Remove PhaseSearch adware from the system

What is PhaseSearch?

PhaseSearch is one of many applications that display various advertisements and collect details relating to browsing activities. Software of this type is called adware. People do not generally download or install adware intentionally - they are tricked into it. For this reason, PhaseSearch is known ad adware and a potentially unwanted application (PUA).

Apps such as PhaseSearch usually serve ads that are displayed in the form of pop-ups, coupons, banners, surveys, and so on. When people click them, they are redirected to dubious or even malicious websites. These pages advertise untrustworthy software (e.g. browser hijackers, adware, apps such as MacRepair, and so on).

In some cases, these ads run scripts that cause unwanted downloads/installations. In any case, they should not be clicked and any adware installed on the browser and/or operating system should be removed. Furthermore, many adware-type apps are capable of recording browsing data.

For example, IP addresses, entered search queries, addresses of visited websites, geolocations, etc. Adware developers tend to misuse these details to generate revenue. They can also share it with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue.

People who have adware installed on their browsers and/or systems risk becoming victims of identity theft, experiencing problems relating to browsing safety, online privacy, and so on. Therefore, remove any installed adware immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by PhaseSearch
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Adload-AB [Trj]), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/Adware.Synataeb.C), Kaspersky (Not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.OSX.Adload.i), Symantec (OSX.Trojan.Gen), Full List (VirusTotal)
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.

PhaseSearch is very similar to SwiftEngine, SystemDistrict, FilterIdea, and many other adware-type applications. In most cases, these apps do not deliver any real value. On the contrary, they simply cause problems. Their main purpose is to help developers to generate revenue.

How did PhaseSearch install on my computer?

Typically, people download and/or install unwanted apps through deceptive ads that cause unwanted downloads/installations, or when software developers distribute them using the "bundling" method. They use this method to trick people into downloading or installing additional applications with regular software.

To achieve this, they include PUAs in the download and installation set-ups and hide related information in settings such as "Custom", "Advanced", etc.

If people leave these settings unchanged, they accept all offers included in set-ups by default. Therefore, they inadvertently give various PUAs permission to be downloaded and/or installed through the setups of other software.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

To avoid unwanted downloads/installations, download software from official websites. Other sources or tools such as third party downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule), etc., should not be trusted.

If a download or installation setup contains offers to download or install unwanted applications, dismiss them before finishing the download or installation process. Intrusive ads that are displayed on dubious web pages (typically, relating to gambling, adult dating, pornography, etc.) should not be clicked.

These can lead to potentially malicious websites or run scripts that download/install PUAs. In most cases, browsers open dubious web pages and/or display ads when PUAs are installed on them. To stop this from happening, it is necessary to uninstall all unwanted apps (extensions, plug-ins, add-ons) from the browser and programs of this kind from the operating system.

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

Pop-up window displayed once PhaseSearch installation is complete:

Installation folder of PhaseSearch adware:

 

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 PhaseSearch?
• STEP 1. Remove PhaseSearch related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove PhaseSearch ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove PhaseSearch adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove PhaseSearch ads from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove PhaseSearch adware using Combo Cleaner:

PhaseSearch adware removal:

Remove PhaseSearch-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 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.

▼ Show Discussion