UniversalWebSearch Malware - How to remove

UniversalWebSearch is Mac adware that tries to hijack people’s online traffic and make them go to certain sites and click on ads. UniversalWebSearch causes browser redirects, hijacked internet searches, app instability, and constant pop-ups. And removing UniversalWebSearch is not that easy, there are files that need to be deleted and settings that need to be reversed.

About UniversalWebSearch:

Type of threat	Adware, browser hijacker, trojan.
How UniversalWebSearch spreads	Promoted by fake software update sites, bundled with free apps.
Signs of an infection	Crashing apps, unstable internet, pop-ups, more apps being installed.
How to remove UniversalWebSearch	Remove malware with an anti-malware tool (Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes, etc.), delete malicious files, apps, browser extensions, and settings.

What is UniversalWebSearch

How UniversalWebSearch gets installed

UniversalWebSearch infiltrates Macs without asking for permission.

Sometimes, UniversalWebSearch gets offered to you by malicious ads. Some of these ads are designed to look like warnings about needed software updates. UniversalWebSearch (and other adware) gets disguised as an installer for Flash Player or some other trusted program. It’s a common trick that malware distributors use to infect computers.

UniversalWebSearch could also come bundled with some free apps that were downloaded off of unreliable websites. Always be careful where you get your apps from. And remember to scan each installer you download with an anti-malware tool before you run it.

Effects of the infection

When UniversalWebSearch gets installed, you may notice a few changes in your Mac:

• Pop-ups asking for you to let UniversalWebSearch get access to your network traffic. Whatever you click, the pop-ups don’t stop showing.
• Redirects in your web browser. Sites like Safe Finder hijacking your searches. Links being redirected and pop-up ads appearing.
• Online apps (email, browser) crashing and freezing.
• Unfamiliar apps (like GlobalToolboxSearch, CompleteReady, TechNetSearch, and others) being downloaded.

There are some hidden effects, as well. For example, the UniversalWebSearch browser extension has access to your data on all the sites that you visit. This means that it could collect a lot of data about your browsing habits. At worst, it could log your passwords, usernames, email addresses, and other private information.

How to remove UniversalWebSearch

Scan your Mac with an anti-malware app, such as Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes, or another. They can remove UniversalWebSearch for you. Although you can remove UniversalWebSearch manually without the help of any third-party apps, it’s still helpful to scan your Mac. Anti-malware apps can detect malware and malicious files that you might have missed, and they can also be used to double-check if you’re removed all the infections.

If you wish to manually remove UniversalWebSearch, there are a few things that need doing:

• start your Mac in safe mode,
• find and delete the files that UniversalWebSearch put in your Library folders,
• find and remove UniversalWebSearch’s configuration profiles, startup items, app, and browser extensions,
• restart your Mac.

Safe mode is a mode in which your Mac prevents third-party apps from running. It’s good for troubleshooting your Mac. Restart your Mac and while it’s booting up, hold the Shift button down until you see the Apple logo or the login screen. Safe mode is only active until the next time you shut down or reboot your Mac.

Open Finder, right-click its icon in the Dock and click on Go to Folder. Type in these folder names: Library/LaunchDaemons, /Library/LaunchAgents, ~/Library/LaunchAgents. Look in these folders for files with “UniversalWebSearch” in their names and delete them. Don’t delete the other files because they store some important settings for your other apps.

Open System Preferences and find Profiles, then remove (press the minus ‘-‘ button in the lower-left corner) the ones that have “UniversalWebSearch” in their names. A lot of Mac users normally have no profiles on their Mac, so don’t worry if you end up removing all of them.

Still in System Preferences, go to Users & Groups -> Login Items and remove anything suspicious. Also, go to Network -> Advanced -> Proxies and see if there’s anything unusual; some malicious apps configure network settings to use a SOCKS proxy and that can cause your internet connection to be unstable.

Finally, remove the UniversalWebSearch app from the Applications folder and check the below instructions for removing browser extensions.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to remove browser extensions

How to remove UniversalWebSearch 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 UniversalWebSearch 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 UniversalWebSearch 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 UniversalWebSearch Malware from Google Chrome on Mac:

• Open Chrome browser.
• Enter in the url field “chrome://extensions” address and hit Enter.
• Find UniversalWebSearch 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 UniversalWebSearch 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 UniversalWebSearch 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 UniversalWebSearch 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 UniversalWebSearch 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.