How to remove the CladRumble adware from your operating system

What is CladRumble?

While inspecting new submissions to VirusTotal, our researchers discovered the CladRumble application. After analyzing this piece of software, we determined that CladRumble operates as adware and belongs to the AdLoad malware family.

CladRumble adware overview

Advertising-supported software may require specific conditions to deliver intrusive ad campaigns (e.g., browser/system conditions, visits to particular websites, etc.). However, whether CladRumble displays ads is irrelevant - since its presence on a system endangers device/user safety regardless.

Adware-delivered advertisements promote online scams, untrustworthy/harmful sites and software, and even malware. Some of these adverts can execute scripts to make stealthy downloads/installations upon being clicked.

Note that any legitimate products encountered through the ads are unlikely to be promoted by their developers. Instead, this endorsement is undertaken by scammers abusing the products' affiliate programs to obtain illegitimate commissions.

Furthermore, CladRumble might have browser hijacker functionalities since they are common for AdLoad adware, although this app did not exhibit any during testing.

What is more, CladRumble can track data. Targeted information includes: browsing and search engine histories, usernames/passwords, personally identifiable details, credit card numbers, etc. The collected data can then be shared with and/or sold to third-parties (potentially, cyber criminals).

To summarize, the presence of software like CladRumble on devices can lead to system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by CladRumble
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Agent-TX [Trj]), Combo Cleaner (Adware.MAC.Generic.26943), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/Adware.Synataeb.G), Fortinet (Adware/Synataeb!OSX), Full List (VirusTotal)
Additional Information	This application belongs to 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.

Adware examples

We have analyzed thousands of adware-type applications; SkyWard, DigitalInitiator, and ProcesserGrid are just a couple of examples. Advertising-supported software usually looks legitimate and offers "handy" functionalities. However, these functions seldom work as promised, and in most cases - they are utterly nonoperational.

How did CladRumble install on my computer?

Adware can be bundled (packed together) with ordinary programs. Download from dubious channels (e.g., unofficial and freeware websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc.) and rushed installations increase the risk of allowing bundled content into the device.

Additionally, fake Adobe Flash Player updaters/installers are used in distribution. Intrusive advertisements also proliferate advertising-supported software. When clicked on, some of these adverts can execute scripts to make downloads/installations without user permission.

Adware is promoted through dubious download webpages and scam sites as well. Users typically enter such pages via redirects caused by websites using rogue advertising networks, spam browser notifications, intrusive ads, mistyped URLs, or installed adware (with browser force-opening capabilities).

How to avoid installation of adware?

We strongly recommend researching software and downloading it from official and verified sources. Additionally, when installing, it is important to read terms, study available options, and use the "Custom/Advanced" settings to opt-out of all supplementary apps, tools, features, etc.

We advise caution when browsing since illegitimate and malicious content typically looks harmless. For example, intrusive advertisements appear legitimate yet redirect to highly questionable websites (e.g., gambling, pornography, adult-dating, etc.).

If you experience adverts and/or redirects of this type, inspect the device and immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with CladRumble, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Pop-up window displayed once CladRumble adware's installation is over:

CladRumble adware's installation folder:

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

Video showing how to remove CladRumble adware using Combo Cleaner:

CladRumble adware removal:

Remove CladRumble-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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What harm can adware cause?

Adware can decrease browsing quality and system performance. This software usually has data tracking abilities, which make it a threat to user privacy. Furthermore, adware-delivered adverts promote dangerous content that can cause serious problems (e.g., system infections, financial losses, etc.).

What does adware do?

Adware is designed to run intrusive advertisement campaigns. In other words, this software delivers advertisements on visited websites and/or different interfaces. Additionally, it may be capable of force-opening webpages and gathering private data.

How do adware developers generate revenue?

Adware generates most of the revenue through affiliate programs by endorsing various websites, applications, products, services, etc. The developers may earn commission from ad clicks, site visits, file downloads, product purchases, service subscriptions, or similar.

Will Combo Cleaner remove CladRumble adware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan systems and eliminate installed adware-type applications. It is noteworthy that manual removal (unaided by security software) might be ineffective. In some cases, even after the adware itself has been (manually) removed - various file leftovers stay hidden within the system. What is more, the remaining components can continue running and causing problems. Therefore, it is crucial to eliminate advertising-supported software thoroughly.

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