Any Search virus is a Mac browser hijacker that targets Safari, Chrome, and MozillaShort Threat SummaryYou can find this PUP in fake Adobe Flash update pop-ups or freeware bundlesLearn how to uninstall Any Search virus
The majority of people have reported that their computers got infected with this browser hijacker via fake Adobe Flash Player update pop-up or downloaded it in a freeware bundle. Once it enters the system, this potentially unwanted application starts manipulating the settings on the browser. Right after the infection, the affected browser is corrupted — this hijacker changes the primary search engine, and starts forcing users to use a fake one. The landing page to which users are redirected might differ. However, most people notice search.anysearch.net or search.anysearchmac.com set as their main search engines. Unfortunately, it is exceptionally hard to uninstall Any Search Manager from Safari, Google Chrome, or any other browser. Thus, people are forced to use a fake search engine. Additionally, it delivers skewed query results and redirects users to affiliate pages. Our Geek’s Advice team warns that pages where this browser hijacker leads you may offer low-quality products/services, try to lure you into a scam or even push malware infections. Therefore, keeping this PUP on your computer significantly increases the risk of other cyber threats appearing on your system. Keep in mind that the affected browser starts to crash from the amount of ads this browser hijacker delivers. You can experience slowdowns even in the short-run. Apart from that, the advertisements can carry a malicious code. It means that if you click on them, it may trigger an installation of malware. Furthermore, browser hijackers may raise privacy concerns as they collect every entry from the fake search engine. If you type personal information or credentials, the developers of the PUP gathers them and might share with third-parties. Likewise, our security professionals encourage you to get rid of this browser hijacker as soon as you notice its presence. You can learn how to remove Any Search Manager from Chrome, Safari, and Mozilla by following the instructions at the end of this article. Although, if you have tried to uninstall Any Search virus and it was unsuccessful, we recommend getting help from a professional malware removal software. Our top choice is INTEGO as it also offers real-time protection from future cyber attacks.
Short Threat Summary
You can find this PUP in fake Adobe Flash update pop-ups or freeware bundles
The main distribution source of potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) is either fraudulent Adobe Flash update pop-ups or freeware bundles. Both methods try to secretly infiltrate this browser hijacker by taking advantage of unsuspecting computer users. Similarly, you might get infected with weknow.ac virus or Tapufind. Those who report that they have been infected with this PUP claim that they were tricked — a very legitimate-looking pop-up claimed that they need to update their Adobe Flash Player. Unfortunately, this pop-up is fake and merely used to infiltrate browser hijackers, such as Any Search Virus. Other hijacker’s victims report that they have downloaded freeware and this PUP simply appeared on their computers right after. This distribution method is called bundling when the PUP is installed together with freeware at the same time. Usually, it happens when the person chooses express or automatic installation mode. These settings do not show pre-selected ticks that allow installing potentially unwanted programs together with the main software. Therefore, users should always choose manual or extended installation settings and search for any add-ons. Then de-select them and double-check your system with a professional antivirus. Additionally, refrain from clicking on any type of advertisements and never agree to update software online on unverified domains.
Learn how to uninstall Any Search virus
We are aware that people struggle to get rid of this browser hijacker as it is a persistent potentially unwanted program (PUP). For this reason, our Geek’s Advice team has developed an easy step-by-step guide how to remove Any Search virus from Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. You can find it right after this article. However, it is essential that you delete all hijacker-related components from your computer. Otherwise, the potentially unwanted program will reappear. Thus, follow each step thoroughly and double-check with an antivirus if possible. We suggest using a professional security software INTEGO. It offers real-time protection that is exceptionally useful in the future — helps you to avoid cyber threats in real time. You can either combine manual elimination instructions with an antivirus or use the malware removal application alone. After you perform Any Search virus removal, take the following precautionary measures to avoid further infections:
Get software only from official websites;Never click on any type of ads online;Do not use peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks;Have an active antivirus scanning your computer regularly.
INTEGO antivirus is one of the leading security products for Mac that includes VirusBarrier X9 and NetBarrier X9 features allowing detection of viruses, ransomware, adware, browser hijackers, Trojans, backdoors and other threats and blocks suspicious network connections. If any detections are found, the software will eliminate them. Learn more about the software’s features in its full review. GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more. To remove the unwanted program from your Mac, use these instructions below to uninstall associated applications from your Mac computer. Then scroll down for instructions how to clean each affected web browser individually. Remove Any Search virus from Safari Uninstall suspicious Safari extensions Change Safari Homepage and default search engine Remove push notifications on Safari Some suspicious websites can try to corrupt your Safari by asking to enable push notifications. If you have accidentally agreed, your browser will be flooded with various intrusive advertisements and pop-ups. You can get rid of them by following this quick guide: Reset Safari
Remove Any Search virus from Google Chrome Remove suspicious Chrome extensions Change Start Page settings Change default search settings Remove push notifications from Chrome If you want to get rid of the annoying ads and so-called push-notifications viruses, you must identify their components and clean your browser. You can easily remove ads from Chrome by following these steps: Reset Google Chrome browser
Remove Any Search virus from Mozilla Firefox Remove unwanted add-ons from Firefox Change Firefox Homepage Alter preferences in Firefox Remove annoying push notifications from Firefox Suspicious sites that ask to enable push notifications gain access to Mozilla’s settings and can deliver intrusive advertisements when browsing the Internet. Therefore, you should remove access to your browser by following these simple steps: Reset Mozilla Firefox Disclaimer. This site includes affiliate links. We may earn a small commission by recommending certain products, at no additional cost for you. We only choose quality software and services to recommend.
