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Remove Landslide Search from your browser

Also Known As: Landslide Search browser hijacker
Type: Mac Virus
Damage level: Medium

What is search.landslidesearch.com?

search.landslidesearch.com is the address of a fake search engine, which is promoted through a potentially unwanted application (PUA), a browser hijacker called Landslide Search. Generally, apps of this type promote fake search engines by changing certain browser settings.

Additionally, most gather browsing data. People do not generally download or install browser hijackers (or other PUAs) intentionally - in most cases, they are tricked into it.

search.landslidesearch.com browser hijacker on a Mac computer

Landslide Search promotes search.landslidesearch.com by assigning it as the address of the browser homepage, default search engine and new tab. In summary, Landslide Search ensures that users must visit search.landslidesearch.com when they open a browser, new tab or enter search queries into the URL bar.

It also prevents users from removing this address from any of the settings - it reassigns settings after each attempt to change them. Avoid having to visit search.landslidesearch.com by uninstalling Landslide Search. Note that search.landslidesearch.com is a fake search engine, since it generates no unique results and simply redirects users to search.yahoo.com.

Users are thus provided with results generated by a legitimate Yahoo search engine. Furthermore, Landslide Search and other browser hijackers gather browsing data.

Typically, they target search queries, IP addresses, geolocations, addresses of opened sites, and so on, however, they might record personal, confidential details as well. Developers sell the information to other parties, potentially cyber criminals who misuse it to generate revenue.

Threat Summary:
Name Landslide Search browser hijacker
Threat Type Browser hijacker, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Serving IP Address 104.124.58.145 
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 fake search engines distributed through browser hijackers are search.pizgetz.com, search.gravenday.com and studentslearnintogether.club. Typically, these apps are advertised as legitimate and useful. In fact, they are designed to promote fake search engines and gather data.

They simply perform tasks to help developers to generate revenue. Having a browser hijacked by a PUA of this type can lead to problems relating to browsing safety, privacy or even identity theft. You are strongly advised to uninstall Landslide Search and other installed PUAs immediately.

How did search.landslidesearch.com install on my computer?

In some cases, PUAs can be downloaded from their websites, however, they are generally downloaded or installed through certain deceptive advertisements or the set-ups of other software. PUAs are commonly distributed by including them into various download and installation set-ups, usually of free software.

This distribution method is known as "bundling" and is used to trick people into downloading and/or installing PUAs together with other programs. Developers seek to achieve this by hiding related information of PUAs in settings of set-ups such as "Advanced", "Custom" and so on.

They succeed when people download or install software without checking and changing the settings. PUAs can be downloaded and installed through ads, but only when people click them (they then execute certain scripts).

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Do not download or install software using torrent clients, eMule (and other Peer-to-Peer networks0, third party downloaders, installers, dubious/unofficial pages, and so on). The only safe way to download is using official websites and direct download links.

Set-ups that contain settings such as "Custom", "Advanced" and so on should be studies - decline offers to download or install unwanted apps. It is not safe to click ads that are displayed on dubious websites. These often redirect people who click them to potentially malicious web pages or cause unwanted downloads/installations.

If the browser causes unwanted redirects and/or displays ads, this likely to be due to an unwanted application installed on it. In these cases, check the list of installed add-ons, extensions and plug-ins and remove all unwanted, unknown, suspicious entries. The same applies to programs of this kind that are installed on the operating system.

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

search.landslidesearch.com redirects users to search.yahoo.com (GIF):

search.landslidesearch.com redirect appearance

Download website of Search Landslide Search browser hijacker:

website promoting Landslide Search unwanted app

Landslide Search asks permission to read and change various data:

Landslide Search wants to access data

Landslide Search installed on Chrome:

Landslide Search Chrome extension

Example of a deceptive installation setup used to promote Landslide Search browser hijacker:

Landslide Search browser hijacker-promoting installer setup

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:

Video showing how to remove Landslide Search browser hijacker using Combo Cleaner:

search.landslidesearch.com redirect removal:

Remove search.landslidesearch.com-related potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:

mac browser hijacker removal from 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

Mac Go To Folder step

Click the Finder icon from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Mac removing related files and folders - step 1Check for browser hijacker generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

Mac go to /Library/LaunchAgents - step 1

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents/

Mac go to /Library/LaunchAgents - step 2

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.

Mac removing related files and folders - step 2Check for browser hijacker generated files in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder:

Mac go to /Library/Application Support - step 1

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/Application Support/

Mac go to /Library/Application Support - step 2

In the "Application Support" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, "MplayerX" or "NicePlayer", and move these folders to the Trash.

Mac removing related files and folders - step 3Check for browser hijacker generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

Mac go to ~/Library/LaunchAgents - step 1

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

Mac go to ~/Library/LaunchAgents - step 2

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.

Mac removing related files and folders - step 4Check for browser hijacker generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder:

Mac go to /Library/LaunchDaemons - step 1

In the "Go to Folder..." bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons/

Mac go to /Library/LaunchDaemons - step 2

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.

Mac removing malware related files and folders - step 5Scan 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.

Mac remove malware with Combo Cleaner - step 1

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.

Mac remove malware with Combo Cleaner - step 2

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

Safari iconRemove Safari browser hijackers:

Removal of malicious extensions in Safari - step 1

Open the Safari browser, from the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".

Removal of malicious extensions in Safari - step 2

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:

Change Safari 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:

Change Safari 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.

Google Chrome logoRemove Google Chrome browser hijackers:

Removal of malicious extensions in Google Chrome - step 1

Click the Chrome menu icon Google 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".

Removal of malicious extensions in Google Chrome - step 2

Change your homepage

Change Google Chrome homepage

Click the Chrome menu icon Google 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:

Change Google Chrome default search engine

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon Google 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.

Mozilla Firefox logoRemove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Removal of malicious extensions in Mozilla Firefox - step 1

Click the Firefox menu firefox menu icon (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".

Removal of malicious extensions in Mozilla Firefox - step 2

Change your homepage

Change Mozilla Firefox homepage

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu firefox menu icon (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:

Change Mozilla Firefox default search engine - step 1

In the URL address bar, type "about:config" and press Enter. Click "Accept the Risk and Continue".

Change Mozilla Firefox default search engine - step 2

In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled". Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the Mozilla Firefox switch about:config entry button button.

  • If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

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About the author:

Tomas Meskauskas

Tomas Meskauskas - expert security researcher, professional malware analyst.

I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats. Contact Tomas Meskauskas.

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Removal Instructions in other languages
Malware activity

Global malware activity level today:

Medium threat activity

Increased attack rate of infections detected within the last 24 hours.

QR Code
Landslide Search browser hijacker QR code
Scan this QR code to have an easy access removal guide of Landslide Search browser hijacker on your mobile device.
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