How to remove software causing redirects to 6v5f3l.com

What is 6v5f3l.com?

6v5f3l.com is a bogus search engine. These fake search engines are usually promoted by rogue software programs classified as browser hijackers. They promote fake search engines by making modifications to browser settings. Additionally, most browser hackers and the search engines they promote collect browsing-related information.

The 6v5f3l.com web searcher has been observed being promoted by adware-type applications that have browser hijacking capabilities (e.g. ProductiveRotator). Due to the dubious methods used to proliferate adware and browser hijackers, they are also classified as Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs).

One of the techniques used in PUA distribution is proliferation via fake Adobe Flash Player updates. Bogus software updaters/installers are used to spread Trojans, ransomware and other malware.

Browser hijackers primarily target Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox and other popular browsers with large user bases. This software operates by assigning the addresses of fake search engines as the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs.

To elaborate on how this affects browsing, for example, with ProductiveRotator installed, every new browser tab/window opened and search query typed into the URL bar redirects to 6v5f3l.com. The ProductiveRotator PUA also promotes search.locatorunit.com on Google Chrome browsers.

Rogue search engines are rarely able to provide search results, and so they tend to redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) Google, Yahoo, Bing and other genuine sites. The 6v5f3l.com web searcher is no exception to this, and simply redirects to the Yahoo (search.yahoo.com) search engine.

Browser hijackers can reset any changes users attempt to make to their browsers and/or restrict/deny access to the browser settings outright. Therefore, recovering a hijacked browser is impossible without removing the software affecting it. Furthermore, since ProductiveRotator is an adware-type app, it runs intrusive advertisement campaigns.

I.e., it can deliver pop-ups, banners, coupons and other ads. The delivered advertisements are more than just a nuisance, they are also dangerous. When clicked, they can redirect to various untrusted/malicious sites and some can even stealthily download/install software (e.g. PUAs).

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

The gathered data is then shared with and/or sold to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals). In summary, the presence of unwanted software on devices can lead to system infections, serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft.

To ensure device integrity and user safety, all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins must be removed immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	6v5f3l.com browser hijacker
Threat Type	Browser hijacker, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Serving IP Address	13.226.18.7
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.

search.dominantmethod.com, 0yrvtrh.com, search.locatorunit.com and searchgoose.com are some examples of other fake search engines. ProductiveRotator promotes 6v5f3l.com and shares many similarities with ExpandedCommand, LogicalUpdate, ChangeParameter and countless other adware-type apps.

Adware, browsers hijackers and other PUAs may seem legitimate and harmless and offer a wide variety of "useful" functionality, which is typically nonoperational. The sole purpose of this unwanted software is to generate revenue for the developers. Regular users receive no value and can experience serious problems.

PUAs run intrusive ad campaigns, hijack browsers, cause redirects and collect private data.

How did 6v5f3l.com install on my computer?

PUAs are often downloaded/installed together with other products. This deceptive marketing technique of pre-packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions is called "bundling".

By rushing through download/installation of software (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, using "Quick/Express" settings, etc.) many users risk unintentionally allowing bundled content into their devices. Intrusive advertisements proliferate PUAs as well.

When clicked, the ads can execute scripts to download/install these applications without users' permission. Some PUAs have "official" download web pages from which they can be downloaded.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are advised to research all software before download/installation. Use only official and verified download channels. Unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule), and other third party downloaders commonly offer harmful and bundled content, and are therefore untrusted and should be avoided.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, and so on. Intrusive advertisements typically seem legitimate, however, they can redirect to dubious and malicious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and many others).

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

Rogue software promoting 6v5f3l.com and distributed via a fake Adobe Flash Player updater/installer:

ProductiveRotator adware promoting 6v5f3l.com, which is installed on the Safari browser:

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 6v5f3l.com?
• STEP 1. Remove 6v5f3l.com related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove 6v5f3l.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove 6v5f3l.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove 6v5f3l.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.

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

6v5f3l.com redirect removal:

Remove 6v5f3l.com-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 browser hijacker-related files and folders

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

Check for browser hijacker 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 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.

Check for browser hijacker 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 browser hijacker 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 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.

Check for browser hijacker 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 browser hijackers, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove browser hijackers from Internet browsers

Remove Safari browser hijackers:

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.

Change your 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:

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.

Remove Google Chrome browser hijackers:

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".

Change your homepage

Click the 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:

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

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".

Change your homepage

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (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:

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

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

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

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