Fwrdy.com POP-UP Redirect (Mac)

What is fwrdy.com?

fwrdy.com is a deceptive website stating that the users' computers are not protected and encourages them to download an anti-virus tool.

Research shows that many visitors arrive at fwrdy.com inadvertently - they are redirected by potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) or intrusive ads delivered by other rogue sites. Most PUPs infiltrate systems without permission and, as well as causing redirects, deliver intrusive advertisements and gather sensitive information.

This website contains a message stating that users' systems are unprotected and, therefore, they must immediately download an anti-virus/anti-spyware suite. At time of research, fwrdy.com was used to distribute MacKeeper. This application is legitimate, however, some affiliates trick gullible users into believing that their system might be damaged.

This leads to inadvertent installation of MacKeeper. Potentially unwanted programs generate various intrusive advertisements delivered using tools that enable placement of third party graphical content on any site. Therefore, the ads often conceal underlying content.

Furthermore, some can lead to dubious websites and even run scripts that stealthily download/install PUPs (or even malware). Therefore, even a single accidental click can result in high-risk computer infections. Another important issue is information tracking.

Research shows that potentially unwanted programs are likely to record information such as geo-locations, IP addresses, URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, keystrokes, and so on. This information includes personal details that developers share with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who generate revenue by misusing private information.

Therefore, the presence of data-tracking apps might lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. We strongly recommend that you uninstall all potentially unwanted programs immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	fwrdy.com pop-up
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 PUPs, all of which are virtually identical. By offering various "useful features", potentially unwanted programs attempt to give the impression of legitimacy, however, these programs are designed only to generate revenue for the developers.

Rather than giving any real value for regular users, PUPs cause unwanted redirects, deliver intrusive advertisements, and gather sensitive information, thereby posing a direct threat to your privacy and Internet browsing safety.

How did potentially unwanted programs install on my computer?

Some PUPs have official download websites, however, most are distributed using the aforementioned intrusive advertisements and a deceptive marketing method called "bundling" (stealth installation of third party applications together with regular software).

"Bundled" PUPs are hidden within sections (usually "Custom" or "Advanced" settings) of the download/installation processes - developers do not disclose this information properly.

Furthermore, many users are likely to click various advertisements and skip download/installation steps - behavior that often leads to inadvertent installation of PUPs. In this way, users expose their systems to risk of various infections and compromises their privacy.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Lack of knowledge and careless behavior are the main reasons for computer infections. The key to safety is caution. Therefore, pay close attention when browsing the Internet and downloading/installing software. Intrusive advertisements typically seem legitimate, but once clicked, redirect to dubious websites (gambling, adult dating, pornography, and so on).

Therefore, if you encounter such redirects, you should immediately eliminate all dubious applications and browser plug-ins. We also strongly recommend that you select "Custom/Advanced" settings and carefully analyze each window of the download/installation dialogs.

In doing so, opt-out of all additionally-included programs and decline offers to download/install them. You are advised to download programs from official sources only, using direct download links. Third party downloaders/installers often include rogue apps, and you should thus not use these tools.

If your computer is already infected with PUPs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Website promoting fake Adobe Flash Player that bundles adware:

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 fwrdy.com?
• STEP 1. Remove PUP related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove rogue add-ons from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.

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

Potentially unwanted programs removal:

Remove PUP-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 adware-related files and folders

Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Check for adware 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 adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware 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 adware 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 adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware 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 adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove malicious extensions from Internet browsers

Remove malicious Safari extensions:

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.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

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".

• 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".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

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