An infection with the nasty SearchMine virus on Mac could lead to serious security issues. Users affected by the redirect can restore and protect their computers by following our complete removal guide.
Remove SearchMine and Secure macOS
SearchMine Manual Removal Guide
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Is SearchMine Dangerous?
SearchMine is a nasty website which has been reported to interrupt regular browsing sessions without users’ permission. Since this website could be misused for the distribution of malicious files its presence in the browser could endanger the overall security of targeted computer systems. At the moment security experts have not been able to identify a single tactic that is being used to infect the targets. We presume that the bad actors are using several of the most important methods to carry out malicious campaigns.
A common way of setting adware attacks like SearchMine is the use of email spam messages. They may directly distribute malicious file attachments containing scripts that lead to an infection. Other cases can utilize complex social engineering tricks and hyperlinks that are specifically made to confuse the intended targets into infecting themselves. Two more scenarios that are used in combination with email messages rely on infected files used as payloads ‒ documents and software installers.
- Infected Software Installers ‒ The criminals craft malicious packages made out of legitimate software installers. They are taken from the official vendor download sites, modified and then posted on online sites or attached (either as file attachments) or linked in the email messages.
- Infected Documents ‒ They represent dangerous files that usually come in the form of some of the most popular document types: rich text documents, spreadsheets and databases. When the users open them up a notification prompt will ask them to enable the built-in scripts (macros). If this is done then the malware is installed on the victim computer.
Malicious browser plugins carriers of SearchMine and other associated programs can be uploaded to hacker-controlled sites and P2P networks like BitTorrent as well. The hacker operators frequently utilize template design, text and images to create portals that look like legitimate download sources. They may also use domain names that are very similar to legitimate sites and advertise them via pop-ups or ad networks.
The undesired program associated with SearchMine can be found in numerous malware toolbars. They are usually made for the most popular web browsers: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Microsoft Edge. They can be distributed on such download sites or even on the browsers repositories (such as the Chrome Web Store for Google Chrome) using fake developer accounts.
Search Mine Won’t Go Away – Why?
SearchMine is a dubious website that attempts to scam users into enabling the generation of browser notifications in order that they could access unlimited access to video streaming and database with various torrent files. However, it is preferable to avoid any interactions with the redirect when it loads in the browser.
Since it could be configured to deliver and activate malicious code the moment a click is realized, its elimination is recommendable as soon as possible. First, it should be closed the moment it appears in the browser. Then the affected web browser should be cleaned from suspicious tracking objects as well as from dubious applications installed on it.
Otherwise, SearchMine could cause redirects to other phishing sites designed to steal sensitive credentials, install adware and other undesired programs on the device, or load fake tech support sites that aim to deceive you into calling scammers.
Among the side effects that may be witnessed in case that SearchMine virus plagues the system are PC slowdowns, automatic execution of the pop-up on PC starts up, modifications of various PC and browser settings, and others.
Computer slowdowns may be caused by a large number of annoying ads that the virus injects directly into the affected browser. The ads that appear may be pop-ups, pop-unders, Be careful with them as a click on the wrong one could land you on a compromised web page that causes a drive-by-download attack and eventually infects your system with a severe malware infection.
This deceptive website may be used by hackers to trick users into installing various kinds of malware directly on their systems. So in case that you click any presented button, you may unintentionally grant any severe malware infection access to your system. The code of Nsbacking.com is also detected to be set to drop malicious files through affected browsers. This scam website endangers the overall security of your system and that’s why it should be removed as soon as possible.
How to Remove SearchMine from Mac
If your system is showing infection symptoms, you should definitely take action and delete SearchMine virus and related files from your macOS. The sooner the better! Below you can find our step-by-step Mac virus removal instructions that give you the opportunity to get rid of SearchMine either manually or automatically. If you don’t feel comfortable with manual instructions, download a reliable SearchMine removal tool that will scan your Mac system for malware and clean it safely for you. If any questions arise, or additional help is needed leave us a comment.
How to Remove SearchMine on a Mac Manually
Remove SearchMine and related files from OSX.
- 1. Force Quit all suspicious applications.
Go to the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of your screen and choose the Force Quit option.
You will see a list of all currently running applications. Go find SearchMine, select it and then navigate to the “Force Quit” button. You can also find the last application you installed on your Mac and stop it as well.
Since software bundling is a common propagation method, the SearchMine may get installed along with the lastly installed application and their activities on the system may be related.
- 2. Remove SearchMine and other related potentially unwanted applications from the Applications folder.
Open the Finder and select the Applications menu. Then search for the unwanted application and drag it to the Trash.
- 3. Мanually look for SearchMine in the Libraries of your Mac.
WARNING! You are about to tamper with Library files on Mac. Make sure that you know the name of the virus file. Deleting the wrong file may cause irreversible damage to your MacOS.
Select Go from the top menu bar and navigate to Go to Folder…
When the window appear start entering the following folder locations one by one:
/Library/Application Support
/Library/LaunchDaemons
~/Library/LaunchAgents
In each 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
Remove SearchMine From Your Browser
Remove suspicious browser extensions that can be responsible for the appearance of invasive pop-ups and browser redirects.
2. Click on the “Extensions” tab. If you see a suspicious or unwanted extension, select it and click “Uninstall“.
3. Reset Safari web browser. Beware that this step will remove the history as well as some of your saved data. Before you proceed we recommend that you make sure to write down all passwords, logins and important details.
If you are using Safari version 9 or higher open the browser and go to “Preferences“. Then select the “Privacy” tab. When the window appears on screen click on the “Remove All Website Data” button.
In case that your Safari web browser is running a version from 5 to 8, then just select Safari on the top menu bar and click on “Reset Safari” option. Choose which data to be cleaned from the browser.
2. Click “Extensions” in the left menu. Then click on the trash bin icon to remove the suspicious extension.
3. Again in the left menu, under Chrome, Click on “Settings“. Go under “On Startup” and set a new page.
4. Afterward, scroll down to “Search“, click on “Manage search engines“.
5. In the default search settings list, find the unknown search engine and click on “X“. Then select your search engine of choice and click “Make default“. When you are ready click “Done” button in the right bottom corner.
1. Start Mozilla Firefox. In the upper right corner, click on the Open menu icon and select “Add-ons“.
2. Inside the Add-ons Manager select “Extensions“. Search the list of extensions for suspicious entries. If you find any, select them and click “Remove“.
3. Click again on the Open menu icon, then click “Options“.
4. In the Options window, under “General” tab, click “Restore to Default“.
5. Select “Search” in the left menu, mark the unknown search engine and press “Remove”.
Remove SearchMine from a Mac Automatically
While the above steps work very well in most of the cases when users’ OSX is infected with PUP or malware, sometimes the Mac virus removal requires the help of a professional application. This anti-malware tool will scan and remove malware from your Mac. It offers an active protection shield and comes with a variety of handy features that will keep your system fast, clean and secure.
DOWNLOAD Antivirus for MacSpyHunter for Mac Scanner feature is free. Other features are paid. Here you can review its EULA and Privacy Policy.
