Only-Search.com Hijacker Removal
Be careful when you scour the internet in search of your next download.
The growing ubiquity of Macs across the globe raises the platform’s desirability to hackers. Basically hackers are as calculative as the next guy or girl; they too want maximum impact in return for their efforts.
These days there is an uneasy growing trend of hacks targeted at iOS and browser platforms.
The only-search.com hijacker is the latest malware that usually injects itself into your system via a download. It can masquerade as a media download, e.g. a song or movie you’re after and upon downloading it instead of the regular media file formats you’re accustomed to seeing, it instead shows up on your system as a .dmg file.
“Yeah… sure. Why not? Maybe its an app that allows me to connect to the download site to get my song or movie?”, is usually the thought process accompanying the sight of the .dmg in your system. You launch it.
Now, your Safari keeps redirecting to www.only-search.com and is annoying the bejesus out of you.
Removing only-search.com From Safari
The only-search.com is not really a virus but a hijacker that injects itself into your Safari as a Safari extension.
- Go to Safari Preferences > Extensions
- If you previously had no extensions then the only one appearing is the hijacker; turn off this extension;
- If you had a few extensions all this while then turn off each extension and test Safari, repeating until you find which extension is causing the re-direct
- Download AdwareMedic
- Install and launch, click the Scan for Adware button which will detect and remove the adware
- Quit AdwareMedic from your OS X menubar
- Go to Safari Preferences > Privacy
- Click Remove All Website Data…
- Quit and relaunch Safari
