, it is also classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). One of the dubious techniques employed to proliferate this app is distribution via fake Adobe Flash Player updates.

Furthermore, as well as PUAs, bogus software updaters/installers are used to spread malware (e.g. Trojans, ransomware, etc.).

Adware delivers pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys and other intrusive advertisements. These significantly affect the browsing experience, as they overlay web page content and reduce browsing speed. In addition, they pose a threat to device/user safety.

Once clicked, intrusive ads can redirect to various untrusted/malicious websites and some can even stealthily download/install software (e.g. PUAs). Browser hijackers assign the addresses of fake search engines as the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs.

Therefore, with this software installed, each new browser tab/window opened and search query typed into the URL bar redirects to the promoted address. Rogue search engines are seldom able to promote search results, and so they redirect to (or cause redirection chains leading to) Google, Yahoo, Bing and other genuine sites.

Browser hijackers can reset any changes users attempt to make to their browsers and restrict/deny access to the browser settings outright. Therefore, recovering an affected browser is impossible without removing the software hijacking it.

It is likely that NeedSearch has data tracking capabilities. Most PUAs (adware and browser hijackers included) can monitor browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, searched queries typed, etc.) and collect personal information derived from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). The collected data is then shared with and/or sold to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals).

In summary, the presence of unwanted software on devices can lead to system infections, financial loss and even identity theft. To protect device integrity and user safety, all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins must be eliminated immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by NeedSearch
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Adload-AD [Trj]), BitDefender (Gen:Variant.Adware.MAC.AdLoad.7), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/TrojanDownloader.Adload.AD), Kaspersky (Not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.OSX.Cimpli.l), Full List (VirusTotal).
Additional Information	This application belongs to the 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.

UpgradeCommand, DeviceHelper, InitialMachine and ChannelSystem are some examples of other adware-type applications. They may seem legitimate and offer a wide variety of "useful" functionality, however, the features promised are seldom operational. In fact, this applies to most PUAs.

The sole purpose of these unwanted apps is to generate profit for the developers. Regular users receive no value and might experience serious problems. Rather than delivering any real value, PUAs run intrusive advertisement campaigns, hijack browsers, cause redirects and collect private data.

How did NeedSearch install on my computer?

Unwanted downloads and installations often occur when developers distribute PUAs by integrating them into the download/installation setups of other programs as "extra offers". This distribution method is known as "bundling". The offers can be declined in "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings of the setups (or by unticking certain checkboxes).

Many users fail to check and change these settings (or untick the checkboxes), thereby allowing PUAs to infiltrate together with the desired software.

PUAs are also downloaded and installed by clicking deceptive advertisements (usually on untrusted sites) that execute certain scripts.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

You are advised to research all software before download/installation. Use only official and verified download channels. Unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule), and other third party downloaders commonly offer harmful and bundled content, and are therefore untrusted and should be avoided.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, and so on. Intrusive advertisements typically seem legitimate, however, they can redirect to dubious and malicious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and many others). If you encounter ads or redirects of this kind, inspect the system and remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately.

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

Files related to NeedSearch adware that need to be removed:

• ~/Library/Application Support/com.NeedSearch/NeedSearch
• ~/Library/Application Support/com.NeedSearchDaemon/NeedSearch
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.NeedSearch.plist
• ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.NeedSearchDaemon.plist

IMPORTANT NOTE! Rogue setups/apps that promote NeedSearch adware are designed to create a new device profile. Therefore, before taking any further removal steps, perform these actions:

1) Click the "Preferences" icon in the menu bar and select "Profiles".

2) Select the "NeedSearch" profile and delete it.

3) Perform a full system scan with Combo Cleaner anti-virus suite.

After performing these actions, you can proceed with further removal steps for this adware.

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

Video showing how to remove NeedSearch adware using Combo Cleaner:

NeedSearch adware removal:

Remove NeedSearch-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.

Adware delivers pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys and other intrusive advertisements. They significantly affect the browsing experience, as they overlay web page content and reduce browsing speed. In addition, these ads pose a threat to device/user safety. Once clicked, intrusive ads redirect to various untrusted/malicious websites and some can even stealthily download/install software (e.g. PUAs). Browser hijackers assign the addresses of fake search engines as the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs

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