Search.kimosachi.com Redirect (Mac)

What is search.kimosachi.com?

search.kimosachi.com is one of many fake search engines that includes search.getvideomonkey.com, search.maps2go.net, and search.sprintfair.com.

These are are just some examples. The website is promoted as legitimate and useful, offering an enhanced browsing experience, however, it uses rogue downloaders/installers that modify the affected browser's settings. Additionally, fake search engines such as search.kimosachi.com usually gather  information relating to users' browsing habits.

Rogue downloaders/installers target popular browsers such as Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. In this case, they assign search.kimosachi.com as the homepage, default search engine, and new tab URL. Therefore, users are forced to visit this website when they open a browser, new tab, or enter a search query into the URL bar.

Attempts to revert these settings to their previous states usually fails, since most rogue downloaders/installers install "helper objects" (browser apps) that prevent users from doing undoing the changes. Generally, the only way to avoid visiting search.kimosachi.com is to uninstall the "helper objects" and then to revert the settings.

Another problem relating to this fake search engine (and associated "helper objects") is that it records browsing-related information such as IP addresses, search queries, URLs of visited websites, geo-locations, and so on. It might also gather personal/sensitive data.

Developers share the accumulated information with third parties who misuse it to generate revenue. In summary, using search.kimosachi.com or having unwanted apps of this kind installed might lead to various problems relating to browsing safety, privacy, or other issues such as identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	search.kimosachi.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.

Developers of these fake search engines promote them as useful and legitimate, however, most are designed only to generate revenue. They provide none of the functionality promised or any other value. They are more likely to cause problems relating to privacy, browsing safety, and so on.

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

search.kimosachi.com is promoted through rogue download/installation set-ups. This is achieved by employing a method called "bundling", which is used to trick users into downloading and installing various unwanted apps or allowing them to modify browser settings.

Typically, information about changes to browser settings or the inclusion (bundling) of apps is hidden in "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar sections of the installation and download procedures.

Furthermore, many users inadvertently give permission to download and install unwanted apps or change browser settings by rushing installation/download steps and leaving all settings unchanged.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Install (and download) software without skipping the set-up steps, especially if it is freeware. Check all available options/settings such as "Custom"/"Advanced" and look for any checkboxes that are ticked by default. In summary, deselect any offers to install unwanted software or make changes to browser settings.

Do not download software using dubious sources such as unofficial websites, third party downloaders/installers, peer-to-peer networks such as torrents, eMule, and various other tools. Use only official websites and direct links. Avoid visiting untrustworthy websites and clicking on associated ads.

These ads often seem legitimate, but once clicked, they redirect to dubious websites such as gambling, pornography, adult dating, and so on. If unwanted redirects occur regularly, check installed apps (extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons) on the browser and remove any suspicious, unknown, or unwanted entries immediately.

You are also advised to check the list of installed programs on your computer. If your computer is already infected with browser hijackers, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

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

Video showing how to remove browser redirects to search.kimosachi.com using Combo Cleaner:

search.kimosachi.com redirect removal:

Remove search.kimosachi.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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