How to remove the DigitalSection adware from your operating system
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is DigitalSection?
While checking out new submissions to VirusTotal, our research team discovered yet another AdLoad app called DigitalSection. This application operates as adware, i.e., runs intrusive advertisement campaigns.
DigitalSection adware overview
Adware stands for advertising-supported software. It displays ads on various interfaces, e.g., visited websites, desktops, etc. These adverts promote online scams, untrustworthy/harmful software, and even malware. Some intrusive advertisements are capable of performing stealthy downloads/installations upon being clicked.
Note that any legitimate products encountered through these ads are most likely promoted by scammers who abuse affiliate programs in order to acquire commissions fraudulently.
Additionally, this software may require certain conditions to deliver intrusive ad campaigns (e.g., compatible browser/system specs, visits to specific websites, etc.). Even if DigitalSection does not display adverts – its presence on a system threatens device and user safety.
Furthermore, AdLoad adware often has browser hijacker qualities; however, DigitalSection did not exhibit such traits during testing.
What is more, this application likely has data-tracking functionalities. Advertising-supported software usually targets the following data: visited URLs, viewed webpages, search queries, usernames/passwords, personally identifiable information, credit card numbers, and so on. The gathered data can be monetized via sale to third-parties or otherwise abused for profit.
In summary, the presence of software like DigitalSection on devices may result in system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.
| Name | Ads by DigitalSection |
| Threat Type | Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus |
| Detection Names | Avast (MacOS:Adload-AG [Adw]), Combo Cleaner (Gen:Variant.Adware.MAC.AdLoad.13), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/Adware.Synataeb.G), Kaspersky (Not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.OSX.Adload.j), 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. |
Adware examples
FractionControl, AdvancedHelper, TrackAnalyser, and IdentityStack are merely some examples of adware-type apps that we have analyzed recently.
This software typically appears legitimate/harmless and offers a wide variety of "useful" and "advantageous" features. However, these functions rarely work as promised, and in most cases – they do not work at all.
How did DigitalSection install on my computer?
Adware can be bundled with regular programs. Downloading from dubious channels (e.g., freeware and third-party websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc.) and rushing through installation processes (e.g., skipping steps and sections, etc.) increase the risk of unintentionally allowing bundled content into the system.
Fake Adobe Flash Player update/installers are also used in distribution. Intrusive advertisements proliferate adware as well. Once clicked on, some of these adverts can execute scripts to perform downloads/installations without user consent.
Advertising-supported software may also have "official" promotional webpages, and it is pushed via scam sites. Most users enter these websites through redirects caused by mistyped URLs, intrusive ads, sites that use rogue advertising networks, spam browser notifications, or installed adware (with the ability to force-open browsers).
How to avoid installation of adware?
We highly recommend researching software and downloading it only from official/verified sources. Additionally, installation must be treated with caution, e.g., by reading terms, exploring available options, and using the "Custom/Advanced" settings to opt-out of supplementary apps, extensions, tools, etc.
We also advise being careful when browsing since illegitimate and malicious content typically looks ordinary/innocuous. For example, intrusive adverts may appear harmless yet redirect to unreliable/questionable sites (e.g., gambling, adult-dating, pornography, etc.).
In case of encounters with such ads/redirects, inspect the system and immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with DigitalSection, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.
Pop-up window displayed once DigitalSection adware's installation is over:
DigitalSection adware's installation folder:
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
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Quick menu:
- What is DigitalSection?
- STEP 1. Remove DigitalSection related files and folders from OSX.
- STEP 2. Remove DigitalSection ads from Safari.
- STEP 3. Remove DigitalSection adware from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove DigitalSection ads from Mozilla Firefox.
Video showing how to remove DigitalSection adware using Combo Cleaner:
DigitalSection adware removal:
Remove DigitalSection-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.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What harm can adware cause?
The presence of adware on devices can result in decreased browsing quality and system performance. It is also considered to be a threat to user privacy, as this software usually has data-tracking abilities. What is more, adware displays ads that promote deceptive/malicious content, which can cause serious problems (e.g., system infections, financial losses, etc.).
What does adware do?
Adware stands for advertising-supported software. It is designed to display ads on visited websites and/or other interfaces. Some types can also force-open sites and collect private data.
How do adware developers generate revenue?
Most of the profit is made via affiliate programs by promoting a wide variety of websites, applications, products, services, and so on. Adware developers may earn commission from ad clicks, site visits, file downloads, product purchases, service subscriptions, or similar.
Will Combo Cleaner remove DigitalSection adware?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan computers and eliminate detected adware-type applications. It must be mentioned that manual removal (unaided by security programs) might be ineffective. In some instances, even after adware is manually removed - various components (files) remain hidden within the system. These remnants can continue to run and cause issues. Therefore, it is paramount to eliminate advertising-supported software thoroughly.
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