How To Remove VPN Update pop-up scam Virus From Mac PC

Tips To Delete VPN Update pop-up scam From Computer

VPN Update pop-up scam is a malicious scam which is triggered by potent Cyber actors in order to deceive Mac users into downloading and installing potentially unwanted program. These intrusive pop-ups usually appear when you visit a particular website, suggesting to download and install an app named Secured VPN Pro in order to be able to continue watching some videos. Most often you are redirected to such vicious sites when you click on deceptive ads or an adware is already installed on your system. This notorious adware gets into your work-station by stealth without your approval and then conducts a series of malevolent deeds in the background.

More About VPN Update pop-up scam:

When you visit a site that promotes VPN Update pop-up scam, it displays a pop-up window stating that in order to continue watching some videos, you have to download free VPN software. You are also given an “Install & Register Now” button. However, once you click on it, you are redirected to another domain where you can download the Secured VPN Pro application. We highly advise to ignore these fake messages and avoid clicking on any suspicious link or button. If you do that, you will end up with getting another PUP in your device that could be even more devastating for the machine.

VPN Update pop-up scam adware also displays commercial contents and other forms of advertisements all over the day and disrupts your web sessions badly. You are bombarded with intrusive coupons, deals, offers, banners, discounts etc. that makes your Internet surfing very complex. These ads work on pay-per-click mechanism and earn profits for the developers upon being clicked. They look eye-catching and may redirect you to phishing, scamming or even malware-laden sites that are fully occupied with malevolent contents. Moreover, VPN Update pop-up scam virus also makes unexpected changes in your default browser’s settings and replaces the current home page, search engine and new tab addresses with another perilous domain

Ways To Spread This PUP and Tips To prevent It:

There are various illusive methods through which such types of potentially unwanted threats are spread such as freeware downloads, peer to peer network sharing, infected removal drives, malicious ads or hyperlinks and so on. However, the most common way used by Cyber actors to distribute such ad-supported programs is via software bundling. It is attached with third-party apps as an additional tool and when you download and install the software via “Quick” or “Recommended” setting, there is huge possibility that you might end up with getting such adware in the work-station as well along with the main software.

In order to prevent your system from getting infected with VPN Update pop-up scam virus or other similar parasites, it is necessary to be very cautious while surfing the net. Download any freeware program from trusty or official source only and always select “Custom” or “Advanced” setting to install the app as here you can take full control over the incoming components. You have to untick the components that give a concerning look and choose only the main software.

Summarize Information

Name: VPN Update pop-up scam

Type: Mac virus Adware, Social engineering, Potentially unwanted program

Functionality: Suggests that visitors can continue watching some video by installing a VPN client, Also steal users’ personal and confidential information and share them with hackers for evil purposes.

Symptoms: Modified Internet browsers settings like homepage, default Internet search engine, identity theft, new tab settings. Users are enforced to visit hijacker’s website and search the Internet using their search engines, slowness of infected system’s performance.

Distribution methods: Free software installers (bundling), Deceptive emails, malicious pop-ups ads, fake flash player installers.

Damage: Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites.

Removal: To get rid of this infection and other malware threats, our security researchers recommend scanning your computer with a powerful anti-malware tool.

Other Common Symptoms of This PUP:

VPN Update pop-up scam virus makes spiteful entries in boot section and alters its default settings in order to get automatically activated every time the machine is started but that results in several pernicious issues such as hard drive crash, boot errors, software, application malfunctioning and so on. It can track your web activities and steal your personal and confidential data such as user ids, passwords, credit card, debit card, bank account and other financial details and expose them to hackers for evil purposes. This perilous adware consumes huge amount of memory resources and drags down the overall computer performance severely. Due to this, PC begins responding in a very slow manner and takes more than usual time to complete any task. And hence, to prevent all these threats from being occurred, you must remove VPN Update pop-up scam virus from the machine immediately.

Remove Files and Folders Related to VPN Update pop-up scam

Open the “Menu” bar and click the “Finder” icon. Select “Go” and click on “Go to Folder…”

Step 1: Search the suspicious and doubtful malware generated files in /Library/LaunchAgents folder

Type /Library/LaunchAgents in the “Go to Folder” option

In the “Launch Agent” folder, search for all the files that you have recently downloaded and move them to “Trash”. Few of the examples of files created by browser-hijacker or adware are as follow, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.Itvbit.plist”, installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, and “kuklorest.update.plist” and so on.

Step 2: Detect and remove the files generated by the adware in “/Library/Application” Support folder

In the “Go to Folder..bar”, type “/Library/Application Support”

Search for any suspicious newly added folders in “Application Support” folder. If you detect any one of these like “NicePlayer” or “MPlayerX” then send them to “Trash” folder.

Step 3: Look for the files generated by malware in /Library/LaunchAgent Folder:

Go to Folder bar and type /Library/LaunchAgents

You are in the “LaunchAgents” folder. Here, you have to search for all the newly added files and move them to “Trash” if you find them suspicious. Some of the examples of suspicious files generated by malware are “myppes.download.plist”, “installmac.AppRemoved.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist” and so on.

Step4: Go to /Library/LaunchDaemons Folder and search for the files created by malware

Type /Library/LaunchDaemons in the “Go To Folder” option

In the newly opened “LaunchDaemons” folder, search for any recently added suspicious files and move them to “Trash”. Examples of some of the suspicious files are “com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist”, “com.avickUpd.plist”, “com.myppes.net-preference.plist”, “com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist” and so on.

Step 5: Use Combo Cleaner Anti-Malware and Scan your Mac PC

The malware infections could be removed from the Mac PC if you execute all the steps mentioned above in the correct way. However, it is always advised to be sure that your PC is not infected. It is suggested to scan the work-station with “Combo Cleaner Anti-virus”.

Once the file gets downloaded, double click on combocleaner.dmg installer in the newly opened window. Next is to open the “Launchpad” and press on “Combo Cleaner” icon. It is advised to wait until “Combo Cleaner” updates the latest definition for malware detection. Click on “Start Combo Scan” button.

A depth scan of your Mac PC will be executed in order to detect malware. If the Anti-virus scan report says “no threat found” then you can continue with guide further. On the other hand, it is recommended to delete the detected malware infection before continuing.

Now the files and folders created by the adware is removed, you have to remove the rogue extensions from the browsers.

Remove VPN Update pop-up scam from Internet Browsers

Delete Doubtful and Malicious Extension from Safari

Go to “Menu Bar” and open “Safari” browser. Select “Safari” and then “Preferences”

In the opened “preferences” window, select “Extensions” that you have recently installed. All such extensions should be detected and click the “Uninstall” button next to it. If you are doubtful then you can remove all the extensions from “Safari” browser as none of them are important for smooth functionality of the browser.

In case if you continue facing unwanted webpage redirections or aggressive advertisements bombarding, you can reset the “Safari” browser.

“Reset Safari”

Open the Safari menu and choose “preferences…” from the drop-down menu.

Go to the “Extension” tab and set the extension slider to “Off” position. This disables all the installed extensions in the Safari browser

Next step is to check the homepage. Go to “Preferences…” option and choose “General” tab. Change the homepage to your preferred URL.

Also check the default search-engine provider settings. Go to “Preferences…” window and select the “Search” tab and select the search-engine provider that you want such as “Google”.

Next is to clear the Safari browser Cache- Go to “Preferences…” window and select “Advanced” tab and click on “Show develop menu in the menu bar.“

Go to “Develop” menu and select “Empty Caches”.

Remove website data and browsing history. Go to “Safari” menu and select “Clear History and Website Data”. Choose “all history” and then click on “Clear History”.

Remove Unwanted and Malicious Plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox

Delete VPN Update pop-up scam add-ons from Mozilla Firefox

Open the Firefox Mozilla browser. Click on the “Open Menu” present in the top right corner of the screen. From the newly opened menu, choose “Add-ons”.

Go to “Extension” option and detect all the latest installed add-ons. Select each of the suspicious add-ons and click on “Remove” button next to them.

In case if you want to “reset” the Mozilla Firefox browser then follow the steps that has been mentioned below.

Reset Mozilla Firefox Settings

Open the Firefox Mozilla browser and click on “Firefox” button situated at the top left corner of the screen.

In the new menu, go to “Help” sub-menu and choose “Troubleshooting Information”

In the “Troubleshooting Information” page, click on “Reset Firefox” button.

Confirm that you want to reset the Mozilla Firefox settings to default by pressing on “Reset Firefox” option

The browser will get restarted and the settings changes to factory default

Delete Unwanted and Malicious Extensions from Google Chrome

Open the chrome browser and click on “Chrome menu”. From the drop down option, choose “More Tools” and then “Extensions”.

In the “Extensions” option, search for all the recently installed add-ons and extensions. Select them and choose “Trash” button. Any third-party extension is not important for the smooth functionality of the browser.

Reset Google Chrome Settings

Open the browser and click on three line bar at the top right side corner of the window.

Go to the bottom of the newly opened window and select “Show advanced settings”.

In the newly opened window, scroll down to the bottom and choose “Reset browser settings”

Click on the “Reset” button on the opened “Reset browser settings” window

Restart the browser and the changes you get will be applied

The above mentioned manual process should be executed as it is mentioned. It is a cumbersome process and requires a lot of technical expertise. And hence it is advised for technical experts only. To be sure that your PC is free from malware, it is better that you scan the work-station with a powerful anti-malware tool. The automatic malware removal application is preferred because it doesn’t requires any additional technical skills and expertise.

Download the application and execute it on the PC to begin the depth scanning. Once the scanning gets completed, it shows the list of all the files related to VPN Update pop-up scam. You can select such harmful files and folders and remove them immediately.