MacKeeper/Zerobit Pop Up ad Problem

I had the same result. I formatted drive and did a clean install. Zeobit still fully intact. I did log back in so I am assuming that my apple login or cloud account may be holding some file. I received my virus from a Leander Kahney article which seems to be the source of the zeobit virus for people who did not install MacKeeper. I have contacted Leander and Apple for a response.

I had the same result. I formatted drive and did a clean install. Zeobit still fully intact.

If you're having ads for MacKeeper in your web browser, and they have persisted after a clean reinstall, they're not being caused by your computer. You probably have a hacked wireless router, or some other network compromise. See:

How to manage a hacked wireless router

(Fair disclosure: The Safe Mac is my site, and contains a Donate button, so I may receive compensation for providing links to The Safe Mac. Donations are not required.)

I ran into the same problem that is seems many mac users have encountered, endless Mackeeper/zeobit pop-up windows, as well as a few pop-up windows advertising iTunes or amazon gift cards. After scouring forums and installing Glimmer Blocker and Ghostery with limited success I happened across directions for removing the mackeeper software. Although I never installed the Mackeeper app I perused my Library files for anything with 'zeobit' in the name anyway. Interestingly what I found were files with the 'vsearch' name that seem to have been causing the problem. Below is the list of files I removed and have had no problems since.

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.vsearch.agent.plist

/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.vsearch.helper.plist

/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.vsearch.daemon

/Library/Application Support/VSearch

/Library/Application Support/VSearch/Agent/VSearchAgent.app

/Library/Application Support/VSearch/DP.plist

/Library/Application Support/VSearch/Version.plist

Hope this helps anybody else that has experienced this annoyance.

obrienpau1 wrote:

Below is the list of files I removed and have had no problems since.

It's known as Downlight and you probably missed a couple:

/Library/LaunchDaemons/Jack.plist

/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/Jack

Details can be found in the Adware Removal Guide : Downlight and the author has an Adware Removal Tool that will automatically take care of it along with any other currently known adware.

this was driving me crazy i found a solution just installing this extension and problem fix

https://adblockplus.org/en/safari

D-tek wrote:

this was driving me crazy i found a solution just installing this extension and problem fix

https://adblockplus.org/en/safari

If the problem was being caused by adware or a hacked wireless router (see previous responses), then AdBlock Plus is doing you more harm than good by hiding the symptoms of a problem that still exists.

I also never installed it but can't get it to stop taking over every browser window! HELLO Apple Computer, are you listening? how have you not addressed this problem with mac users? Is Mackeeper/Zerobit paying you to keep quiet? I guess I have to do a total reset of Safari or just scrape it and move to firefox or chrome. oh well....

unruhly70 wrote:

I guess I have to do a total reset of Safari or just scrape it and move to firefox or chrome. oh well....

...or you could just look at the more recent posts on this topic for solutions. Many have been posted.

Basically, you installed some kind of adware, and now need to get rid of it.

unruhly70 wrote:

HELLO Apple Computer, are you listening? how have you not addressed this problem with mac users?

Well, no, they hardly read any of what is posted here and certainly nothing as old as this discussion. We are almost all users here. If you feel a need to communicate with Apple, you'll need to find some other venue.

Why isn't Apple addressing the issue of Mackeeper? It seems like it should be a security issue since that's about the only ad that gets through as a pop-up. It's a big issue affecting perhaps millions of users.

PIECarolina wrote:

Why isn't Apple addressing the issue of Mackeeper?

MacKeeper is legitimate commercial software signed with an Apple Developer ID. Do you have it installed? If not then advertising about it has must not be related to the application.

It seems like it should be a security issue since that's about the only ad that gets through as a pop-up.

How is advertising a security concern? It's what keeps all those free Internet services we all enjoy free. Without it we would have to pay Google for every search, bloggers for all the useful information they post, news agencies for access to media postings, etc. If we didn't use software like adblock agencies wouldn't have to resort to such intrusive, in-you-face tactics. I know it's annoying, but not malicious and therefore not a security issue. Other than peace of mind, what harm has it caused you or your computer?

But I'm also having a problem understanding exactly what you are seeing where. MacKeeper uses a lot of pop-unders which are not blocked by much of anything with the possible exception of Firefox and no-script of Safari without javascript enabled, but then you would miss at least half of what the Internet has to offer, including posting to this forum. Can you please post a screenshot of what you see and how it appears? I do see ads for MacKeeper among others, but nothing I'd describe as a one-of-a-kind pop-up.

I think you'll see a ton of complaints here about Mackeeper's intrusiveness and harassment of Mac users. I gather you work for Mackeeper because I can't imagine any other reason for you to defend their outrageous advertising practices.

PIECarolina wrote:

I gather you work for Mackeeper because I can't imagine any other reason for you to defend their outrageous advertising practices.

No defense intended and if you'll check back over the years you'll find many many times when I condemned their aggressive style, their hijacking of a legitimate website that I do some work for and many other very objectionable behavior. There are probably such postings in the other twelve pages of this way too long discussion. Version 1.0 really sucked and didn't do half the things they said it would do, but much has changed over the years. The only thing that might eventually be proven to be illegal about their advertising practices will come from the two class-action suits.

Yes, I'm probably defending Internet advertising in general as I think users are generally pleased with using it for free. If I had the choice I would gladly pay to have advertising disappear completely, but I know I'm in the minority and most users want things to continue to be totally free. I'm just pointing out that you really can't have it both ways. Somebody has to pay.

And yes, I see all the complaints, I just don't know why I don't see these things and so many others do.

PIECarolina wrote:

I think you'll see a ton of complaints here about Mackeeper's intrusiveness and harassment of Mac users. I gather you work for Mackeeper because I can't imagine any other reason for you to defend their outrageous advertising practices.

Clearly you know not of what you speak, and you are insulting to people who are trying to help ypu (accusing them of being paid to support products)

Good luck with your attitude, and MacKeeper.

Fixed the problem for me: http://www.thesafemac.com/arg-downlite/