How to remove apps downloaded via veniamad.com and similar sites

What is veniamad[.]com?

veniamad[.]com is one of many websites that promote applications using deceptive methods. In this case, it employs a scare tactic to trick visitors into believing that their devices are infected with viruses and claims that they must download and install an app to remove the threats.

Deceptive web pages such as veniamad[.]com can never be trusted, even if the software that they advertise is legitimate. These sites are usually opened after clicking dubious ads, while visiting bogus websites, or by installed potentially unwanted applications (PUAs). I.e., they are not often visited by people intentionally.

Research shows that veniamad[.]com is used to scare visitors into downloading and installing an application called Combat Shield - Force Field App. This web page has mobile and desktop versions. It displays fake virus notifications (pop-ups) claiming that the device was infected with eight viruses through an adult website and encourages users to remove the threats immediately.

The notifications also claim that, unless the viruses are removed immediately, they may cause further damage (lock the device, damage data). To prevent any further damage, pop-ups on veniamad[.]com encourage visitors to tap "Remove all Viruses" to download (and then install) the Combat Shield - Force Field App.

Do not download any apps from or through sites such as veniamad[.]com, even if the offered apps are legitimate. If a browser opens pages like this (or other dubious pages), it is likely that PUAs are installed on the browser or operating system.

PUAs force users to visit rogue pages such as veniamad[.]com but also generate advertisements and collect information relating to browsing activity as well. Examples of details that PUAs target are entered search queries, geolocations, addresses of visited pages, and Internet Protocol addresses. These apps are also capable of accessing personal details such as, for example, credit card details, passwords, and telephone numbers.

Furthermore, PUAs can be designed to display pop-up ads, coupons, banners, surveys, and other ads. People who click these ads can arrive at dubious web pages, and sometimes they start unwanted downloads and installations.

Threat Summary:

Name	veniamad.com pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus
Fake Claim	Device is infected with eight viruses
Detection Names	Fortinet (Phishing), Forcepoint ThreatSeeker (Suspicious), Full List (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	167.71.88.176
Promoted Unwanted Application	Combat Shield - Force Field App
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.

There are many websites like veniamad[.]com online. Some examples are protected-connect[.]com, support-notify[.]space, and wcsoft[.]link. Typically, they claim that a device is infected (or may be infected). The main purpose of these pages is to trick unsuspecting users into installing an application.

These sites can be used to promote adware, browser hijackers, and even malicious apps.

How did potentially unwanted applications 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 not to use Peer-to-Peer networks (such as eMule, torrent clients, etc.), unofficial websites, third party downloaders, installers, etc. to download or install software or files. Use official pages and direct links.

Check download/installation set-ups for settings such as "Advanced", "Manual, or "Custom" (or include certain checkboxes) and decline offers to download or install unwanted apps before completing the process.

Additionally, do not trust or click advertisements that are displayed on dubious web pages - they can open other rogue sites or cause unwanted downloads and installations.

Remove any suspicious or unknown extensions, add-ons and plug-ins installed on the browser. The same applies to software of this kind that is installed on the operating system.

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

Text in the mobile veniamad[.]com version:

Apple Security
Your iPhone was infected with 8 viruses after visiting an adult site. Now the iOS is damaged by 74%. Further damage to the system may result in device lockup and loss of all data.
1 minute 52 seconds
How to remove all viruses:
Step 1: Click "Remove all Viruses" button below;
Step 2: You will be redirected to the App Store;
Step 3: Install Combat Shield app, open it and run cleaning procedure

Remove all Viruses

Screenshot of the first pop-up on the desktop veniamad[.]com version:

Text in this pop-up:

Apple Security Alert

8 viruses have been detected on your iPhone.

Now iOS is damaged by 72%. Further damage to the system will result in device lockup and loss of all data.

To prevent further damage to the system, click the button below and follow the instructions to remove viruses.

Screenshot of the second pop-up on the desktop veniamad[.]com version (text in this pop-up is the same as in the mobile version):

Screenshot of the third pop-up on the desktop veniamad[.]com version:

Text in this pop-up:

You will now be directed to the App Store in order to install the Antivirus Combat Shield - Force Field App.

After installation, start the Combat Shield - Force Field App to remove the viruses.

To enable pop-up blocking, fraudulent website warnings, and remove web browsing data in mobile Apple devices, follow these steps:

First, go to "Settings", and then scroll down to find and tap "Safari".

Check if the "Block Pop-ups" and "Fraudulent Website Warning" toggles are enabled. If not, enable them immediately. Then, scroll down and tap "Advanced".

Tap "Website Data" and then "Remove All Website Data".

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 veniamad[.]com?
• 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 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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