CookieMiner Malware (Mac)

What is "CookieMiner"?

CookieMiner is high-risk malware that targets the Mac operating system. Following successful infiltration, CookieMiner records personal data.

Its main purpose is to steal credentials of various accounts (mostly those relating to cryptocurrencies). This malware also opens a 'backdoor' called EmPyre and injects a cryptomining tool into the system. Thus, the presence of CookieMiner leads to a significant reduction in system performance. You can view the entire list of CookieMiner features below.

CookieMiner records personal data from the Safari and Google Chrome browsers. Note that this malware also steals all browsing cookies, saved logins/passwords, and credit card information from the Google Chrome browser. In addition, it records any iPhone text messages that are backed up on the Mac system. Cryptocurrency wallet data and keys are also recorded.

This information gathering poses a significant threat to users' privacy and financial safety. Cyber criminals can gain access to users' bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets, and transfer all funds. Users are likely to have all savings/earnings stolen. In addition, criminals can steal users' identities, since bank account details are often used to confirm a person's identity.

Therefore, having CookieMiner installed on your computer can lead to serious privacy issues. This malware is also designed to inject a cryptocurrency mining tool(s) that misuses system resources. Note that, unlike other similar viruses, CookieMiner mines a rather uncommon cryptocurrency called Koto.

In most cases, cryptomining viruses mine Bitcoins, Monero, Ethereum, and other more popular (and valuable) cryptocurrencies. Koto is a Japanese anonymous cryptocurrency. Clearly then, there is a high probability that developers of this virus are from Japan. Be aware that cryptomining can take up to 100% of system resources.

Therefore, cryptominers can fully load the system, thereby making it virtually unusable (it barely responds) and unstable (it can crash). Fully-loaded hardware generates excessive heat. Therefore, within certain circumstances (bad cooling systems, high room temperatures, etc.), the hardware might overheat and be permanently damaged.

As mentioned, CookieMiner opens the EmPyre backdoor, which allows cyber criminals to perform various actions on the victim's machine. It might be used to upload data to a remote server, download and execute various files, and so on. Therefore, criminals can infect hacked computers with even more viruses or misuse them to perform dubious actions (e.g., connecting to a botnet).

CookieMiner malware should be eliminated immediately. In some cases, infections such as CookieMiner are direct consequences of having a browser-hijacking or adware-type applications installed. Therefore, you should uninstall all suspicious applications and browser plug-ins from your system.

Threat Summary:

Name	CookieMiner virus
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Agent-BR [Trj]), BitDefender (Trojan.MAC.Empire.L), ESET-NOD32 (OSX/Empr.I), Kaspersky (HEUR:Backdoor.OSX.Agent.h), Full List (VirusTotal)
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 viruses that share similarities with CookieMiner including, for example, LamePyre, OSX_FLASHBCK.A, and Ssl.plist. Since the developers of these rogue programs are different, the behavior might also differ. Despite this, they all pose a significant threat to your privacy and computer safety. You should eliminate these threats immediately.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

It is currently unknown exactly how cyber criminals proliferate CookieMiner, however, in most cases, these viruses are distributed using trojans, software cracks, spam email campaigns, and unofficial software download sources. Trojans are malicious applications designed to cause "chain infections" - they infiltrate computers and continually install additional malware.

Software cracks allow users to bypass software activation and use paid applications free of charge, however, most are used to proliferate malware and, thus, users end up infecting their computers rather than activating software. Criminals send hundreds of thousands of emails that contain deceptive messages encouraging users to open attachments (links/files).

By opening these malicious attachments, users trigger a computer infection. Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks (e.g., torrents, eMule, etc.), freeware download websites, free file hosting sites, etc. present malicious executables as legitimate software, thereby tricking users into downloading and installing malware.

In summary, the main reasons for computer infections are poor knowledge and careless behavior.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

The key to computer safety is caution. Therefore, pay close attention when browsing the internet and downloading/installing software. Think twice before opening email attachments. If the received email has been sent by a suspicious/unrecognizable email address or if the attachment is irrelevant, do not open anything.

Furthermore, download apps from official sources only, using direct download links. Third party downloaders/installers are often used to proliferate malware, and thus these tools should not be used.

Never use software cracks for these reasons: 1) using pirated software is considered cyber crime, and; 2) these tools are often used to proliferate viruses and there is a high risk of infection. Having a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite installed and running is also paramount, since these tools can detect and eliminate malware before any damage is done.

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

List of CookieMiner malware features:

• Controls the entire system using EmPyre backdoor
• Mines Koto cryptocurrency on the infected system
• Records Safari and Google Chrome web browser cookies
• Records banking (credit card) credentials saved in Google Chrome
• Records cryptocurrency wallet keys and data
• Records iPhone messages that are backed-up in the infected system
• Records logins/passwords saved in Google Chrome

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 "CookieMiner"?
• STEP 1. Remove PUA 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 applications removal:

Remove 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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