Malware? "System Scan is Recommended" window

Please ignore. This is phishing scam from MacKeeper. Do not click any links or call any phone numbers. There is nothing wrong with your computer.

Remove Browser Pop-up Problems

AdwareMedic

Adblock Plus 1.8.9

remove adware that displays pop-up ads and graphics on your Mac

A

You may have installed a variant of the "VSearch" ad-injection malware. Follow Apple Support's instructions to remove it.

If you have trouble following those instructions, see below.

Malware is always changing to get around the defenses against it. This procedure works as of now, as far as I know. It may not work in the future. Anyone finding this comment a few days or more after it was posted should look for a more recent discussion, or start a new one.

The VSearch malware tries to hide itself by varying the names of the files it installs. To remove it, you must first identify the naming pattern.

Triple-click the line below on this page to select it, then copy the text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C:

/Library/LaunchDaemons

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.

A folder named "LaunchDaemons" may open. Look inside it for two files with names of the form

com.something.daemon.plist

and

com.something.helper.plist

Here something is a variable string of characters, which can be different in each case. So far it has always been a string of letters without punctuation, such as "cloud," "dot," "highway," "submarine," or "trusteddownloads." Sometimes it's a meaningless string such as "e8dec5ae7fc75c28" rather than a word. Sometimes the string is "apple," and then you must be especially careful not to delete the wrong files, because many built-in OS X files have similar names.

If you find these files, leave the LaunchDaemons folder open, and open the following folder in the same way:

/Library/LaunchAgents

In this folder, there may be a file named

com.something.agent.plist

where the string something is the same as before.

If you feel confident that you've identified the above files, back up all data, then drag just those three files—nothing else—to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator login password. Close the Finder windows and restart the computer.

Don't delete the "LaunchAgents" or "LaunchDaemons" folder or anything else inside either one.

The malware is now permanently inactivated, as long as you never reinstall it. You can stop here if you like, or you can remove two remaining components for the sake of completeness.

Open this folder:

/Library/Application Support

If it has a subfolder named just

something

where something is the same string you saw before, drag that subfolder to the Trash and close the window.

Don't delete the "Application Support" folder or anything else inside it.

Finally, in this folder:

/System/Library/Frameworks

there may an item named exactly

v.framework

It's actually a folder, though it has a different icon than usual. This item always has the above name; it doesn't vary. Drag it to the Trash and close the window.

Don't delete the "Frameworks" folder or anything else inside it.

If you didn't find the files or you're not sure about the identification, post what you found.

If in doubt, or if you have no backups, change nothing at all.

The trouble may have started when you downloaded and ran an application called "MPlayerX." That's the name of a legitimate free movie player, but the name is also used fraudulently to distribute VSearch. If there is an item with that name in the Applications folder, delete it, and if you wish, replace it with the genuine article from mplayerx.org.

This trojan is often found on illegal websites that traffic in pirated content such as movies. 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.

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

Install system data files and security updates (OS X 10.10 or later)

or

Download updates automatically (OS X 10.9 or earlier)

if it's not already checked.

B

You may also have installed "MacKeeper."

"MacKeeper" is a scam with only one useful feature: it deletes itself.

First, back up all data.

Note: These instructions apply to the version of the product that I downloaded and tested in early 2012. I can't be sure that they apply to other versions.

If you have incompletely removed MacKeeper—for example, by dragging the application to the Trash and immediately emptying—then you'll have to reinstall it and start over.

IMPORTANT: "MacKeeper" has what the developer calls an “encryption” feature. In my tests, I didn't try to verify what this feature really does. If you used it to “encrypt” any of your files, “decrypt” them before you uninstall, or (preferably) restore the files from backups made before they were “encrypted.” As the developer is not trustworthy, you should assume that the "decrypted" files are corrupt unless proven otherwise.

In the Finder, select

Go ▹ Applications

from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-A. The "MacKeeper" application is in the folder that opens. Quit it if it's running, then drag it to the Trash. You'll be prompted for your login password. Click the Uninstall MacKeeper button in the dialog that appears. All the other functional components of the software will be deleted. Restart the computer and empty the Trash.

☞ Quit MacKeeper before dragging it to the Trash.

☞ Let MacKeeper delete its other components before you empty the Trash.

☞ Don't try to drag MacKeeper from the Dock or the Launchpad to the Trash.

☞ Don't try to remove MacKeeper while running in safe mode.

I had the exact same thing happen and I followed the above directions. As indicated if I didn't see exactly what was stated I am posting it here in hopes that someone can confirm/deny that these files should be moved to trash.

In folder LaunchDaemons I found the following files "com.google.keystone.daemon.plist" and "com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist"

In folder LaunchAgents I found the following file "com.google.keystone.agent.plist"

I was unsure if the all three "something" names had to be identical as the instructions said "Here something is a variable string of characters, which can be different in each case." I was leaning towards thinking this meant that each person may see a different "something" than other people but that all three "somethings" would be the same for each person. In this case "Google.keystone" but I wasn't positive so I'm asking for clarification since only two of my three "somethings" are the same.

If these aren't the files, is there another recommendation on how to proceed?

I really appreciate your assistance.

I am trying this now. My question is about your warning to check that the items within LaunchDaemons are not items of actual importance. The ones I am looking at are:

com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist

com.google.keystone.daemon.plist

(and less similar to what was posted, there is com.adobe.fpsaud.plist)

If these are familiar to anyone, and you can tell me whether these are benign, or if the "System Scan is recommended." has a better solution as of late, please let me know.

Hi and thanks for the help. I went through both A and B and had both problems.

In part A I found the following, what a mess:

com.4462a7ad60bb717c.daemon.plist

com.autocoprophagousgordioidea.daemon.plist

com.intego.BackupAssistant.daemon.plist

I found agent and helper files for the first two, and also application support folders. I did NOT find any of these for the third item listed above, about Intego. However the Applications folder (where I went in part B to find Mackeeper) has:

Intego Backup Assistant

Intego Backup Assistant Uninstall

Does "com.intego.BackupAssistant.daemon.plist" need to be trashed too? Should the Intego backup assistant and uninstall folders also go?

I also found a v.framework folder, whose icon looked like all the other folders in there. I did not have MplayerX in my applications folder.

THANKS!!!

This pop-up is displayed by MacKeeper.

It's a malware that is installed by the MacUpdate installer when you install other applications.

To get rid of it open the Applications Folder, then drag the MacKeeper app from the folder into the trash, or click it and use Shift+Delete.

After some time (sometimes several minutes) you'll get a pop-up box with an Uninstall button.

You don't have to answer the survey, just click Uninstall.

Before you go through all of the really complicated advice below, do try to delete MacKeeper if it somehow got installed in your Applications folder. That solved it for me in about 20 seconds.