Here is a guide on how to detect Mac malware and safely remove it from your computer.
- How To Find Malicious Apps On Mac Safari
- How To Find Malicious Apps On Mac Windows 10
- How To Identify Malicious Apps
- How To Find Malicious Apps On Mac Pro
- Malicious Android Apps List
- Malicious Apps On Iphone
Checking your Mac for viruses. OS X does a pretty good job of stopping viruses and malware from attacking your computer. But there are steps you can take to further protect yourself. Mac computers are less susceptible to malware than Windows computers, but may still benefit from antivirus applications. For Mac computers, experts in the computer security industry recommend using antivirus programs such as iAntivirus from Norton, Avira Free Mac Security, Comodo Antivirus for Mac, and Avast Free Antivirus for Mac. Checking your Mac for viruses. OS X does a pretty good job of stopping viruses and malware from attacking your computer. But there are steps you can take to further protect yourself.
Malware is a malicious piece of software that is intended to harm your files or overall system. Mac computers are definitely susceptible to Malware infection and it is a good idea to occasionally check for it especially if you are experiencing strange behavior.
Malware indicators include continuous pop-ups, changes in browser’s homepage, running out of hard disk space quickly, unwanted toolbar items or add-ons and more. These are all typical behaviors of a computer infected with malware and should be addressed immediately.
How to Check For and Remove Mac Malware
Here are the steps to check for malware infection on your Mac and remove it if found.
Watch the above video for a guide on how to remove Mac Malware from your machine.
How to Run Malwarebytes Utility
There are fortunately a couple of different programs available to users that believe they have been infected with a malicious program. My recommendation is the Malwarebytes. This is a free third-party program that I have used to great success in cleaning out my machine as well as friends and family.
Malwarebytes is a free program available for Mac and PC from malwarebytes.com and will download as a .dmg installer package. Install the application by dragging it to your Applications folder (or open it from the installer if you do not want to have it on your machine).
Click the Scan icon then once the application opens and it will begin to perform a scan of your Mac. Fortunately the scan only takes a fewmoments depending on your hard drive size and will quickly inform you if you have any Malware to remove. If you have malware, the program should be able to remove what is there.
If you are not able to get your problem resolved, the program will look have steps for what you should do next. They link to a supportarticle on their website which has plenty of helpful troubleshooting steps for what to do including steps from a simple restart to potential hardware issues.
In my experience, if you want to ensure you are completely clean of any malicious software, you should backupimportantfiles and erase and re-install your MacOS to the newest version. This is definitely a more extreme approach and would only be advised if you are not able to clean the machine using Mawarebytes or something similar.
It is a great idea to always have a databackup going for important files or ensure that they are syncing to a Cloud storage opportunity. In this day and age where Mac computers are now becoming more susceptible to attacks, keepingconfidentialdatasafe is more important than ever.
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How to remove 'Fake Calculator' from Mac?
What is 'Fake Calculator'?
Related to MacSecurityPlus, Fake Calculator is malicious application that claims to be the genuine MacOS calculator. This app does not change browser settings, however, as long as it is installed, it redirects people who attempt to surf the web using their browsers to bing[.]com, goto-searchitnow, and under-cover[.]info. It is impossible to avoid being redirected to these search engines unless this fake calculator is uninstalled.
Once installed, it places the 'Calculator' app icon in the Launchpad. Its name and appearance is identical to the genuine (official) Calculator application created by Apple. Once opened, however, this malicious app does not open any calculator. Nothing happens on the user interface, however, this app stealthily creates a '.dir' directory using Finder. It is impossible to delete the new '.dir' directory unless this fake calculator is uninstalled. Furthermore, this app recreates the directory when attempts are made to delete it. When launched, the fake calculator does not appear on Activity Monitor. Therefore, it is impossible to terminate the process and prevent it from recreating the '.dir' directory. Two of the websites (goto-searchitnow and under-cover[.]info) that this app opens when a browser is used (i.e., search queries are entered) are categorized as fake search engines. If used, they gather various browsing-related information such as IP addresses, geolocations, entered search queries, URLs of visited websites, and so on. People who develop these search engines share collected data with other parties (possibly cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. To avoid experiencing problems relating to browsing safety, privacy (or even identity theft), we recommend that you uninstall this fake calculator immediately.
Name | 'Fake Calculator' virus |
Threat Type | Redirect virus, Mac malware, Mac virus. |
Detection Names (Calculator.app) | Avast (MacOS:MaxOfferDeal-C [Adw]), AVG (MacOS:MaxOfferDeal-C [Adw]), ESET-NOD32 (a variant of OSX/Adware.MaxOfferDeal.C), Kaspersky (not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.OSX.Geonei.al), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal). |
Symptoms | Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you experience unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites. |
Additional Information. | This malware continually creates a '.dir' directory and places it in the '~/Library/Application Support/' directory. The new '.dir' directory cannot be deleted (the fake calculator recreates it) unless this malware is uninstalled. Moreover, this malicious app does not run any process in Activity Monitor, which makes it harder to terminate. |
Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers, torrent file downloads. |
Damage | Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites, loss of private information. |
Malware Removal (Mac) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited three days free trial available. |
Many apps are presented as 'useful tools', however, once installed, they do not operate as promised. In this case, the app cannot even be launched or used for calculating purposes. Rather than working as a calculator, it promotes dubious search engines.
How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?
PUAs are often downloaded and installed through intrusive advertisements that are displayed on untrustworthy websites, however, they cannot cause issues unless people click them - they then execute scripts that download/install unwanted apps. Additionally, apps of this type might be bundled/included into other software set-ups. Developers hide information about bundled software in 'Custom', 'Advanced', and other similar parts of the download or installation set-ups. When users leave these settings unchanged, they usually grant permission for unwanted apps to be installed with other, regular software that they wish to download/install.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
Download all software from official websites or other reputable sources. Torrent clients, eMule and other Peer-to-Peer networks, unofficial pages, third party downloading tools, and other similar channels should not be trusted, since they often include malicious programs that cyber criminals present as harmless software/files. Handle downloads and installations properly. If a setup contains optional settings, do not leave them unchecked. Dismiss offers to download/install any unwanted apps before completing the setup. Ads displayed on dubious websites (relating to gambling, adult dating, pornography, etc.) should not be trusted or clicked - they might also be the reason for unwanted downloads and installations. Furthermore, they often cause redirects to potentially malicious websites. If a browser causes any of these problems, we recommend that you remove all unwanted, unknown apps from the browser and programs from the operating system immediately. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.
Screenshot of '.dir' directory created by Fake Calculator Malware:
To manually remove this app, delete the 'Calculator.app' file first. The file can be found in '~/Applications/' directory.
Open Activity Monitor and force the 'Finder' or 'MacSecurityPlus' process and quit it. Unlike genuine processes, malicious processes have no icons. Therefore, find and quit the malicious ones.
Go to '~/Library/Application Support/', find and open the '.dir' directory, and remove the following files:
- CompanyUpdater.app
- Finder
- Finder.app
- MacSecurityPlus.app
- params.json
- update.zip
Go to the '~/Library/LaunchAgents/' directory and remove these files:
- com.company.InstallerAgent.plist
- com.engineering.calulator.plist
- com.xyz.abc.MacSecurityPlus.plist
After performing these steps, scan the system with a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite to ensure that there are no remnants.
Instant automatic Mac malware removal:Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of Mac malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for MacBy downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited three days free trial available.
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for MacBy downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited three days free trial available.
Quick menu:
- STEP 1. Remove PUA related files and folders from OSX.
- STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
- STEP 3. Remove rogue add-ons from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.
Video showing how to remove Fake Calculator malware using Combo Cleaner:
Potentially unwanted applications removal:
Remove potentially unwanted applications from your 'Applications' folder:
Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select 'Applications'. In the applications folder, look for 'MPlayerX','NicePlayer', or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.
Combo Cleaner checks if your computer is infected with malware. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited three days free trial available.
Remove 'fake calculator' virus related files and folders:
Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents
In the “LaunchAgents” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - “installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the same string.
Check for adware generated files in the /Library/Application Support folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/Application Support
In the “Application Support” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, “MplayerX” or “NicePlayer”, and move these folders to the Trash.
How To Find Malicious Apps On Mac Safari
Check for adware-generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents folder:
In the Go to Folder bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents
In the “LaunchAgents” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - “installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the same string.
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons
In the “LaunchDaemons” folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example “com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist”, “com.myppes.net-preferences.plist”, 'com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist”, “com.avickUpd.plist”, etc., and move them to the Trash.
Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:
If you have followed all the steps in the correct order you Mac should be clean of infections. To be sure your system is not infected run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file double click combocleaner.dmg installer, in the opened window drag and drop Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates it's virus definition database and click 'Start Combo Scan' button.
Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays 'no threats found' - this means that you can continue with the removal guide, otherwise it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.
After removing files and folders generated by the adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.
'Fake Calculator' virus removal from Internet browsers:
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Remove 'fake calculator' virus related Safari extensions:
Open Safari browser, from the menu bar, select 'Safari' and click 'Preferences...'.
In the preferences window, select 'Extensions' and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the 'Uninstall' button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.
How To Find Malicious Apps On Mac Windows 10
![Mac Mac](/uploads/1/3/4/1/134136618/427672250.png)
Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Remove 'fake calculator' virus related Mozilla Firefox add-ons:
Open your Mozilla Firefox browser. At the top right corner of the screen, click the 'Open Menu' (three horizontal lines) button. From the opened menu, choose 'Add-ons'.
How To Identify Malicious Apps
Choose the 'Extensions' tab and look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the 'Remove' button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Mozilla Firefox browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
How To Find Malicious Apps On Mac Pro
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Remove 'fake calculator' virus related Google Chrome add-ons:
Open Google Chrome and click the 'Chrome menu' (three horizontal lines) button located in the top-right corner of the browser window. From the drop-down menu, choose 'More Tools' and select 'Extensions'.
Malicious Android Apps List
In the 'Extensions' window, look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the 'Trash' button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Google Chrome browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
Malicious Apps On Iphone
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.