Guide to Remove Searchmine.net Browser Redirect
Searchmine.net or Search Mine is a dubious application that has recently been reported to have impacted a large number of Mac OS users around the world.
This malicious search tool alters default browser settings of popular browsers such as Google Chrome, Safari & Mozilla Firefox without your consent. It further replaces the home-page & search engine for your default web-browsers to https://searchmine.net.
The prominent method of its propagation is Software Bundling, fake software updates, network file sharing & spam e-mail campaigns.
Threat Summary of Searchmine.net
| Name: | Searchmine.net |
| Type: | Browser Hijacker |
| Category: | Malware |
| Targeted Operating System: | Mac OS |
| Targeted Browsers: | Safari, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, |
Insight into the Threat Behavior of Searchmine.net
Search Mine or searchmine.net is a malicious search engine that asserts to provide better search results & quick access to various renowned websites such as Facebook, Twitter & YouTube. Please note that such claims are fake, as these are mere attempts take the users into thinking that they installing a legitimate & useful application.
However, this fraudulent application begins to show its true intentions as soon as you install it on your Mac. Cyber-security researchers have found that searchmine.net is a variant of other fake search engines such as weknow.com & chumsearch.com.
You will observe unauthorized modifications in the browser’s default settings such as home-page, search engine & new tab functionality & replaced with https://searchmine.net.
The new home-page will deteriorate your web browsing experience by causing unexpected redirects to malicious & malware-laden pages. These websites may display commercial content such as banners, hyperlinks, pop-ups, discount offers etc.
You will face difficulty in accessing other search providers & requisite information from this replaced home-page. All the web-searches will be redirected to search.yahoo.com result pages. You system may become extremely sluggish & you may observe bogus alerts, pop-ups & notifications appearing on your system over & over again.
The sole motive of hackers behind causing these redirects is to redirect online traffic to affiliated/sponsored websites & generate illicit revenue in return.
Considered as a Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP) by the cyber security analysts, Searchmine.net can impact all the popular browsers such as Safari, Google Chrome & Mozilla Firefox.
This devious search engine has the functionality of tracking & collecting your web-browsing activities, online preferences, location, technical details of the device like browser type, IP Address, OS Version, Bookmarks & Banking Credentials.
Distribution Techniques of Searchmine.net browser redirect-
The chief method of propagation of Searchmine.net Browser Redirect is Software Bundling (freeware or shareware).
Other common methods used by the hackers to spread the infection of Searchmine.net includes-
- Spam e-mail campaigns
- Accidental click on malware-laden banners, hyperlinks & pop-ups.
- By visiting rogue websites such as torrent sites or adult content sites.
- By Using infected external devices
How to Remove Searchmine.net browser redirect from your Mac system?
Step A: How to Remove SearchMine App from Mac
- Open “Finder” on Mac.
- Click on “Applications”.
- Find & remove the Search Mine App : The Applications Page will display a list of apps & software installed on your Mac. Find “Searchmine” from the list, right click over the app icon & then click on “Move to Trash” from the options.
- Click “Empty Trash”: Find “Trash” on the dock. Right click on the trash icon & select “Empty Trash” from the options. Emptying the trash deletes trash content & “Searchmine” that you just sent to trash.
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