Porn Scrubber Unwanted Application (Mac)
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Porn Scrubber?
Created by the developers of Advanced Mac Cleaner and Mac Mechanic, Porn Scrubber is a dubious application that supposedly helps users to remove traces of all visited porn websites.
The app is very similar to Mac Auto Fixer. Initially, Porn Scrubber may seem legitimate and useful, however, developers proliferate this potentially unwanted application (PUA) using a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". Therefore, Porn Scrubber often infiltrates systems without users’ permission.
This application provides a feature allowing users to perform a full system scan. They are presented with many of potential threats/infections that must be eliminated immediately, however, since the 'free version' of Porn Scrubber is incapable of doing so, users are encouraged to purchase the 'full version'.
Be aware, however, that many apps distributed using the "bundling" method are dubious. There is no guarantee that errors listed by Porn Scrubber exist, and paying for the full version will not give any real value. Therefore, we advise you to ignore all requests and uninstall the Porn Scrubber app immediately.
In most cases, developers "bundle" several rogue applications. Therefore, Porn Scrubber probably came together with a number of other PUAs, such as adware and browser hijackers.
If your system is infiltrated, you will start to encounter intrusive advertisements/unwanted redirects and your web browsing activity will be tracked. Therefore, all potentially unwanted applications must be eliminated.
Name | Porn Scrubber potentially unwanted application |
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 dozens of deceptive apps that share similarities with Porn Scrubber. By offering a wide range of "useful features" (e.g., file conversion, system optimization, anti-virus, etc.), these deceptive apps attempt to give the impression of legitimacy and trick users to install.
Be aware, however, that the only purpose of all PUAs is to generate revenue for the developers.
Therefore, most deliver no real value for regular users, deliver intrusive advertisements (which might redirect to malicious websites and execute scripts that download and install other PUAs/malware), cause unwanted redirects (thereby promoting deceptive sites, most of which are fake search engines), and collect data. Therefore, PUAs pose a direct threat to your privacy and Internet browsing safety .
How did Porn Scrubber install on my computer?
Porn Scrubber is free for anyone to download on its official website, however, it often infiltrates systems without permission, since developers proliferate it using the "bundling" method - stealth installation of third party applications together with regular software/apps. Developers do not adequately disclose installation of PUAs.
Therefore, these apps are concealed within various sections (typically "Custom" or "Advanced" settings) of the download/installation processes. Furthermore, many users rush these procedures and skip steps - behavior that often leads to inadvertent installation of apps such as Porn Scrubber.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
To prevent this situation, be very cautious when browsing the Internet and downloading/installing software. Select "Custom/Advanced" settings and carefully analyze each window of the download/installation dialogs. Opt-out of additionally-included programs and decline offers to download/install them.
Your software should be downloaded from official sources only, using direct download links. Third party downloaders/installers often include ("bundle") rogue applications, and thus should never be used.
Note that intrusive advertisements typically seem legitimate, since developers invest many resources into their design, but they usually redirect to dubious websites (adult dating, gambling, survey, and so on). If you encounter these ads, uninstall all potentially unwanted programs and browser plug-ins.
The key to computer safety is caution. If your computer is already infected with Porn Scrubber, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.
Official Porn Scrubber PUA installation setup:
Screenshot of Porn Scrubber application:
IMPORTANT NOTE! Porn Scrubber adds itself to the list of applications that automatically run upon each user log in. Therefore, before commencing, perform these steps:
- Go to System Preferences -> Users & Groups.
- Click your account (also known as Current User).
- Click Login Items.
- Look for the "Porn Scrubber" entry. Select it, and click the "-" button to remove it.
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 Porn Scrubber?
- 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:
Porn Scrubber 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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