NetConnection mac virus (Free Guide)

What is NetConnection mac virus?

NetConnection infiltrates Mac machines by bypassing Apple's native security system

NetConnection can cause erratic browser behavior by adding a hijacker

NetConnection is a virus that specifically targets Mac users. It belongs to the Adload malware family which has adware^[1] and hijacking capabilities. When it infiltrates the device, users may start experiencing an increased amount of commercial content, like pop-ups, banners, and redirects. It can also change the main browser settings, like the homepage, new tab address, and search engine.

The Adload malware family

The Adload adware is undetectable by most security programs, including Apple's native security system XProtect.^[2] That is why most users do not notice the infection until it already starts performing unwanted tasks. People can find the main file of the virus in their “Applications” folder.

All the versions belonging to this family, usually have the same icon – a magnifying glass inside a green, teal, or grey circle. Even though most Mac users think that they cannot be infected, this has not been true for a long time now. This type of adware is much more aggressive than adware designed to infect Windows machines.

The aggressive adware infection installs a Man-in-The-Middle^[3] web proxy where the attacker can redirect the user’s web traffic through the attacker’s own preferred servers for monetary gain. The virus can also automatically install other PUPs (potentially unwanted programs),^[4] and malware without the users' knowledge.

The adware typically displays an authorization window that asks for an admin password. It uses the credentials to drop several files in the user and local computer domains. That is why it is able to install other programs in the background and is so good at evading detection.

NetConnection usually infects computers through fake Flash Player updates

Distribution methods

NetConnection and other Adload viruses like WireNavigate, CommonLocator, and ProcessorCactus are usually installed by users unknowingly. The virus is often disguised as something else. Crooks often use social engineering techniques to make it look like a software update. For example, even though Flash Player was discontinued in 2020 and replaced by HTML5,^[5] users still fall for prompts that say they need to update their Flash Player to access media content.

Another common way mac adware is spread is through “cracked” software^[6] distribution sites and torrent pages. Because page owners release applications for free, they need other ways to make money, including PUPs and malware in the installers. Because people usually rush through the process, they do not notice them.

The obvious thing to do would be to implement some security habits, to prevent this from happening again. And that would be not trusting external sources with updates. Always go to the official sources to find out if you really need an update. Do not fall for random pop-ups and redirects. You should also use only official app stores and developer sites to download software. It might get costly but you may save in the long run by keeping your system running smoothly.

Remove the NetConnection mac virus

Manual removal may be a race against time. With launch agents, daemons, and cronjobs, it can sometimes take several attempts to beat all of these before one of them manages to re-write deleted components back. You should not do this yourself unless you know what you are doing and what kind of files you need to delete. Some of the files can have a .plist extension, a standard settings' file, also known as a “properties file,” used by macOS applications. It contains properties and configuration settings for various programs. The app also uses different persistence techniques and drops many files across the system, complicating browser extension and application removal.

To keep your mind at peace, we recommend using professional anti-malware tools SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes, which can detect unwanted programs and eradicate them. You also do not know if the virus installed any additional malicious programs, so this is the safest way to ensure the system is clean.

If you still want to try and delete it manually, proceed with these steps:

• Open Applications folder
• Select Utilities
• Double-click Activity Monitor
• Here, look for suspicious processes related to adware and use Force Quit command to shut them down
• Go back to the Applications folder
• Find NetConnection in the list and move it to Trash

If you are unable to shut down the related processes or can't move the app to Trash, you should look for malicious profiles and login items:

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

There are likely to be more .plist files hiding in the following locations – delete them all:

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

The manual elimination process might not always result in total virus removal. Therefore, we still strongly suggest you perform a scan with security software.

Remove the browser extension added by adware

An extension to your browser is also added by NetConnection that starts performing all sorts of unwanted tasks. It possibly collects sensitive data and sends it to tracking servers. Some of the data that could be exposed is – IP address, user name, macOS version, browser versions, computer ID, items in the “Applications” folder, a list of agents, daemons, and system configuration profiles.

It would help if you removed the add-on as soon as possible after the dangerous files are eliminated from your system. You can delete cookies and cache automatically with the help of FortectIntego. It will also fix any damaged files and system errors, so you should notice an improvement in the machine's performance.

If you prefer doing this yourself without additional help, here are the instructions. You will find guides for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox at the bottom of this article:

1. Click Safari > Preferences…
2. In the new window, pick Extensions.
3. Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.

Cookies and website data:

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

The simplest and quickest solution to this is completely resetting Safari:

• Click Safari > Preferences…
• Go to Advanced tab.
• Tick the Show Develop menu in the menu bar.
• From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.