StockCommon Mac Malware - How to remove

StockCommon is a malicious app that infects Macs through malicious ads and deceptive applications. StockCommon changes browser settings and causes redirects and pop-up ads. In addition, StockCommon can slow down your Mac and cause certain apps to crash regularly. To remove the StockCommon adware, you can use anti-malware apps or manually delete harmful files and settings.

In short about StockCommon:

Type of threat	Adware.
How StockCommon can affect your Mac	Change browser behavior (causing pop-up ads and redirects), crash and freeze apps, mess with the internet connection.
How adware gets installed	Downloaded with suspicious apps, Promoted by deceptive advertisements.
How to remove StockCommon	Remove it with an anti-malware app (Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes, others), delete related files, settings, apps, browser extensions.

StockCommon Mac malware

StockCommon is a malicious app that has a bunch of unwanted effects on your Mac:

• sluggish computer, beachballing, hanging and freezing apps,
• app crashes, especially of online apps, such as the email application,
• unstable internet connection,
• browser pop-ups and redirects, changed new tab page, changed search result page,
• unfamiliar apps getting installed without your permission.

StockCommon’s goal is to change how you access the internet. It promotes clickbait sites, redirects links, tries to show you more ads, and to get you to boost the traffic of sites associated with StockCommon’s creators. StockCommon can also log your browsing activities, which can be used to help advertisers target ads to your interests.

In addition, StockCommon changes some settings on your Mac. One of the effects of this is StockCommon being reinstalled after you remove it.

StockCommon is part of a big Mac adware family and it’s similar to SimpleGuideSearch, ProcessSign, EssentialPanel, SearchExplore, CoordinatorMedia, and many other apps.

How adware spreads

StockCommon gets downloaded and installed accidentally by its victims. Some of the ways that StockCommon can be downloaded:

• in fake software updates, especially with fake Flash Player apps,
• bundled with deceptive apps, especially various Mac cleaners,
• installed by adware that was already on your device.

Deceptive pop-up ads might often take you to a malicious site that’s offering adware installers. So, visiting sites that show such ads can expose you to malware more often. Such sites might be free video streaming sites, filesharing sites, and even normal sites that got infected with malicious code.

People allow StockCommon to be installed because they don’t even know what is being installed. They believe that the app is safe or even that it’s helpful.

If they had an anti-malware app watching the sites they visit, it could have blocked malicious websites from loading. It could have also detected StockCommon as adware, as it is detected by a few security programs (VirusTotal link), but yet not as much as some related infections, such as ProcessSign (21/64 detections) or ProductTask (24/64 detections).

How to remove StockCommon

StockCommon can be removed if you find and delete the files and settings associated with it. You can do this manually or you can use an anti-malware app, such as Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.

Start your Mac in safe mode. While the Mac is turning on/rebooting, hold the Shift key down until you see the login screen. Safe mode will StockCommon from running, as well as other 3rd party programs. Your anti-malware app might also ask you to enter safe mode.

If you decide to remove StockCommon manually instead of having your anti-malware do it, open System Preferences. There, look for an icon called Profiles. Open profiles and remove all the ones that you are unfamiliar with (which might be all of them). Profiles are used to enforce some settings on a computer, often by a school or an organization. However, profiles are also often abused by malware. To remove a profile, select it and click the minus ‘-‘ button at the bottom.

Open Finder and search for “StockCommon” and similarly named files. Or open the Go to Folder dialog from Finder’s Go menu and type in the folder names “/Library/LaunchAgents”, “/Library/LaunchDaemons”, and “~/Library/LaunchAgents”, then search them for suspicious files. Remember – those folders hold the settings of many legitimate apps, so make backups before deleting files.

Uninstalling StockCommon might not work but you can drag it to Trash. If you deleted all of StockCommon’s files and settings, it should stay deleted. You can also remove the StockCommon extensions from your browsers (instructions are below).

To exit safe mode, reboot your Mac.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Remove malicious browser extensions

How to remove StockCommon Mac Malware from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall StockCommon Mac Malware and other suspicious extensions.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences and choose General tab. Enter preferable URL to the homepage field.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings(older versions) If you are still experiencing any issues related to StockCommon Mac Malware, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Reset Safari…
  
• Select which options you want to reset (usually all of them come preselected) and click on the Reset button.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

TopHow to remove StockCommon Mac Malware from Google Chrome on Mac:

• Open Chrome browser.
• Enter in the url field “chrome://extensions” address and hit Enter.
• Find StockCommon Mac Malware on the extensions list and click on the recycle bin icon next to it.
• Click on 'Chrome' button at the top left corner. Select 'Preferences' on a drop-down menu box.
• Find 'Search' options on Settings tab. If your search engine is changed, click 'Manage Search Engines' and set your preferred search engine.
• On the same page find 'Show home button' checkbox and change your homepage.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to StockCommon Mac Malware, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• On the 'Preferences' menu window, scroll down to the bottom and find 'Reset settings' button. Click it.
• Confirm your selection and click 'Reset' on the following window.

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program. Top

How To remove StockCommon Mac Malware from Firefox on Mac OS:

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (Or press cmd+Shift+A on your keyboard).
• Go through Extensions list, remove everything StockCommon Mac Malware related and items you do not recognise. If you do not know the extension and it is not made by Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Oracle or Adobe then you probably do not need it.
• Enter “about:preferences” in URL bar and hit enter.
• Open Search settings tab.
• If your search engine is changed, click 'Default Search Engines' and set your preferred search engine.
• If your homepage was changed, click on the Firefox menu in the top right corner, select Preferences-> General. Enter a preferable URL to the home page field.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to StockCommon Mac Malware, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla Firefox window. Click on the Help button.
• Choose Troubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
• Click on the Refresh Firefox button.
• Click on the Refresh Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.

If the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program to identify malicious entries.