How to eliminate LevelNight adware from the operating system

What is LevelNight?

During a routine investigation of new submissions to VirusTotal, our researchers discovered the LevelNight rogue application. After analyzing this app, we determined that it works as advertising-supported software (adware). Furthermore, it is noteworthy that LevelNight is part of the AdLoad malware family.

LevelNight adware overview

Adware is designed to enable the placement of third-party graphical content (various advertisements) on visited websites and/or other interfaces. The ads promote online scams, fraudulent/harmful sites and software, and even malware. Some intrusive adverts can perform stealthy downloads/installations - when clicked.

Note that any legitimate products encountered via these advertisements are most likely promoted by scammers who abuse their affiliate programs to acquire illegitimate commissions.

It is pertinent to mention that advertising-supported software might not deliver ads if certain conditions are unsuitable (e.g., incompatible browser/system specs, particular webpages are not visited, etc.). However, regardless of whether LevelNight displays advertisements, its presence endangers device/user safety.

What is more, this rogue app may have browser-hijacking functionalities, as they are often part of AdLoad adware. Although, LevelNight did not exhibit any during our analysis.

This piece of software likely has data tracking abilities. Targeted information can include: browsing and search engine histories, personally identifiable details, usernames/passwords, financial/banking data, etc. The collected information is monetized via sale to third-parties.

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

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by LevelNight
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Adload-AG [Adw]), Combo Cleaner (Gen:Variant.Adware.MAC.AdLoad.13), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/Adware.Synataeb.G), Kaspersky (Not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.OSX.Adload.h), 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

VantageAdvisor, TelevisionReproduce, EllipseChoice, and SurplusStatus are merely some examples of adware-type applications. Advertising-supported software typically looks legitimate and offers "useful" functionalities. However, these functions seldom work as promised, and in most cases - they do not work at all.

How did LevelNight install on my computer?

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

Intrusive advertisements proliferate adware as well. Once clicked on, some of these ads can execute scripts to make downloads/installations without user consent. Fake Adobe Flash Player updaters/installers are also used in distribution.

Advertising-supported software can have "official" promotional webpages, and it is pushed via scam sites. Most users access these pages through redirects caused by spam browser notifications, websites using rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs, intrusive adverts, or installed adware (with browser force-opening capabilities).

How to avoid installation of adware?

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

We advise exercising caution when browsing since fraudulent and malicious material usually looks legitimate. For example, intrusive adverts appear harmless yet redirect to unreliable/questionable (e.g., gambling, adult-dating, pornography, etc.).

In case of encounters with such ads/redirects, check the device and immediately remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with LevelNight, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

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

LevelNight adware's installation folder:

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

Video showing how to remove LevelNight adware using Combo Cleaner:

LevelNight adware removal:

Remove LevelNight-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. It usually has data tracking abilities, thereby making it a privacy threat. Additionally, adware-delivered ads can be deceptive/malicious and cause severe issues (e.g., system infections, financial losses, etc.).

What does adware do?

Adware operates by displaying various advertisements on visited sites and/or other interfaces. Furthermore, some types can force-open webpages and gather private data.

How do adware developers generate revenue?

Adware developers generate revenue primarily through affiliate programs by endorsing various websites, apps, products, services, products, and other content.

Will Combo Cleaner remove LevelNight adware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner will scan your system and eliminate detected adware-type applications. Note that manual removal (unaided by security programs) might not be ideal. In some instances, even after the advertising-supported software has been (manually) removed - file leftovers stay hidden within the system. What is more, the remnants may continue to run and cause issues. Therefore, it is paramount to eliminate adware thoroughly.

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