Remove NTAppHelper (Virus Removal Guide)

NTAppHelper – a Mac virus with plenty of of malicious features

NTAppHelper virus

NTAppHelper is a LaunchAgent element related to the Tracker Package app installed on your Mac. When this potentially unwanted program^[1] (PUP) is on your device, it may change your homepage and new tab address to search.searchtp.com, trackerpackage1tab.com, or another suspicious URL – these are very common symptoms of a browser hijacking, which can occur on Safari, Google Chrome, or another web browser.

Moreover, users have reported about the NTAppHelper virus asking to grant it access to log keystrokes from any applications. You should never grant such privileges to any app of such type as it could record your private details, banking credentials, passwords, etc., and send this information to unknown parties (potentially, cybercriminals).

Cyber infections that try to steal your info through keystroke recording are called keyloggers^[2] and are extremely dangerous. Thus please don't download the Tracker Package virus as it can endanger both you and your device. If you already did, read this article to find out how to get rid of it and restore your system to a pre-contamination phase.

name	NTAppHelper
Type	PUP, keylogger, Mac virus
Associated app	Tracker Package
Promoted fake search site	search.searchtp.com (may vary)
Symptoms	An unknown website opens each time you log in to your Mac, slower device performance, error messages
Risks	Shady search sites are capable of recording your browsing-related data and inject ads into search results. Keyloggers can lead to financial losses, privacy issues, identity theft
Distribution	Software bundles, deceptive ads
Removal	If you see any symptoms of an infection, scan your Mac with a trustworthy anti-malware tool immediately to remove it
System health fix	PUPs and viruses leave a lot of residual files and entries that AV tools can remove. Use the time-proven Fortect Intego software to resolve any issues concerning your Mac

As we've mentioned before, the first thing that stands out when you have Tracker Package virus installed on your Mac is that each time you log in, a page with search.searchtp.com is displayed. It's a fake search site that redirects users to legitimate search engines like Yahoo, Bing, or others.

But by doing so, NTAppHelper can do two things – gather your browsing habits (search inquiries, IP addresses, geolocations, used apps, device/browser info, etc.) and show ads in search results. Advertisers use the collected data to customize ads specifically for you, making them irresistible.

While shown Tracker Package ads can redirect you to websites that you wouldn't normally visit. Usually, the deceptive ads have nothing in common with the sites you will be redirected to. Thus an ad for an amazing deal on a new TV might redirect you to pages with:

gambling,
malware,
PUPs,
porn,
various scams, etc.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Users who had NTAppHelper installed on their Macs have reported a message that asked to grant access to receive keystrokes from any applications. The whole prompt read:

Keystroke Receiving

“NTAppHelper” would like to receive keystrokes from any applications.

Grant access to this application in Security & Privacy preferences, located in System Preferences.

Allowing such privileges to NTAppHelper virus might pose a myriad of dangers to you. It could record all your login details for social media platforms, emails, banks, etc. This information could be used to empty your bank accounts or take over any of your accounts online.

NTAppHelper PUP

Therefore you shouldn't wait for another second before scanning your Mac with dependable anti-malware software if you believe that this app is installed on it. You can remove NTAppHelper by downloading free apps like SpyHunter Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes Malwarebytes and performing a full system scan. You can also opt for the manual elimination steps we provide below, although keep in mind that it may not be as effective. In some cases, a browser reset can do the trick.

Then, cybersecurity experts from Uirusu.jp^[3] highly recommend using one more tool to finish NTAppHelper removal. It's the time-proven Fortect Intego system optimizer that has been on the market for ages. This app will completely eliminate any traces of the infection from your Mac.

Please don't install Flash Player updates as the service is discontinued

For a long time, Macs were impenetrable, meaning there were very few potentially dangerous apps floating around the web that were targeting these platforms. But since the brand got more and more popular, cybercriminals saw an opportunity to make some cash off of Apple device users. Although Mac viruses aren't as pervasive as those developed for Windows platforms, they can still pose dangers.

Thus Mac users should be careful while visiting shady websites, where most infections lurk. Our research has determined that a big part of Mac malware is traveling with fake Flash Player updates. Since that software is discontinued, all prompts suggesting that you need to update it are either PUPs or malware. Please don't ever click on any of such deceptive ads.

NTAppHelper PUA

Remove NTAppHelper virus by scanning your Mac with a reliable anti-malware tool

NTAppHelper virus is a malicious program with many hazardous functions, with keylogging being one of the harshest ones. The app responsible for this virus is the Tracker Package, which is falsely advertised as a useful tool that will make package tracking easier.

Trustworthy anti-malware software is a must these days, even for Mac users. A proper security tool will prevent you from visiting dangerous websites, block malware, and will also be needed to remove NTAppHelper. All you have to do is perform a full system scan and let the AV tool do the rest.

To finish NTAppHelper removal, you must clear the web browser which settings were changed by the unwanted apps. Keep in mind that suspicious Profiles and other elements could be present on your device, so we recommend you check the below instructions carefully for full extermination of malware on your Mac.

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:

Select Go > Go to Folder.
Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
Select Add-ons.
In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.

Reset the homepage:

Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
Choose Settings.
Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

Click Menu and pick Settings.
Go to Privacy & Security section.
Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
Click on Clear Data...
Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

Click on Menu and pick Settings.
Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
Click Clear data.

Change your homepage:

Click menu and choose Settings.
Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

Click on Menu and select Settings.
In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
Confirm with Reset settings.

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.

Clear history and website data:

Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.

Reset Safari:

Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.

How to remove NTAppHelper

NTAppHelper – a Mac virus with plenty of of malicious features

Please don't install Flash Player updates as the service is discontinued