Moon Browser Mac virus (Free Guide)

Moon Browser Mac virus Removal Guide

What is Moon Browser Mac virus?

Moon Browser is a potentially unwanted application that inserts ads into your searches

Moon BrowserMoon Browser is a potentially unwanted application that changes your search provider

Moon Browser is a Chromium-based web browser targeted toward Mac users. While it may seem like your ordinary application, it is classified as potentially unwanted software that displays ads, otherwise known as adware. The application might be installed intentionally by users, although some might find it installed on their devices one day unexpectedly – this usually happens when it is downloaded along with freeware from third-party sources or due to deceptive advertisements.

Once installed, Moon Browser would set itself as your default app for opening all links you click elsewhere, with the homepage and new tab address set to feed.moonbrowser.com. The change from the default provider is not only visual, as the results would always be displayed through search.yahoo.com, which changes the which websites users access due to alternative results produced.

By using feed.moonbrowser.com, you are also more likely to encounter sponsored links and ads at the top of the results every time you search the web. This could expose you to extra risks of installing other potentially unwanted software or encountering potentially dangerous websites. Likewise, the overall number of ads might be increased.

Name Moon Browser
Type Adware, potentially unwanted program
Alleged functionality Alternative browser for Mac
Distribution Software bundles, third-party websites, deceptive ads
Symptoms Installed unknown browser extension or application; intrusive deals, coupons, discounts, offers, and other advertisements; possible homepage and new tab address changes; redirects to ad-filled, scam, phishing, and other dangerous websites
Dangers Redirects to malicious websites can result in unwanted site notifications, personal information disclosure to unknown parties (cybercriminals), monetary losses, installation of other potentially unwanted programs/malware
Removal You can employ powerful security software to check your system for infections, for example, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner. The manual PUA uninstall guide is also available below
Other tips Malware or adware infections can diminish the performance of your computer or cause serious stability issues. Use FortectIntego to remediate your device and fix virus damage with it

What is a Moon Browser

There are plenty of browsers available for users to choose from, and not everyone likes the most popular choices out there, so it is understandable that some people might go for alternatives. Chromium is an open-source code project that the Chrome browser is based on – even Microsoft switched to it, making it the most reliable and secure Microsoft browser so far. Unfortunately, the code can be picked up by anyone and converted into whatever it's desired to be.

So, what makes Moon Browser an undesired application for web browsing? We have already talked about the Chromium virus and many of its variants – Chroomium browser, Citrio Browser, eFast virus, for example. While these examples couldn't be classified as malicious per se, they do force presets that might not necessarily be positive – they often change the primary search provider and change search results, filling them with annoying ads. In this case, the provider would be swapped to Yahoo.

Advertisements provided by potentially unwanted applications should not be trusted, as they tend to expose users to inaccurate or even insecure websites. This way, people might be tricked into installing other PUAs or subscribing to deceptive services and encountering scams or phishing websites.

Moon Browser virusMoon Browser inserts ads into your searches

Distribution and avoidance

As mentioned, some users might install the app when looking for an alternative browser. However, alternative software is not always a better choice, as it can come with unwanted ads, redirects, and data tracking activities that are not beneficial for the user. Thus, we recommend reading reviews about apps you have little knowledge of before installing them, especially if they come from freeware[1] distribution websites.

Third-party sources can also be a result of unintentional software installation – users often claim that they never installed the app themselves, and it suddenly appeared on their devices one day. This is not entirely possible, as users' actions always cause these issues. In this case, it is the careless installation of freeware.

If you install software from unofficial sources, make sure you always read the installation instructions and never rush through the steps. Always choose Advanced/Custom settings instead of Recommended/Quick when possible, and watch out for other tricks – pre-ticked checkmarks, misplaced buttons, fine print, etc.

Removal of the unwanted app

Evidently, we recommend you remove the Moon Browser, as it is classified as adware[2] by security experts[3] – its unwanted ads and redirects will not stop bothering you until you do so. This application can be easily removed automatically with the help of SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes anti-malware, although we still recommend cleaning web browser caches as explained below.

Before you get rid of the app, we recommend first turning off the running processes so that there will be no interferences. Then moving the main app into Trash is the first step to a clean system:

  • Open Applications folder
  • Select Utilities
  • Double-click Activity Monitor
  • Here, look for suspicious processes and use the Force Quit command to shut them down
  • Go back to the Applications folder
  • Find the malicious entry and place it in Trash.

Once you have finished with the removal of the main application, you have to find and delete leftover files, or adware might return in the future.

  • Select Go > Go to Folder.
  • Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
  • In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
  • Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.Uninstall from Mac 2

You should also check whether new login items or profiles were created by adware. Follow these steps:

  • Go to Preferences and pick Accounts
  • Click Login items and delete everything suspicious
  • Next, pick System Preferences > Users & Groups
  • Find Profiles and remove unwanted profiles from the list.

Finally, you should clean your installed web browser, which would prevent further information tracking – cookies, caches ad other web data should be deleted at once. We recommend using FortectIntego for the job, although you can also use the manual instructions below.

Safari

  1. Click Safari > Clear History…
  2. From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
  3. Confirm with Clear History.Clear cookies and website data from Safari

Google Chrome

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Click Menu and pick Options.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data…
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox
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What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Fortect, try running SpyHunter 5.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.

How to prevent from getting adware

Protect your privacy – employ a VPN

There are several ways how to make your online time more private – you can access an incognito tab. However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of Private Internet Access VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise. Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and Private Internet Access VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals. 

No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool

If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers – human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence. In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.

If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. Data Recovery Pro is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market – it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.

About the author
Jake Doevan
Jake Doevan - Computer technology expert

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