Search.cogs.digital Redirect (Mac)

What is search.cogs.digital?

search.cogs.digital is very similar to search.byoml.com, search.pdftycoon.com, search.dramofog.com and many other fake search engines. This is supposedly a search engine that enhances the browsing experience by delivering faster searches, improved results, and so on.

This may seem to be a legitimate tool similar to popular search engines such as Google and  Yahoo, however, developers promote it using rogue download/installation set-ups. Additionally, search.cogs.digital records information relating users' browsing activity.

Rogue set-ups usually target (hijack) browsers such as Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox by assigning settings such as default search engine, homepage, and new tab URL to search.cogs.digital. Furthermore, set-ups usually install "helper objects" (browser extensions, add-ons, or plug-ins) that ensure that any of these settings cannot be changed/reverted.

Therefore, people with hijacked browsers are forced to visit search.cogs.digital when they open browsers, new tabs, or search using the URL bar (enter search queries). The search.cogs.digital site allows users to search, however, it does not generate any unique results. It simply redirects users to the Yahoo search engine (search.yahoo.com) and displays associated results.

Therefore, search.cogs.digital is simply an unnecessary intermediary. Furthermore, most "helper objects" and the search.cogs.digital fake search engine collect information relating to users' browsing habits, including IP addresses, search queries, geo-locations, URLs of visited websites and other data of this kind.

Developers share the information with third parties (possibly cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. These actions can lead to privacy, browsing safety issues, and identity theft. Therefore, do not use fake search engines and uninstall all potentially unwanted apps (PUAs) immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	Search.cogs.digital 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.

Most fake search engines are very similar. Developers offer features, tools, and other supposedly useful functions, however, these promotions are just attempts to trick people into using them. Most of these fake search engines are useless and provide none of the functionality promised. Additionally, they often cause various problems.

How did search.cogs.digital install on my computer?

Developers promote fake search engines through various downloaders/installers and using a marketing method called "bundling". Bundling is a popular way to trick people into downloading and installing potentially unwanted apps.

Typically, developers achieve this by hiding information regarding possible changes to browser settings in "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar parts of the software download/installation set-ups. Apps are bundled into set-ups and many users leave settings unchanged, thus allowing unwanted apps to be installed.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Download software from official and trustworthy websites. Do not use third party downloaders, installers, or other dubious sources (unofficial websites, Peer-to-Peer networks, and so on). Furthermore, analyze each installation/download setup, check "Advanced"/"Custom" and other similar settings.

Deselect unwanted apps and only then finish downloading or installing software. Remember, many intrusive advertisements may seem legitimate, however, developers invest time and money into their design. If clicked, they usually redirect to untrustworthy websites such as adult dating, pornography, gambling, and so on.

If you experience unwanted redirects, check for suspicious apps installed on your web browser. Also check the list of installed extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons. Uninstall all suspicious, unwanted or unknown apps. Apply this to programs installed 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.

Website promoting search.cogs.digital:

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

Video showing how to remove browser redirects to search.cogs.digital using Combo Cleaner:

search.cogs.digital redirect removal:

Remove search.cogs.digital-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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