What is Cover Open for Mac? How does Cover Open for Mac work? How to remove Cover Open from your Mac?
Cover Open is an application for Mac, that is often mistaken with a app that is useful for your Mac. In reality, the program claims it can be beneficial for your Mac, but researchers believe that it can display some advertisements that often tend to lead to various third-party sites, some of which could be dangeorus. Read this article to understan more about how Cover Open works and how you can remove it fully from your Mac.
Threat Summary
| Name | Cover Open |
| Type | PUP for Mac OS |
| Short Description | A potentially unwanted program that may show advertisements or ask you to enroll in licenses. |
| Symptoms | Various types of ads may begin to appear on your Mac’s web browsers. |
| Distribution Method | Via bundling or by being downloaded from a site. |
| Detection Tool |
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Cover Open. |
Cover Open – Update October 2019
According to recent reports Cover Open has been detected to still be active on users Macs and to be widespread via the most often used means of replication. Cover Open can also be seen in new and different forms since its creators have attempted to update it in various different ways.
Cover Open – How Did I Get It and What Does It Do?
The Cover Open app may come on your computer by being advertised online as a legitimate app that can help with your Mac’s daily usage. It can also be shown as such somewhere in the install steps of another free Mac app you may have recently downloaded.
Once Cover Open is on your Mac, it may request various different permissions, especially over your web browser. These permissions can include:
- Read the data on the websites you visit.
- Change content on the sites you visit.
- Use cookies to track the sites you go to, the searches you make, your bookmarks and other activities.
These permissions may be used by Cover Open to dipslay various different types of advertisements. The ads that may be shown by Cover Open could be of the following types:
- Browser Redirects.
- Pop-ups.
- Online search result ads.
- Push notifications ads.
- Banners.
- Highlighted Text ads.
Most of the ads that may be shown on your computer as a result of Cover Open are not dangerous. But what makes Cover Open an indirect risk to your Mac is that some of the ads could eventually lead you to sites that are harmful or risky. Such sites can be:
- Phishing pages, that aim to steal you usernames and passwords.
- Scam sites that aim to get you to call fake tech support numbers or download rogue applications.
- Virus sites that could inject malicious scripts and infect your Mac with a virus.
These are some of the main reasons why Cover Open Mac app is considered by researchers a PUP (potentially unwanted program).
Remove Cover Open from Your Mac
If you want to get rid of Cover Open from your Mac, then we urge you to follow the removal steps down below. They have been created to help you delete the app step by step. Furthermore, be advised that apps, like Cover Open could eventually contain leftover files that may still remain on your Mac and keep showing ads or doing other stuff. This is why, to fully make sure that Cover Open and all of its risky files are gone from your Mac, we strongly recommend that you download a professional cleaner software for your Mac and run a scan with it, to delete all unwanted files and apps and secure it.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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Steps to Prepare Before Removal:
Before starting to follow the steps below, be advised that you should first do the following preparations:
- Backup your files in case the worst happens.
- Make sure to have a device with these instructions on standy.
- Arm yourself with patience.
- 1. Scan for Mac Malware
- 2. Uninstall Risky Apps
- 3. Clean Your Browsers
Step 1: Scan for and remove Cover Open files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Cover Open, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Quick and Easy Mac Malware Video Removal Guide
Bonus Step: How to Make Your Mac Run Faster?
Mac machines maintain probably the fastest operating system out there. Still, Macs do become slow and sluggish sometimes. The video guide below examines all of the possible problems that may lead to your Mac being slower than usual as well as all of the steps that can help you to speed up your Mac.
Step 2: Uninstall Cover Open and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:
3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to Cover Open:
4. Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.
5. In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to Cover Open. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.
6. Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference. Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to Cover Open. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
7. Remove any leftover files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove Cover Open via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
1. Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:
2. Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:
3. Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as Cover Open. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 3: Remove Cover Open – related extensions from Safari / Chrome / Firefox
Cover Open-FAQ
What is Cover Open on your Mac?
The Cover Open threat is probably a potentially unwanted app. There is also a chance it could be related to Mac malware. If so, such apps tend to slow your Mac down significantly and display advertisements. They could also use cookies and other trackers to obtain browsing information from the installed web browsers on your Mac.
Can Macs Get Viruses?
Yes. As much as any other device, Apple computers do get malware. Apple devices may not be a frequent target by malware authors, but rest assured that almost all of the Apple devices can become infected with a threat.
What Types of Mac Threats Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the types of threats that can currently infect your Mac can be rogue antivirus programs, adware or hijackers (PUPs), Trojan horses, ransomware and crypto-miner malware.
What To Do If I Have a Mac Virus, Like Cover Open?
Do not panic! You can easily get rid of most Mac threats by firstly isolating them and then removing them. One recommended way to do that is by using a reputable malware removal software that can take care of the removal automatically for you.
There are many Mac anti-malware apps out there that you can choose from. SpyHunter for Mac is one of the reccomended Mac anti-malware apps, that can scan for free and detect any viruses. This saves time for manual removal that you would otherwise have to do.
How to Secure My Data from Cover Open?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your e-mail passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activiites with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these reccomendations, your network and Apple devices will become significantly more safe against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
More tips you can find on our MacOS Virus section, where you can also ask any questions and comment about your Mac problems.
About the Cover Open Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Cover Open how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific macOS issue.
How did we conduct the research on Cover Open?
Please note that our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware definitions, including the various types of Mac threats, especially adware and potentially unwanted apps (PUAs).
Furthermore, the research behind the Cover Open threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by Mac malware, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.