Yahoo Redirect Virus on Mac

There is no need to download anything to solve this problem.

You may have installed one of the common types of ad-injection malware. Follow the instructions on this Apple Support page to remove it.

Back up all data before making any changes.

One of the steps in the article is to remove malicious Safari extensions. Do the equivalent in the Chrome and Firefox browsers, if you use either of those. If Safari crashes on launch, skip that step and come back to it after you've done everything else.

If you don't find any of the files or extensions listed, or if removing them doesn't stop the ad injection, ask for further instructions.

Make sure you don't repeat the mistake that led you to install the malware. It may have come from an Internet cesspit such as "Softonic" or "CNET Download." Never visit either of those sites again. You might also have downloaded it from an ad in a page on some other site. The ad would probably have included a large green button labeled "Download" or "Download Now" in white letters. The button is designed to confuse people who intend to download something else on the same page. If you ever download a file that isn't obviously what you expected, delete it immediately.

Malware is also found on websites that traffic in pirated content such as video. If you, or anyone else who uses the computer, visit such sites and follow prompts to install software, you can expect more of the same, and worse, to follow. Never install any software that you downloaded from a bittorrent, or that was downloaded by someone else from an unknown source.

In the Security & Privacy pane of System Preferences, select the General tab. The radio button marked Anywhere should not be selected. If it is, click the lock icon to unlock the settings, then select one of the other buttons. After that, don't ignore a warning that you are about to run or install an application from an unknown developer.

Still in System Preferences, open the App Store or Software Update pane and check the box marked

Install system data files and security updates

if it's not already checked.

It's really way simpler than all these answers...Go to preferences>click on the search tab>and switch the search engine to Google...that's all it takes.

These aren't viruses. It's adware. This is how is gets installed: How to install adware

This link contains instructions for manual removal. You can however also use the free and safe AdwareMedic. (Don't forget to read the Alert at the top of that page.)

Hi SeattleSoul. I took your advice but found my search engine was already set to Google yet when I opened a new tab the search engine reverted to Yahoo again. So I went a step further Safari>Preferences>General>New Tabs Open with>Here I selected Empty Page because that's what i prefer. But you can designate whatever search you want. Viola! No more Yahoo. Hope that helps!

I did the extensions part and found something called Search Genius and removed it...Now Google is not highjacked.

Thankks

Kurt LangNov 13, 2015 9:00 AM Re: How to get rid of a yahoo virus that keeps redirecting my google search engine which is set as a default to Yahoo!
in response to SeattleSoul

Not that simple at all when adware keeps changing the user settings. From the very first line in the first post:

I have google set as my default search engine…

@ achaker

Simplest thing to try first is what Linc already suggested. Open Safari's preferences and click on the Extensions tab. Disable all of them. Turn them on one at a time and test. If the problem returns, that's the extension causing the problem. Disable it again and remove it.

This link contains instructions for manual removal.

Thanks for that, Esquared. I went into Firefox’s Tools down to Add-ons and removed the malevolent gremlin, so now I no longer see the pesky “Y” word when I want to look for something. My Google search engine has regained its supremacy in my MacBook, and from now onwards I’ll try to avoid the “Y” word like the plague.

Only the devil knows how my trouble started (it seemed to be after an out-of-his-depth technician fiddled with my computer for unrelated issues), but you’ve solved it for me.

Not that simple at all when adware keeps changing the user settings. From the very first line in the first post:

I have google set as my default search engine…

@ achaker

Simplest thing to try first is what Linc already suggested. Open Safari's preferences and click on the Extensions tab. Disable all of them. Turn them on one at a time and test. If the problem returns, that's the extension causing the problem. Disable it again and remove it.

hahahahahah....great!!! So many advises, information and suggestions I read on this page and at least, finally, Kurt Lang give the best, simplest and the only one advise, which helped! Thanks a lot Kurt, it was 1 second to change it! Now I have again in the URL space Google which is searching (and not anymore Yahoo)

Adwaremedic helped me find adwares on my MacPro.

Important thing to me was to remove the recent history to completely stop this.

Obviously the google fetches the same command from the past history and repeat it on the link input area.

1. remove adware

2. reset settings

3. get rid of the brower you do not want in the setting

4. remove past history up to the point where this problem started to happen.

Chan Yang

Virginia

Follow this link and download the program. https://www.malwarebytes.com/antimalware/mac/ I got this from Apple Support and it will remove the crap that is causing the problem. Keep it and run it when you run MacClean, or other cleanup software. It only took about two minutes and I was cleaned up and back to work. r

I had this EXACT problem! I really didn't want to download anything else because i thought it was going to hurt my mac even more, but I looked up some trustworthy virus cleaner thingeys and I found Malware Bytes Anti-Malware for Mac. The download was SUPER easy and once I downloaded it as an application the process was great. I pressed the "Scan" button and it took about 10 min. but it selected all of the problems. Then, I pressed remove in the bottom right. The removed items were in the "trash" so I had to empty it to remove the redirecting yahoo thing. SHORT STORY LONG, LONG STORY SHORT, IT REMOVE THE YAHOO VIRUS!!

You might want to consider starting a new discussion. Since this one is a couple of years old, less people are likely to look at it. A new post would be much more visible. You can link to this one.

Try running this program in your normal account , then copy and paste the output in a reply. The program was created by Etresoft, a frequent contributor. Please use copy and paste as screen shots can be hard to read. On the screen with Options, please open Options and check the bottom 2 boxes before running. Click “Share Report” button in the toolbar, select “Copy Report” and then paste into a reply. This will show what is running on your computer. No personal information is shown.

Etrecheck – System Information

Try going to Safari/Preferences/Extensions and disable all extensions. Quit Safari, reopen, and see if the problem is solved. If so, enable extensions one or two at a time until you find which extension is causing the problem.

andy banx wrote:

I ran Malware bytes and it found some problems, but yahoo still pops up as the first tab in chrome when I open it. any ideas?

Malwarebytes removes adware, but won't change your browser settings for you, and the adware may have changed your home page and search engine settings. Did you try to fix those settings? If not, do so now.

None of the answers solve my problem. I have installed the Apple support recommended Malwear, I on have one extension on my Safari and my search engine says google and always has said Google. I am still invaded by Yahoo