Search.mogobiggy.com Redirect (Mac)
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is search.mogobiggy.com?
search.mogobiggy.com is presented as a "top-notch" Internet search engine that significantly enhances the web browsing experience by generating improved results. Judging on appearance alone, search.mogobiggy.com barely differs from Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other legitimate search engines.
Therefore, many users believe that search.mogobiggy.com is also legitimate. In fact, developers promote this site using rogue download/installation set-ups (browser hijackers) that modify browser settings without permission. In addition, search.mogobiggy.com continually records various information that might contain personal details.
Research shows that set-ups hijack Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome, stealthily assigning the new tab URL, default search engine, and homepage options to search.mogobiggy.com. Although these changes may not seem significant, users are unable to revert them.
Set-ups stealthily install a number of "helper objects" (potentially unwanted programs [PUPs] and/or browser extensions) to automatically reassign browser options when attempts are made to change them.
Therefore, returning browsers to their previous states becomes impossible and users are forced to visit search.mogobiggy.com when they open a new browser window or search via the URL bar. This significantly diminishes the web browsing experience. Be aware that search.mogobiggy.com and helper objects record various data that might be personally identifiable.
Developers later sell this collected data to third parties, thereby threatening users' privacy. Some PUPs and add-ons stealthily misuse system resources by performing background tasks (such as mining cryptocurrency) without consent.
This diminishes system performance. If you encounter redirects to search.mogobiggy.com, uninstall all suspicious applications and browser plug-ins. Never return to this website.
Name | search.mogobiggy.com browser hijacker |
Threat Type | Mac malware, Mac virus |
Symptoms | Your Mac became slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you get redirected to shady websites. |
Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads. |
Damage | Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady 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. |
There are many fake search engines identical to search.mogobiggy.com including search.stuckopoe.com, search.pollicare.com, and search.worthut.com. In fact, all are virtually identical.
They claim to enhance the browsing experience by providing various "useful features" (such as improved search results, shortcuts to popular websites, weather forecasts, etc.), however, these claims are merely attempts to trick users into believing that sites such as search.mogobiggy.com are legitimate and useful.
Only a small percentage of fake search engines give any value for regular users - most are useless. They cause unwanted redirects and record user-system information. In addition, they generate bogus search results and display 'malvertising' ads (banners, coupons, etc.) that can lead to malicious websites.
Furthermore, some ads execute scripts that download and install malware. Therefore, using a fake search engine can lead to high-risk computer infections and serious privacy issues.
How did search.mogobiggy.com install on my computer?
As mentioned above, developers promote search.mogobiggy.com using browser-hijacking download/installation set-ups. This marketing method is called "bundling". Developers do not properly disclose modification of browser settings - they usually hide such information within the "Custom/Advanced" options of the download installation processes.
Skipping this section inadvertently grants set-ups permission to modify various options. In addition, users expose their systems to risk of various infections and compromise their privacy.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
PUPs are distributed using the "bundling" method, and via the aforementioned malvertising ads. Therefore, be very cautious when downloading/installing software and browsing the Internet in general. Many third party download/installation tools "bundle" PUPs.
Therefore, we highly recommend that you avoid using these tools - software should be downloaded only from official/trusted sources using a direct download link. During download/installation, carefully analyze each step (especially the "Custom/Advanced" options), opt-out of all additionally-included programs, and never allow set-ups to modify system settings.
Malicious ads usually appear legitimate, however, most lead to suspicious websites such as surveys, pornography, adult dating, gambling, etc. If you experience ads leading to such websites, immediately check the list of installed apps/browser plug-ins and eliminate any suspicious entries.
Website promoting search.mogobiggy.com browser hijacker:
Instant automatic Mac malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT 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:
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Quick menu:
- What is search.mogobiggy.com?
- STEP 1. Remove search.mogobiggy.com related files and folders from OSX.
- STEP 2. Remove search.mogobiggy.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 3. Remove search.mogobiggy.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove search.mogobiggy.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:
search.mogobiggy.com redirect removal:
Remove search.mogobiggy.com-related 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.
Remove browser hijacker-related files and folders
Click the Finder icon from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...
Check for browser hijacker 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 browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.
Check for browser hijacker 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.
Check for browser hijacker 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 browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.
Check for browser hijacker 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 correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure 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 the 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 its virus definition database and click the "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 browser hijackers, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.
Remove browser hijackers from Internet browsers
Remove Safari browser hijackers:
Open the 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 regular browser operation.
Change your homepage:
In the "Preferences" window, select the "General" tab. To set your homepage, type the preferred website URL (for example: www.google.com) in the Homepage field. You can also click the "Set to Current Page" button if you wish to set your homepage to the website you are currently visiting.
Change your default search engine:
In the "Preferences" window, select the "Search" tab. Here you will find a drop-down menu labeled "Search engine:" Simply select your preferred search engine from the drop-down list.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.
Remove Google Chrome browser hijackers:
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".
Change your homepage
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable the malicious extension (if present), look for a browser hijacker URL below the "Open a specific or set of pages" option. If present, click on the three vertical dots icon and select "Remove".
Change your default search engine:
To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for a browser hijacker URL, when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Delete".
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.
Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".
Change your homepage
To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Settings", in the opened window disable malicious extension (if present), remove the browser hijacker URL and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.
Change your default search engine:
In the URL address bar, type "about:config" and press Enter. Click "Accept the Risk and Continue".
In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled". Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the button.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.
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