How to avoid redirects to mobileapplesecurity.com

What is mobileapplesecurity[.]com?

mobileapplesecurity[.]com is an untrustworthy, deceptive web page which targets mostly iPhone and iPad users. Note that mobileapplesecurity[.]com advertises an app called Web Security Checker designed to remove viruses that were supposedly detected by this website. In fact, the viruses are fake.

Do not trust notifications of 'detected viruses' or other false messages displayed on websites such as mobileapplesecurity[.]com. In addition, do not trust any apps advertised through these sites. Browsers commonly open these untrustworthy websites due to potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) installed on them (they are not opened intentionally by users).

When visited, mobileapplesecurity[.]com enables a pop-up window stating that it has found 39 viruses that will corrupt the SIM card, damage contacts, applications, photos, and other data. According to the text in the background, these viruses were installed through an adult website that the user had apparently visited earlier.

Unless these viruses are removed immediately, it states that they will seriously damage the iPhone (or iPad). To remove them, visitors are encouraged to click the "Repair Now" button, which opens an App Store link. This is the download page of the Web Security Checker app, however, mobileapplesecurity[.]com might also be used to advertise other applications.

Since Web Security Checker is available on the App Store, it is likely that this is a legitimate program, however, mobileapplesecurity[.]com is a scam website and cannot be trusted. Therefore, any apps advertised through it should not be trusted.

Potentially unwanted apps that open deceptive or untrustworthy websites usually collect details relating to users' browsing habits and display unwanted ads. PUAs target details such as users' IP addresses, addresses of visited pages, entered search queries, geolocations, etc.

Some PUAs might also be designed to record personal details. Developers share the information with third parties (potentially cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. Furthermore, installed PUAs feed users with unwanted, intrusive advertisements.

Typically, people who click them are redirected to untrustworthy websites (including pages such as mobileapplesecurity[.]com) or allow them to run scripts that download or even install other unwanted apps.

Threat Summary:

Name	mobileapplesecurity.com pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	This page informs visitors that their devices are infected with a number of viruses.
Serving IP Address	157.230.152.172
Detection Names	BitDefender (Malware), Fortinet (Malware), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Promoted Application	Web Security Checker
Symptoms	Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious 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.

Some examples of other websites similar to mobileapplesecurity[.]com include safari-protection[.]com, safetyvpn[.]net, and numberonevpn[.]com. These sites display notifications of 'detected issues' (viruses, errors, etc.) and encourage visitors to take immediate action.

Typically, the sites invite visitors to download various applications (these should not be trusted). PUAs share many similarities. They are advertised as useful and legitimate apps, however, most do not operate as promised and simply cause users problems relating to browsing safety, privacy, and so on.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

People often download and install PUAs accidentally/unintentionally when they click dubious, deceptive advertisements or when software developers use the "bundling" method to trick them. Developers include unwanted apps in the set-ups of other programs and present them as additional offers.

Typically, these offers can be found in settings such as "Custom", "Advanced" of various download/installation set-ups, however, many users download and install programs without checking or changing these settings. Leaving them unchanged gives PUAs permission to be downloaded and installed together with other regular software.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

The safest way to download files or programs is to using official websites and direct links. Channels/sources or tools such as Peer-to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule), unofficial pages, third party downloaders, installers, etc., are often used to promote/distribute unwanted, potentially malicious applications.

Download or installation set-ups often contain settings that include offers to download or install additional software. These offers should be dismissed before completing any download or installation. Furthermore, do not click intrusive advertisements, especially if they are shown on dubious websites.

Examples of dubious websites are those relating to gambling, adult dating, pornography, and so on. The ads usually lead to other untrustworthy websites or run scripts that cause download/installation of potentially unwanted or even malicious applications.

To prevent browsers from causing redirects to untrustworthy pages and/or showing unwanted advertisements, uninstall unwanted extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons (browser apps) that are installed on the browser. The same should be applied to programs of this type that are installed on the operating system.

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

Screenshot of the pop-up window displayed on mobileapplesecurity[.]com:

 

 Text in a pop-up:

ATTENTION - Viruses found!
Your Apple is severely damaged by (39) viruses! Soon your Apple SIM card will be corrupt and it will damage your contacts, photos, data, applications, etc..

Screenshot of the main mobileapplesecurity[.]com page:

Text presented in this page (both mobile and desktop version):

Your iPhone is severly damaged by (39) viruses
We've noticed that your Apple is 28.1% Damaged by (30) harmful viruses from recent adult sites. It will soon corrupt your iPhone's SIM card and damage your contacts, photos, data, and applications.
4 minutes and 57 seconds
If you don't remove the virus now, it will cause serious damage to your iPhone. Here's what you need to do (step by step):

Step 1: Tap and install Web Security for free on the App Store!

Step 2: Open the application to speed up and fix your browser now!
Repair Now

Appearance of mobileapplesecurity[.]com scam website (GIF):

Web Security Checker download website:

To enable pop-up blocking, fraudulent website warnings, and remove web browsing data in mobile Apple devices, follow these steps:

First, go to "Settings", and then scroll down to find and tap "Safari".

Check if the "Block Pop-ups" and "Fraudulent Website Warning" toggles are enabled. If not, enable them immediately. Then, scroll down and tap "Advanced".

Tap "Website Data" and then "Remove All Website Data".

Video presenting mobileapplesecurity[.]com scam website and showing how to clean web browsing data:

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 mobileapplesecurity[.]com?
• 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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