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Watch out for things that look too good to be true. Winning a contest or getting expensive copyrighted content for free is sometimes a trick to get you to download malware. If you haven't recently run a virus scanner, be wary of warnings about viruses or infected devices. The site might be trying to scare you into downloading unwanted software. Dec 11, 2016. Jun 02, 2009. Sep 24, 2020.

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Browser hijackers have become one of the most common types of malware on the Mac. Whether you use Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or another browser entirely, you’re at risk of browser hijacking. Here, we’ll tell you how you can tell if your browser has been hijacked and how to remove the culprit.

What is browser hijacking?

It’s a type of malware that once it has been downloaded and installed, takes control of your web browser. Typically, it will change your homepage to one that the hacker wants you to visit, and change your default search engine to one that allows the hacker to monitor your searches and clicks.

That information will then be used to display adverts. Some browser hijacking also involves installing toolbars that claim to find discounts or offer coupons for online shopping sites. In reality, this is adware, designed to get you to click on a link that will take you to a suspicious website in order to increase its advertising revenue.

Hijackers may also download files to your Mac that monitor your activity or steal data. For example, your Mac may get infected with a software keylogger that can record your banking and e-mail authentication information.

Well-known examples

There are a number of hijackers that have become well-known because they are so widespread. You might have heard of some of them. Many of them have names that make them sound like search or shopping extensions.

Pitch of Case
Search Quick
Time Search Now
Booking app
Fuq.com

All of these hijackers sneak onto your Mac by bundling themselves with apparently legitimate applications or disguising themselves as updates, for example to Flash Player. And they all intercept your browser’s homepage and default search engine and change it to wherever the hacker wants you to go.

macOS’ GateKeeper feature safeguards your Mac and checks the apps you’re about to download. It approves apps that are already on the App Store or those whose code is signed by an authorized developer. To install anything else the GateKeeper doesn’t advise, you need to confirm the download. In macOS Catalina, Gatekeeper goes one step further. Code-signed apps must also be notarized by Apple – that means they are checked for malware, among other things – in order to get past GateKeeper. CleanMyMac X is one such notarized app, meaning it has been approved by Apple.

How can I tell if my browser has been hijacked?

There are a number of possible symptoms:

Has your browser’s homepage changed without you changing it?
Have you started seeing lots of adverts you wouldn’t normally see?
Has your default search engine changed?
Is your browser running more slowly than usual or behaving erratically?

If the answer to any of those questions is ‘yes’, it’s likely your browser has been hijacked.

How can I avoid being hijacked?

Hijackers find their way onto your Mac using a number of different techniques. However, in each case, they are downloaded after an action initiated by the user, such as clicking a link in a phishing email or on a questionable website.

Don’t click on any link in an email or instant message unless you are certain where it leads.
Don’t respond to pop-up adverts that claim a component, like Flash Player, is out of date, or that your system needs to be repaired.
Avoid downloading apps from free. software download sites that use their own proprietary download manager.
Keep your operating system and all your apps up to date – CleanMyMac X has an updater that scans apps installed on your Mac, checks for updates, and then allows you to update all those that have new versions available.

How to remove browser malware

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There are two ways to remove hijackers – the manual, tiresome, way or the automatic, fast method.

To remove browser hijackers in Safari manually:

In Safari, click on the Safari menu and choose Preferences.
Select the Extensions tab and look for any extensions you don’t recognize.
If you find one, click on it and press Uninstall.
Now, choose the General tab and set your homepage to your preferred start page.
Finally, select the Search tab and choose the search engine you want to use.

To delete browser hijackers in Chrome:

Launch Chrome and type the following in the address bar: “chrome://extensions”.
Look for any extensions you don’t recognize.
If you see one, press Remove next to it.
Now, paste this in the address bar: “chrome://settings”.
Scroll down to “On start-up” and decide what page do you want to see at the start of your browser.
In the “Search engine” section, choose a default search engine.

Firefox:

Launch Firefox and click on the three lines at the right of the address bar.
Choose “Add-ons” and then “Extensions”.
Look for any extensions that seem suspicious.
If you find one, click on it and choose “Remove”.
Click on the three lines again and choose “Options”.
Set your homepage and default search engine to those you want to use.

Browser hijacker removal the easy way

The easiest method and the one we recommend is to use CleanMyMac X, which has a tool for deleting Extensions.

Download, install, and launch CleanMyMac X.
Choose Extensions in the sidebar.
Click on a browser, and check the box next to the extensions you want to delete.
Press Remove.

CleanMyMac X also has a tool that allows you to clear browser caches. You should certainly do that if you have had malware in your browser.

In CleanMyMac X, choose the Privacy module.
Press Scan.
When it’s finished, check the box next to your browser in the main window.
Press Remove.

The browser hijacker is a common type of malware that typically comes bundled with apps downloaded in download managers from free software sites. Once installed, they change the homepage and default search engine for your browser in order to direct you to pages that display adverts. They may also steal data. Fortunately, with the help of CleanMyMac X, they are fairly easy to remove.

Pop-ups can be ads, notices, offers, or alerts that open in your current browser window, in a new window, or in another tab. Some pop-ups are third-party ads that use phishing tactics—like warnings or prizes—to trick you into believing they’re from Apple or another trusted company, so you’ll share personal or financial information. Or they might claim to offer free downloads, software updates, or plugins, to try to trick you into installing unwanted software.

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Unless you’re confident of an ad’s legitimacy, you should avoid interacting with pop-ups or webpages that seem to take over your screen. Here are additional tips that can help you manage pop-ups and other unwanted interruptions.

Check and update your software

Always make sure you install the latest software updates for all your Apple products. Many software releases have important security updates and may include improvements that help control pop-ups.

The safest place to download apps for your Mac is the App Store. If you need third-party software for your Mac, and it isn’t available in the App Store, get it directly from the developer or another reliable source, rather than through an ad or link.

Check Safari settings and security preferences

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Make sure Safari security settings are turned on, particularly Block Pop-ups—for pop-up windows—and the Fraudulent Website Warning.

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > Safari and turn on Block Pop-ups and Fraudulent Website Warning.

On your Mac, you can find these options in Safari > Preferences. The Websites tab includes options to block some or all pop-up windows, and you can turn on fraudulent site warnings in the Security tab.

Pop-ups and ads in Safari

If you see an annoying pop-up ad in Safari, you can go to the Search field and enter a new URL or search term to browse to a new site. If you don’t see the Search field on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, tap the top of the screen to make it appear.

Some pop-ups and ads have fake buttons that resemble the close button, so use caution if you try to close a pop-up or ad. If you're unsure, avoid interacting with the pop-up or ad and close the Safari window or tab.

On your Mac, you can also update your settings to prevent windows from opening again after you close Safari, or just press and hold the Shift key when you open Safari.

If you might have installed adware or other unwanted software on your Mac

If you see pop-ups on your Mac that just won’t go away, you might have inadvertently downloaded and installed adware (advertising-supported software) or other unwanted software. Certain third-party download sites might include programs that you don’t want with the software that you install.

If you think that you might have malware or adware on your Mac, update to the latest version of macOS. If your Mac is already running the latest version, restart it. macOS includes a built-in tool that removes known malware when you restart your Mac.