Search.josepov.com Redirect (Mac)

What is search.josepov.com?

Identical to search.lotoboyz.com, search.froktiser.com, and many others, search.josepov.com is a fake Internet search engine. 

By offering improved search results, search.josepov.com attempts to give the impression of legitimacy, however, this site is promoted using browser-hijacking downloaders/installers that modify browser options without users' permission. Furthermore, this site records various user-system information relating to web browsing activity.

Research shows that rogue set-ups target Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. Following infiltration, they assign the new tab URL, homepage, and default search engine options to search.josepov.com. In addition, set-ups stealthily install a number of "helper objects" - third party applications (potentially unwanted programs [PUPs]) and/or browser plug-ins.

"Helper objects" reassign browser options when attempts are made to change them. Therefore, users are unable to revert changes performed by rogue set-ups and are automatically redirected to search.josepov.com when they search via the URL bar or simply open a new browser tab. These redirects significantly diminish the browsing experience.

As mentioned above, search.josepov.com and "helper objects" continually record user-system information (for example, IP addresses, website URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, keystrokes, geo-locations, so forth).

Collected data is likely to contain personal details that is often shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse private information to generate revenue.

In doing so, they cause serious privacy issues. In addition, some "helper objects" run dubious background processes (for example, to mine cryptocurrencies). By misusing resources in this way, PUPs significantly reduce overall system performance.

Threat Summary:

Name	search.josepov.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. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

The Internet is full of fake search engines, all of which are virtually identical. They claim to enhance users' Internet browsing experience by generating improved search results and, in some cases, by providing other 'useful features' (e.g., weather forecasts, shortcuts to popular websites, so forth), however, all claims to provide these features are merely attempts to give the impression of legitimacy.

In fact, fake search engines deliver no real value for regular users - they are designed only to generate revenue for the developers.

They cause unwanted redirects and record user-system information. Some are also known to generate intrusive ads and fake search results. These ads/results commonly lead to malicious websites. Therefore, using fake search engines can result in high-risk computer infections.

How did search.josepov.com install on my computer?

As mentioned above, search.josepov.com is promoted using rogue downloaders/installers. This deceptive marketing method is called "bundling". Developers know that users often rush download/installation processes and skip steps.

Therefore, all details of browser modifications are hidden within the "Custom/Advanced" settings, or other sections of the download/installation processes. By skipping steps, users inadvertently grant set-ups permission to modify browser settings, expose their systems to risk of various infections, and compromise their privacy.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

The main reasons for computer infections are poor knowledge and careless behavior. The key to safety is caution. Potentially unwanted programs are distributed using the "bundling" method, and the aforementioned intrusive ads. Therefore, carefully analyze each window of the download/installation dialogs and cancel all third party applications.

We also recommend that you avoid using third party downloaders/installers, since they are likely to include dubious apps.

Intrusive advertisements typically look legitimate and useful, however, they redirect to dubious sites (gambling, pornography, adult dating, etc.) Many ads are displayed by adware-type applications and, thus, if you encounter such redirects, uninstall all suspicious programs/browser add-ons.

Website promoting search.josepov.com:

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:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for Mac By 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 seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is search.josepov.com?
• STEP 1. Remove search.josepov.com related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove search.josepov.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove search.josepov.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove search.josepov.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

search.josepov.com redirect removal:

Remove search.josepov.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.

▼ Show Discussion