Search.bittsearch.com Redirect (Mac)

What is search.bittsearch.com?

search.bittsearch.com is a fake web search engine that supposedly enhances the browsing experience by generating improved results and providing quick access to various popular websites.

Judging on appearance alone, search.bittsearch.com may seem legitimate and useful, however, this site is promoted using a browser-hijacking application called bittsearch. Furthermore, search.bittsearch.com and bittsearch gather information relating to web browsing habits.

bittsearch targets Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. Following infiltration, it assigns the default search engine, homepage, and new tab URL settings to search.bittsearch.com These changes may seem significant, and yet users are unable to revert them. Research shows that bittsearch reassigns browser options when attempts are made to change them.

Therefore, as long as bittsearch is present, returning browsers to their previous states is impossible and users are encouraged to visit search.bittsearch.com when they open a new browser tab or search via the URL bar. This significantly diminishes the web browsing experience.

Note that once a search query is entered, users are redirected to webcrawler.com, thus making search.bittsearch.com useless. Another important issue is information tracking. Research shows that search.bittsearch.com and bittsearch continually gather information relating to web browsing activity.

Recorded information is later shared with third parties to generate revenue. Since the data might contain personal details, there is a high probability that information tracking will lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. You are strongly advised to eliminate the bittsearch browser hijacker and never return to search.bittsearch.com

Threat Summary:

Name	bittsearch 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.

There are dozens of fake search engines that share similarities with search.bittsearch.com. The list of examples includes (but it is not limited to) sleepshadow.com, weknow.ac, g-search.pro, and search.stosgame.com. 

By offering improved search results and, in some cases, other "useful features" (weather forecasts, latest worldwide news, shortcuts to popular sites, etc.) fake search engines attempt to trick users into believing that these sites are legitimate and useful.

In fact, they are designed only to generate revenue for the developers. Rather than providing any real value, they cause unwanted redirects and record sensitive information. In addition, some generate misleading search results and intrusive advertisements (coupons, banners, and so on).

These typically lead to dubious sites. Therefore, using fake search engines can lead to various computer infections.

How did bittsearch install on my computer?

bittsearch is free for anyone to download on its official website, however, this potentially unwanted program (PUP) is also distributed using intrusive advertising and "bundling" methods. Intrusive ads redirect users to various malicious websites and execute scripts that stealthily download and install PUPs (or even malware).

"Bundling", on the other hand, is stealth installation of PUPs together with regular software. Developers hide "bundled" apps within various sections (typically "Custom/Advanced" settings) of the download/installation processes - they do not disclose this information properly.

Furthermore, many users are likely to click advertisements, rush download/installation processes, and skip steps - behavior that often leads to inadvertent installation of PUPs such as bittsearch. In this way, they 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 lack of knowledge and careless behavior. The key to safety is caution. Therefore, pay close attention when browsing the Internet and downloading/installing software.

Note that developers invest many resources into intrusive ad design, thereby making them seem legitimate, however, the ads redirect to dubious websites such as gambling, adult dating, and similar. In addition, they are often proliferated by adware-type PUPs.

If you experience suspicious redirects, immediately eliminate all dubious apps and browser extensions. Closely observe each step of the download/installation processes and cancel all additionally-included programs. You are advised to download your apps from official sources only, using direct download links.

Remember that developers monetize third party downloader/installers using the "bundling" method, and thus these tools should never be used. If your computer is already infected with browser hijackers, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Website promoting bittsearch:

IMPORTANT NOTE! Rogue setups and/or apps that promote the search.bittsearch.com website are designed to create a new device profile. Therefore, before taking any further removal steps, perform these actions:
1) Click the "Preferences" icon in the menu bar and select "Profiles"

2) Select the "AdminPrefs" profile and delete it.

3) Perform a full system scan with Combo Cleaner anti-virus suite.

After performing these actions, you can proceed with further removal steps for this 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:
▼ 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.bittsearch.com?
• STEP 1. Remove search.bittsearch.com related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove search.bittsearch.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove search.bittsearch.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove search.bittsearch.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.

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

search.bittsearch.com redirect removal:

Remove search.bittsearch.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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