How to remove SearchWebPortal adware from operating systems

What is SearchWebPortal?

SearchWebPortal is a rogue application classified as adware, which also has browser hijacker traits. Following successful infiltration, it operates by delivering intrusive advertisement campaigns, making modifications to browser settings and promoting fake search engines.

Most adware and browser hijackers monitor users' browsing activity, and it is highly likely that SearchWebPortal does so as well. Due to the dubious methods used to proliferate this app, it is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). One of the dubious distribution methods employed to proliferate SearchWebPortal is via fake Adobe Flash Player updates.

Note that bogus software updaters/installers distribute both PUAs and malware (e.g. Trojans, ransomware, etc.).

Adware deliver pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys, full-page and other intrusive ads. These significantly diminish the browsing experience, as they overlay web page content and reduce browsing speed. Additionally, when clicked, intrusive ads often redirect to untrusted/malicious sites and some can even stealthily download/install rogue software (e.g. PUAs).

Browser hijackers assign the addresses of fake search engines as the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs. Therefore, new browser tabs/windows opened and search queries typed into the URL bar redirect to the promoted address.

Rogue search engines are rarely able to generate unique results, and so they they tend to redirect to Yahoo, Google, Bing and other genuine sites. Furthermore, browser hijackers can restrict/deny access to the browser settings and/or undo any permitted changes made.

As mentioned, most PUAs (adware and browser hijackers included) have data tracking capabilities. They can record browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and gather personal information extracted from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details).

This sensitive data is typically shared with and/or sold to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals), seeking to likewise misuse it for profit. To summarize, the presence of unwanted software on devices can result in system infections, financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft.

Therefore, you are strongly advised to eliminate all suspicious applications and similarly suspect browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by SearchWebPortal
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Adload-AD [Trj]), BitDefender (Gen:Variant.Adware.MAC.Rload.5), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/TrojanDownloader.Adlo), Kaspersky (Not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.OSX.Cimpli.k), Full List (VirusTotal).
Additional Information	This application belongs to the Adload malware family.
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.

ExtendedTool, DivisionFormat, and AssistiveRecord are some examples of other adware-type apps. They may seem legitimate and useful, and users are enticed into download/installation with a wide variety of functionality, however, the advertised features are seldom operational.

In fact, this applies to most PUAs. The only purpose of this unwanted software is to generate revenue at users' expense. Rather than delivering any real value, PUAs run intrusive advertisement campaigns, cause redirects, hijack browsers and collect private data.

How did SearchWebPortal install on my computer?

PUAs are distributed through the download/installation set-ups of other products. "Bundling" is the term used to define this deceptive marketing tactic of packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions.

By rushing through download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, using pre-set options, etc.), users risk unintentionally allowing bundled content into their devices. PUAs can also have "official" promotional pages, from which they can be downloaded.

Intrusive advertisements proliferate these applications as well. Once clicked, they can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' consent.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are advised to research all products before download/installation. All downloads must be done from official and verified sources. Untrusted download channels such as unofficial and free file-hosting websites, P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule, etc.) and other third party downloaders commonly offer deceptive and/or bundled content.

When downloading/installing, it is important to read the terms, explore all available options, use the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, and so on. Intrusive ads may seem legitimate and harmless, however, they can redirect to and dubious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, etc.).

If you encounter ads and/or redirects of this kind, check the system and immediately remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with SearchWebPortal, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Files related to SearchWebPortal adware that need to be removed:

• ~/Library/Application Support/com.SearchWebPortal/SearchWebPortal
• ~/Library/Application Support/com.SearchWebPortalDaemon/SearchWebPortal
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.SearchWebPortal.plist
• ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.SearchWebPortalDaemon.plist

IMPORTANT NOTE! Rogue setups/apps that promote SearchWebPortal 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 "SearchWebPortal" 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 SearchWebPortal?
• STEP 1. Remove SearchWebPortal related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove SearchWebPortal ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove SearchWebPortal adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove SearchWebPortal ads from Mozilla Firefox.

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

SearchWebPortal adware removal:

Remove SearchWebPortal-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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