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How to remove Adware?

Recently i've downloaded something and now I have all this adware on safari. Pop up ads and Certain words are highlited that when clicked go to ads for surveys and stuff etc. I've tried everything but i cant get rid of the highlighted text. Does anyone know how to fix this?

MacBook Pro

Posted on Mar 5, 2014 2:06 AM

Reply
214 replies

Jul 3, 2014 5:43 AM in response to Linc Davis

Sorry to bother you Linc Davis,
I just recently have been plagued by Spigot. Which causes my homepage to be yahoo (no matter what I do).
I have been doing research and I think that the answer above would solve it but I defer to your judgment.
I tried following your steps but I could not find Vsearch.


I have a Macbook Pro late 2011 model - OS X 10.9.4


I have backed up my computer, if you have time. Could you give me some info how to get rid of this Spigot?


Thank you

Jul 13, 2014 8:28 PM in response to Linc Davis

I have this problem as well I've done all the steps that's on the list but the

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

/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.vsearch.daemon.plist

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

/Library/LaunchDaemons/Jack.plist

/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/Jack

/System/Library/Frameworks/VSearch.framework "

Is not in the folder I can't complete the process with out deleting those items.😐

Jul 13, 2014 8:29 PM in response to Linc Davis

I have this problem as well I've done all the steps that's on the list but the

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

/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.vsearch.daemon.plist

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

/Library/LaunchDaemons/Jack.plist

/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/Jack

/System/Library/Frameworks/VSearch.framework "

Is not in the folder I can't complete the process with out deleting those items.😐

Jul 14, 2014 4:37 AM in response to Haskinspd

You either aren't looking in the right places or you don't have Downlite. (Most likely the latter, as Downlite is not the only adware that causes these symptoms.)


Try my Adware Removal Guide and see if that helps.


(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.)

Jul 22, 2014 9:29 AM in response to manish170

I have the following problem: This post appears at random websites User uploaded file

My internet research only provided me with information on how to deal with it on windows computers. Can anyone help?

I tried to run the safe mac removal tool, but it did not remove anything.


Boot Mode: Normal



Model: MacBookPro9,2



System diagnostics



2014-07-06 mdmclient crash

2014-07-06 mdmclient crash

2014-07-06 mdmclient crash

2014-07-06 mdmclient crash

2014-07-06 mdmclient crash

2014-07-06 mdmclient crash

2014-07-06 mdmclient crash

2014-07-06 mdmclient crash

2014-07-13 avbackendproxy,avbackendproxy,avguard-ondemand-mgmt,avguard-onde shutdownStall

2014-07-20 avlogwriter crash



User diagnostics



2014-07-06 usernoted crash

2014-07-06 usernoted crash

2014-07-06 usernoted crash

2014-07-06 usernoted crash

2014-07-06 usernoted crash

2014-07-06 usernoted crash

2014-07-06 usernoted crash

2014-07-06 usernoted crash

2014-07-06 usernoted crash

2014-07-11 AcroExt crash



Kernel messages



--- last message repeated 13 times ---

Jul 21 11:06:40 wl0: Roamed or switched channel, reason #4, bssid bc:05:43:68:a9:e9

Jul 21 11:09:30 PM notification timeout (pid 99804, Messages)

Jul 21 11:26:26 wl0: Roamed or switched channel, reason #2, bssid d0:c7:89:cc:33:fe

--- last message repeated 2 times ---

Jul 21 11:31:52 PM notification timeout (pid 99804, Messages)

Jul 21 11:31:57 wl0: Roamed or switched channel, reason #2, bssid d0:c7:89:cc:33:fe

Jul 21 18:05:04 wl0: Roamed or switched channel, reason #8, bssid bc:05:43:68:a9:e9

Jul 21 18:40:34 PM notification timeout (pid 99804, Messages)

Jul 21 19:56:57 wl0: Roamed or switched channel, reason #8, bssid bc:05:43:68:a9:e9

--- last message repeated 5 times ---

Jul 21 22:14:14 MacAuthEvent en1 Auth result for: bc:05:43:68:a9:e9 Auth timed out

Jul 21 22:17:26 wl0: Roamed or switched channel, reason #3, bssid bc:05:43:68:a9:e9

Jul 21 22:40:39 PM notification timeout (pid 99804, Messages)

Jul 22 09:48:22 wl0: Roamed or switched channel, reason #8, bssid 74:31:70:e1:d2:c0

Jul 22 10:46:48 PM notification timeout (pid 99804, Messages)

--- last message repeated 2 times ---

Jul 22 12:41:24 Previous Shutdown Cause: -60

Jul 22 13:00:47 PM notification timeout (pid 99804, Messages)

Jul 22 14:02:07 wl0: Roamed or switched channel, reason #8, bssid 74:31:70:e1:d2:c0

Jul 22 15:02:12 PM notification timeout (pid 99804, Messages)

--- last message repeated 2 times ---

Jul 22 16:52:37 check_file_access 934 (ERROR <74649>):ERROR sleep interrupted: TIMEOUT EXPIRED

Jul 22 16:52:48 check_file_access 934 (ERROR <66480>):ERROR sleep interrupted: TIMEOUT EXPIRED

Jul 22 17:37:04 wl0: Roamed or switched channel, reason #4, bssid 74:31:70:e1:d2:c0



Loaded extrinsic kernel extensions



com.avira.kext.FileAccessControl (1.0.0d1)

net.tunnelblick.tun (1.0)



Extrinsic daemons



com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper

com.avira.helper.watchdox

com.avira.antivirus.ipm.loader

com.avira.antivirus.dbcleaner

com.adobe.fpsaud



Extrinsic agents



com.avira.antivirus.update.default

com.avira.antivirus.telemetry_agent

com.avira.antivirus.systray

com.avira.antivirus.scheduler_agent

com.avira.antivirus.odscan.default

com.avira.antivirus.notifications_agent

com.avira.antivirus.ipm.ui

com.google.keystone.user.agent

com.adobe.ARM.UUID



launchd items



/Library/LaunchAgents/com.avira.antivirus.ipm.ui.plist

(com.avira.antivirus.ipm.ui)

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.avira.antivirus.notifications.agent.plist

(com.avira.antivirus.notifications_agent)

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.avira.antivirus.odscan.default.plist

(com.avira.antivirus.odscan.default)

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.avira.antivirus.scheduler.agent.plist

(com.avira.antivirus.scheduler_agent)

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.avira.antivirus.systray.plist

(com.avira.antivirus.systray)

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.avira.antivirus.telemetry.agent.plist

(com.avira.antivirus.telemetry_agent)

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.avira.antivirus.update.default.plist

(com.avira.antivirus.update.default)

/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.adobe.fpsaud.plist

(com.adobe.fpsaud)

/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.avira.antivirus.dbcleaner.plist

(com.avira.antivirus.dbcleaner)

/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.avira.antivirus.ipm.loader.plist

(com.avira.antivirus.ipm.loader)

/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.avira.helper.watchdox.plist

(com.avira.helper.watchdox)

/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist

(com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper)

Library/LaunchAgents/com.adobe.ARM.UUID.plist

(com.adobe.ARM.UUID)

Library/LaunchAgents/com.google.keystone.agent.plist

(com.google.keystone.user.agent)



Startup items



/Library/StartupItems/HWNetMgr/HWNetCfg

/Library/StartupItems/HWNetMgr/HWNetMgr

/Library/StartupItems/HWPortDetect/HWPortCfg

/Library/StartupItems/HWPortDetect/HWPortDetect

/Library/StartupItems/StartOuc/RunOuc

/Library/StartupItems/StartOuc/StartOuc

/Library/StartupItems/StartOuc/StartupParameters.plist



Extrinsic loadable bundles



/System/Library/Extensions/FileAccessControl.kext

(com.avira.kext.FileAccessControl)

/System/Library/Extensions/HuaweiDataCardDriver.kext

(com.huawei.driver.HuaweiDataCardDriver)

/System/Library/Extensions/USBExpressCardCantWake_Huawei.kext

(com.apple.dts.driver.USBExpressCardCantWake)

/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/AdobePDFViewer.plugin

(com.adobe.acrobat.pdfviewer)

/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/AdobePDFViewerNPAPI.plugin

(com.adobe.acrobat.pdfviewerNPAPI)

/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/DirectorShockwave.plugin

(com.adobe.director_12_0.shockwave.pluginshim)

/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin

(com.macromedia.Flash Player.plugin)

/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/SharePointBrowserPlugin.plugin

(com.microsoft.sharepoint.browserplugin)

/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/SharePointWebKitPlugin.webplugin

(com.microsoft.sharepoint.webkitplugin)

/Library/PreferencePanes/Flash Player.prefPane

(com.adobe.flashplayerpreferences)

Library/Address Book Plug-Ins/SkypeABDialer.bundle

(com.skype.skypeabdialer)

Library/Address Book Plug-Ins/SkypeABSMS.bundle

(com.skype.skypeabsms)





sysctl.conf



net.inet.tcp.rfc1323=1

net.inet.tcp.sockthreshold=0

net.inet.tcp.sendspace=65560

net.inet.tcp.recvspace=65560



Global login items



/Library/Printers/hp/hpio/HPEventHandler.app/

Jul 22, 2014 11:09 AM in response to challenger91

This is not an adware problem, this is your browser trying to prevent you from going to known bad sites, using the Google Safe Browsing blacklist. The one listed in that window is a known malware site.


See:


https://www.virustotal.com/en/url/23fb951a64413787e39d654d11bd49f856b8b99f134c8f 96048d19331a718799/analysis/


So, the solution is to stop going to sites that trigger that message.


If this message is being triggered on mainstream sites, then you probably have some kind of network compromise that is redirecting you to malicious sites. 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.)

Aug 11, 2014 9:00 AM in response to Anon4876

I had a similar problem with Google Chrome.


It is an extension that installs when you download something. I don't know what it was I downloaded, but I had been downloading some demo programs off of CNET (typically don't use this site for exactly this reason).


If you're using Chrome, go into Tools and Extensions and find the extension that is causing your problem (mine was MacPriceCut). If you're using Safari or any other browser, find your extensions list and delete the offending extension.


I deleted them from Chrome and problem solved.

How to remove Adware?

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