Apple.com-macos-fast-systems.live POP-UP Redirect (Mac)

What is "apple.com-macos-fast-systems.live"?

The apple.com-macos-fast-systems.live website cannot be trusted. It is very similar to other websites of this type including apple.com-speed-macos.live, apple.com-clean-os.live, and apple.com-cleaning-os.live. 

The main purpose of this deceptive website is to trick visitors into downloading a potentially unwanted application (PUA) by displaying a fake virus alert/notification. Typically, people do not visit this website (or other similar websites) intentionally - they are redirected to it by other PUAs that are already installed on the browser (or operating system).

PUAs open untrustworthy websites, feed unsuspecting users with intrusive ads, and collect information relating to browsing habits.

When visited, apple.com-macos-fast-systems.live opens a pop-up window informing visitors that immediate action is required: it states that it has detected a trojan virus (e.tre456_worm_osx) and encourages users to begin a 'repair process'. The website states that MacOS is infected with three viruses: two malware-type programs and one phishing/spyware program.

System damage is apparently 28.1% and the site encourages visitors to remove these computer infections immediately. If not, further system damage might occur (loss of apps, photos, and other files) and putting users' banking information at risk.

Essentially, apple.com-macos-fast-systems.live website visitors are urged to perform a system scan by clicking the "Scan Now" button. When clicked, it begins a fake system scan that, once complete, states that it has detected Tapsnake, CronDNS, and Dubfishicv computer infections.

At time of research, users are encouraged to remove these infections by downloading a PUA called "Advanced Mac Cleaner". In fact, the download link leads to another PUA called "Mac-Tweak-Pro". Note that none of the apps promoted using deceptive websites such as apple.com-macos-fast-systems.live should be trusted (downloaded, installed, or used).

Apps that open websites of this type deliver intrusive ads and gather information. These PUAs feed users with coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, and other intrusive ads that, if clicked, open other dubious (potentially, malicious) websites. They sometimes run scripts designed to download/install other PUAs.

Additionally, PUAs often operate as information tracking tools and collect browsing-related information such as entered search queries, URLs of visited websites, IP addresses, geo-locations, and other similar data. Unfortunately, some also record personal details.

Furthermore, developers share the data with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. All PUAs should be uninstalled immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Apple.com-macos-fast-systems.live" pop-up
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.

PUAs are commonly promoted as useful and legitimate, however, these are merely attempts to trick people into downloading and installing rogue software. Once this is done, most PUAs provide no real value. On the contrary, they cause problems by opening untrustworthy websites, gathering information, and displaying various ads.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Some PUAs can be downloaded from their websites, however, most are installed unintentionally when people click untrustworthy, intrusive ads, or when software developers use "bundling", a deceptive marketing method used to trick users into installing potentially unwanted apps with regular software.

They achieve this by hiding them in "Custom", "Advanced", and other similar options or settings of the software download/installation processes (set-ups). Generally, information about the presence of bundled PUAs is not properly disclosed. Note, however, that most unwanted downloads and installations occur when people fail to check available settings and deselect offers to install/download PUAs.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Download software (especially if it is free) from official, trustworthy sources (websites) and use direct links. It not safe to use third party software downloaders, installers, unofficial websites, Peer-to-Peer networks such as torrent clients, eMule, and other such tools.

Install downloaded software with care: check available "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings, and deselect offers to install unwanted software. Be careful when browsing the internet and do not click ads that are displayed on unofficial, dubious websites.

Many intrusive ads seem legitimate however, once clicked, they cause redirects to untrustworthy (potentially malicious) websites (gambling, adult dating, pornography, and others). If you encounter these ads or redirects, check installed programs on the computer and apps on the browser (extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins).

Uninstall all unwanted applications and programs immediately. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Appearance of apple.com-macos-fast-systems.live website (GIF):

Screenshot of fake scan results displayed by apple.com-macos-fast-systems.live:

Screenshot of a potentially unwanted app that is promoted through this deceptive website:

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 "apple.com-macos-fast-systems.live"?
• 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 potentially unwanted applications promoted via apple.com-macos-fast-systems.live website using Combo Cleaner:

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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