leofrombcn_

Q: MacKeeper Ads, Popup Windows problem - Any Solution?

Hi,

 

I have a problem with 'MacKeeper'.

It opens popup windows, shows link ads on any webpage I visit, distorts google search results etc.

This happens not only on Safari, but also on Chrome & Firefox.

 

I have tried to clear any spam-looking files from the /Library folder (there's nothing with the name mackeeper, zeobit etc.), also have cleared the cache of Safari, Chrome & Firefox.

 

I do not know how to find and remove this unwanted app, program or extension or whatever you may call it from my mac.

Can anyone suggest a solution?

 

Note: I have never installed MacKeeper, so I can not uninstall it.

 

Thank you,

Leo

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mavericks (10.9.4)

Posted on Sep 5, 2014 4:23 AM

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Q: MacKeeper Ads, Popup Windows problem - Any Solution?

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  • by Limnos,

    Limnos Limnos Sep 5, 2014 5:54 AM in response to leofrombcn_
    Level 9 (53,643 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 5, 2014 5:54 AM in response to leofrombcn_

    This has nothing to do with iTunes (the forum on which you posted).

     

    Sometimes ads are simply a matter of which web sites you visit and what you click on to get something else.

     

    LincDavis 10/2012 Tip on blocking MacKeeper ads - https://discussions.apple.com/message/20059747

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Sep 5, 2014 1:08 PM in response to leofrombcn_
    Level 10 (207,926 points)
    Applications
    Sep 5, 2014 1:08 PM in response to leofrombcn_

    You installed the "VSearch" trojan, perhaps under a different name. Remove it as follows.

    Malware is constantly changing to get around the defenses against it. The instructions in this comment are valid as of now, as far as I know. They won't necessarily be valid in the future. Anyone finding this comment a few days or more after it was posted should look for more recent discussions or start a new one.

    Back up all data before proceeding.

    Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:

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

    Right-click or control-click the line and select

              Services Reveal in Finder (or just Reveal)

    from the contextual menu.* A folder should open with an item named "com.vsearch.agent.plist" selected. Drag the selected item to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator login password.

    Repeat with each of these lines:

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

    Restart the computer and empty the Trash. Then delete the following items in the same way:

    /Library/Application Support/VSearch
    /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/Jack
    /System/Library/Frameworks/VSearch.framework
    ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ConduitNPAPIPlugin.plugin

    Some of these items may be absent, in which case you'll get a message that the file can't be found. Skip that item and go on to the next one.

    From the Safari menu bar, select

              Safari Preferences... Extensions

    Uninstall any extensions you don't know you need, including any that have the word "Spigot," "Trovi," or "Conduit" in the description. If in doubt, uninstall all extensions. Do the equivalent for the Firefox and Chrome browsers, if you use either of those.

    Reset the home page and default search engine in all the browsers, if it was changed.

    This trojan is distributed on illegal websites that traffic in pirated content. If you, or anyone else who uses the computer, visit such sites and follow prompts to install software, you can expect much worse to happen in the future.

    You may be wondering why you didn't get a warning from Gatekeeper about installing software from an unknown developer, as you should have. The reason is that this Internet criminal has a codesigning certificate issued by Apple, which causes Gatekeeper to give the installer a pass. Apple could revoke the certificate, but as of this writing, has not done so, even though it's aware of the problem. This failure of oversight has compromised both Gatekeeper and the Developer ID program. You can't rely on Gatekeeper alone to protect you from harmful software.

    *If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination  command-C. In the Finder, select

              Go Go to Folder...

    from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.