Search.dramofog.com Redirect (Mac)
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Search.dramofog.com?
search.dramofog.com is a fake search engine (also known as searchv.dramofog.com) and is very similar to search.pogypog.com, search.yadbazelet.com, searchv.dooryov.com, and many other search engines of this type.
Note that search.dramofog.com is presented as legitimate - developers promote it as being useful, offering faster searches, and more accurate search results, etc. They promote it using rogue downloaders/installers that change browser settings. Furthermore, this fake search engine gathers various information relating to users' browsing habits.
Typically, rogue downloaders/installers target Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. In this case, they ensure that users are forced to visit search.dramofog.com when a browser window or new tab is opened, or a search query is entered into the URL bar. This is achieved by assigning search.dramofog.com as the default search engine, homepage, and new tab URL.
Rogue downloaders/installers also install "helper objects" (browser extensions, add-ons, or plug-ins). These apps prevent users from undoing any of the settings (this can only happen if the "helper objects" are uninstalled).
Additionally, these apps (and the search.dramofog.com fake search engine) gather browsing-related information such as IP addresses, search queries, URLs of visited websites, geo-locations, and other data. These apps and search engines can also gather personal/sensitive information.
Furthermore, all data is shared with third parties (cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. By having their data misused, people might be put at risk of identity theft or experience problems relating to browsing safety, online privacy, and so on. Therefore, we recommend that you uninstall all unwanted apps immediately and avoid using any fake search engines.
Name | searchv.dramofog.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. |
People who develop these search engines present them as legitimate and useful, however, they should not be trusted. In most cases, these sites cause various problems. They deliver none of the functionality promised and are designed only to generate revenue for their developers.
How did Search.dramofog.com install on my computer?
search.dramofog.com is promoted using rogue downloaders/installers. Therefore, potentially unwanted apps (PUAs) are installed and browser settings are changed when developers use "bundling", a deceptive method used to trick people into allowing download and installation of unwanted apps and to modify settings when they install or download chosen software.
This is achieved by hiding this information in "Custom", "Advanced" settings. Note, however, that these actions cannot be achieved if users download and install software carefully. Unwanted installations and browser modifications usually occur when people rush software download and installation steps and leave default settings unchanged.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
To avoid unwanted downloads/installations, download software using official and trustworthy channels (websites). This does not include various third party downloaders/installers, Peer-to-Peer networks (torrents, eMule, and other similar sources), unofficial websites, and other dubious channels.
Additionally, check all available "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings/options of each download/installation process. Deselect offers to download/install unwanted applications and only then finish the process.
Advertisements on the internet can often seem legitimate, however, many redirect to untrustworthy websites such as gambling, adult dating, pornography, and so on. If you experience these ads and redirects, it is possible that PUAs are installed on your computer or browser.
Check the list of installed browser extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins and uninstall unwanted/unknown apps immediately. Apply this to unwanted programs installed on the operating system. 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 Search.dramofog.com:
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:
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Quick menu:
- What is Search.dramofog.com?
- STEP 1. Remove Search.dramofog.com related files and folders from OSX.
- STEP 2. Remove Search.dramofog.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 3. Remove Search.dramofog.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove Search.dramofog.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
Video showing how to remove browser redirects to search.dramafog.com using Combo Cleaner:
search.dramofog.com redirect removal:
Remove Search.dramofog.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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