How to remove LookupModule adware from the operating system

What is LookupModule?

Belonging to the AdLoad malware family, LookupModule is a rogue app classified as adware. This application also possesses browser hijacker traits. LookupModule operates by running intrusive advertisement campaigns, modifying browsers and promoting fake search engines.

Additionally, most adware-types and browser hijackers have data tracking capabilities, which are used to track users' browsing activity.

Due to LookupModule's dubious proliferation methods, it is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). It has been observed being spread via Fake Adobe Flash Player updaters. Note that bogus software updaters not only proliferate PUAs, but also Trojans, ransomware and other malware.

LookupModule enables the placement of third party graphical content on any visited web page. Therefore, the advertisements do not originate from the websites, but are delivered by the adware. These intrusive ads might be in the form of pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys and others.

They significantly diminish the browsing activity, since they limit browsing speed and site visibility (by overlaying pages). Additionally, when clicked, these ads redirect to sale-oriented, untrusted, rogue, deceptive/scam, compromised and malicious websites.

Furthermore, some can be triggered (when clicked) to execute scripts designed to stealthily download/install rogue software (e.g. PUAs). As LookupModule shares traits with browser hijackers, it can reassign the homepage, new tab/window URLs and default search engine URLs to the addresses of fake search engines.

Therefore, any new browser tab/window opened and each search query typed into the URL bar will redirect to the bogus search engine. These fake search tools usually cannot provide unique results, and so they redirect to Google, Yahoo, Bing and other legitimate search engines.

Furthermore, without removing the browser hijacker, recovering the affected browser is impossible, since any changes users attempt to make to their browsers are reset (if access to the settings is permitted at all).

Most PUAs can track data. They can record browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and gather users' personal information derived from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). The collected data is then shared with third parties intent on misusing it for profit - potentially, by putting it to criminal use.

It is likely that LookupModule has such capabilities as well. To summarize, the presence of PUAs can cause various system infiltration and infections, lead to financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft. To ensure device and user safety, remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by LookupModule
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Adload-AD [Trj]), BitDefender (Gen:Variant.Adware.MAC.Adload.4), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/TrojanDownloader.Adload.AE), Kaspersky (Not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.OSX.Cimpli.k), 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.

ProcessSign, SearchSkilledData, and TaskBrowser are some examples of other software classified as adware. The software typically seems legitimate and entices users into download/installation with offers of "useful" functions, however, the features promised are rarely operational.

This applies to most PUAs, as their only purpose is to generate revenue at users' expense. Rather than working as promised, they deliver intrusive ad campaigns, cause redirects to untrusted/malicious websites, hijack browsers and track sensitive data.

How did LookupModule install on my computer?

PUAs proliferate through download/install set-ups of more than just fake Flash Player updaters/installers. "Bundling" is the term used to describe the deceptive marketing technique of pre-packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions.

Rushing through download/installation processes (ignoring terms, skipping steps, using pre-set options, etc.) endangers systems with potential infiltration and infections originating from bundled content. Some PUAs have "official" download web pages. Once clicked, intrusive ads can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' consent.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are strongly advised to research all software and download it only from official and verified sources. Untrustworthy download channels such as unofficial and free file-hosting sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.) and other third party downloaders can offer deceptive and bundled content.

Download/installation processes should be approached with caution. Read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, etc. Intrusive advertisements, may seem normal and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious web pages (e.g. gambling, adult-dating, pornography and others).

If you experience these ads/redirects, inspect the system and remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins without delay. If your computer is already infected with LookupModule, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Files related to LookupModule adware that need to be removed:

• ~/Library/Application Support/com.LookupModule/LookupModule
• ~/Library/Application Support/com.LookupModuleDaemon/LookupModule
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.LookupModule.plist
• ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.LookupModuleDaemon.plist

IMPORTANT NOTE! Rogue setups/apps that promote LookupModule adware are designed to create a new device profile. Therefore, before taking any further removal steps, perform these actions:

1) Click the "Preferences" icon in the menu bar and select "Profiles"

2) Select the "LookupModule" profile and delete it.

3) Perform a full system scan with Combo Cleaner anti-virus suite.

After performing these actions, you can proceed with further removal steps for this 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 LookupModule?
• STEP 1. Remove LookupModule related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove LookupModule ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove LookupModule adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove LookupModule ads from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

LookupModule adware removal:

Remove LookupModule-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.

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