Avoid downloading software from manualchecker.com

What is manualchecker[.]com?

manualchecker[.]com is one of many scam websites disguised as an official Apple web page. They are designed to trick visitors into downloading and installing various dubious software. The advertised software supposedly removes viruses that were 'detected' by a visited web page, in this case manualchecker[.]com.

In most cases, people do not visit websites of this kind intentionally - they are redirected to them by potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) that are installed on their browsers. Neither websites like manualchecker[.]com nor the software promoted through them can be trusted.

manualchecker[.]com targets iPhone users, however, it is very likely that users of other Apple products might end up on this page as well. When visited, manualchecker[.]com displays a fake system notification stating that the visitor's device is infected with malware.

It encourages removal of the infection by clicking the "OK" button. The background page states that manualchecker[.]com has detected three viruses, which infected the iPhone and battery, and they might cause further damage unless they are removed as soon as possible.

To remove them, visitors must supposedly download and install antivirus software. At the time of research, this website redirected to a website with a broken link, however, no application that is promoted through pages like manualchecker[.]com should be trusted.

Apps that open websites of this type deliver intrusive ads and gather information. Typically, they display coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups and other intrusive ads that, if clicked, usually open rogue (potentially, malicious) web pages. In some cases, they run scripts designed to download and/or install unwanted software.

Furthermore, PUAs collect browsing-related information such as entered search queries, URLs of visited websites, IP addresses, geolocations and other data. 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.

Threat Summary:

Name	manualchecker.com pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	This website states that the visitor's device is infected with malware.
Detection Names	Full List (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	104.27.151.103
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.

There are more scam websites like manualchecker[.]com online. For example, bestantius[.]com, bestlandcn[.]com, and mobileapplesecurity[.]com.

Typically, they are designed to trick people into downloading and installing rogue applications. Apps that open these web pages are often similar: they cause redirects to dubious sites, gather data, and/or display ads. If PUAs are installed on the browser or computer, remove them immediately.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Typically, people cause unwanted installations by clicking intrusive advertisements or when software developers include them in download and/or installation setups of other software.

This latter distribution method of PUAs is called "bundling". Typically, offers to download and/or install unwanted software are hidden in settings of setups such as "Custom", "Advanced", "Manual", etc. Unintentional downloads and/or installations usually happen when people leave all available settings unchecked and unchanged.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Software should be downloaded from official websites and using direct links. Peer-to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule, and so on), unofficial websites, third party downloaders, installers, etc., should not be used to download or install any software.

Check "Advanced", "Custom" and other settings that are included in any download or installation setup, and opt-out of offers to download or install PUAs. Do not click intrusive ads, since they can lead to rogue websites or cause download/installation of unwanted applications.

If ads of this type appear or redirects to dubious pages happen often, it is likely that a PUA is already installed on the browser or operating system. In these cases, remove all unwanted extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons from the browser, and software of this kind from a computer.

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

Text in the initial manualchecker[.]com page (pop-up):

Apple Security Friday
15 November 2019

(1) SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Malware detected. Hit OK to repair.
OK

Screenshot of the manualchecker[.]com background page:

Text in this page:

Apple Security Friday

15 November 2019

(3) Viruses has been detected on your iPhone and battery has been infected and damaged.

If you do not remove this malware now, it may cause more damage to your device. How to fix this:

Step 1: Tap the button below & install the recommended VPN and virus protection tool free from the AppStore.

Step 2: Run the app, follow on screen instructions to remove malware and repair your phone remotely.
1 minutes and 55 seconds
Download and Install
Detected By (c) Apple.

To enable pop-up blocking and 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".

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 manualchecker[.]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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