User profile for user: davebessette
davebessette Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

PlaySearch hijack

I have tried (almost) everything including searcing/removing suspicious apps, confirming safari settings, installing/running MalwareBytes, and lastly reinstalling the OS. Nothing will stop this annoying redirect when i launch Safari. No extensions, search engine/home page set properly. Have tried pretty much everything. As far as i know there is some redirect happening or being injected when i launch. When i click the home have in Safari i get Google which is the behavior i want. its just when i launch Safari that i get the play search...page. Anyone have any other ideas.

MacBook Pro, iOS 12.0.1

Posted on Oct 12, 2018 4:39 AM

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User profile for user: davebessette
davebessette Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Posted on Oct 13, 2018 3:04 PM

thanks - that did the trick. looks like it created a bookmark in a folder named 'new page' and set the 'Safari opens with' option to 'New Page' which was pointing to the bookmark. When inspecting these the 'not so obvious' name fooled me. Instead of doing what you suggested and wiping out all my bookmarks - i simply removed the offending one once i figured it out and set the Safari option to open a new window instead.


Regardless your suggestion worked! Thank you!

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User profile for user: davebessette
davebessette Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Oct 13, 2018 3:04 PM in response to davebessette

thanks - that did the trick. looks like it created a bookmark in a folder named 'new page' and set the 'Safari opens with' option to 'New Page' which was pointing to the bookmark. When inspecting these the 'not so obvious' name fooled me. Instead of doing what you suggested and wiping out all my bookmarks - i simply removed the offending one once i figured it out and set the Safari option to open a new window instead.


Regardless your suggestion worked! Thank you!

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User profile for user: dominic23
dominic23
User level: Level 10
84,018 points

Oct 12, 2018 11:48 AM in response to davebessette

This malware file may be hiding in a different folder possibly.


A bookmark perhaps?

If you have tried every thing else, try this.


1. Backup your Mac.

2. System Preferences > iCloud

Uncheck the box beside Safari. This will prevent iCloud syncing.


3. Quit Safari.

Close all windows and quit all other applications.

Hold "option" key down and click "Go" menu in the Finder menu bar.

Library will appear between “Home” and “Computer” entries in the dropdown.


User uploaded file


3. Quit Safari.


Empty the Trash.

Close all windows and quit all other applications.

Hold "option" key down and click "Go" menu in the Finder menu bar.

Library will appear between “Home” and “Computer” entries in the dropdown.


Choose “Library” and then “Bookmark.plist”.

Right click on Bookmark.plist and choose “Move to Trash”.


4. Launch Safari.Bookmarks folder will be empty.

Test.


User uploaded file


4. Launch Safari. Bookmarks folder will be empty.

Test.


5. If this doesn’t help,

click the Trash icon in the Dock, right click on the Bookmark.plist entry and choose “Put Back”.


User uploaded file


6. System Preferences > iCloud

Re-enable Safari

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PlaySearch hijack

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