This article presents information about AresLookup Mac app and provides a thorough removal guide for this adware.
AresLookup
AresLookup is a questionable application that is developed to affect Mac computers in order to generate revenue for its owners. The program belongs to the adware type of apps as its presence on an affected system is associated with the appearance of lots of annoying ads. However, it may also be designed to act like a browser hijacker that adjusts main browser preferences to push a hoax search engine. As a typical potentially unwanted program, AresLookup gets installed on the system without users’ knowledge. As long as this undesired program has access to your Mac and preferred web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) it is likely to be able to spy on your online activities and inundate the browser with intrusive online ads.
Threat Summary
| Name | AresLookup adware |
| Type | Adware, Browser Hijacker, PUP |
| Short Description | A deceptive program that creates new profiles on your Mac and affects installed browsers without your knowledge and permission. |
| Symptoms | Main browser preferences are altered without your knowledge. Increased number of online ads cause significant browser slowdowns. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages, Fake Flash Player Updates |
| Detection Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware Download Malware Removal Tool |
| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss AresLookup adware. |
AresLookup Adware
Security researchers define AresLookup Mac app as an adware. Adware is a type of program that affects specific system settings in order to gain access to some browser settings, alter them and become able to start delivering intrusive ads. The main purpose of AresLookup adware is to generate revenue for its developers. Hence, it may be delivering ads of all types, regardless of the security and the trustiness of the related websites.
So you should know that these ads pose a serious risk to your macOS security. Many cybercriminals inject their malicious code into online web pages and then set the pages to trigger an unnoticed download process the moment someone opens them on a web browser. So in the event that you happen to click an ad delivered by AresLookup and open such a compromised page in your browser, you could let a severe malware such as Trojan or ransomware run on your Mac.
The adware which may also act like a browser hijacker tends to affect popular web browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera and Safari. As a browser hijacker, AresLookup may alter some main browser settings preferences like those of the homepage, new tab page and default search engine. If this issue occurs, your browsing may be redirected to hoax search enignes or legitimate ones used by PUPs including Bing and Yahoo.
It is very likely that your affected browser will be flooded with numerous online ads as well. Since these ads could appear on every web page you visit, your browser may become slower than usual. Beware that the undesired program may be also configured to drop and install different tracking technologies to spy on your online behavior. It is typical for apps of this kind to collect data in order to enable their developers to set more accurately their shady advertising campaigns. The worst-case scenario is that they will release data records on dark web markets for additional money revenue.
Propagation of Ares Lookup Mac App
Typically, the spread of PUPs like Ares Lookup is realized via software bundles. Unfortunately, there are many free apps that feature potentially undesired extras in their installers. The tricky part is that you could easily miss noticing added extras as the installers are often designed to hide them in the Advanced/Custom configuration option. So a way to prevent your Mac from being affected by adware like Ares Lookup is practicing caution while installing new apps. Always read carefully all details in their installers and opt-out of the installation of any present unwanted additional apps.
How to Remove AresLookup Adware
In order to remove AresLookup adware along with all associated files, you should complete several removal steps. The guide below presents all the steps required for the removal of infections like AresLookup in an accurate order. If you want to make sure that no undesired and potentially harmful files are running on your system, we recommend that you combine manual and automatic steps. Have in mind that some of the installed files associated with AresLookup adware may have completely different names in order to remain hardly noticeable.
In case you have further questions or need additional help with the removal process, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or contact us at our email.
Gergana Ivanova
Gergana has a bachelor's degree in Marketing. She has been with the STF team for five years, researching malware, reporting on the latest computer infections, and following digital marketing trends.
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Preparation Phase:
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.
Step 1: Uninstall AresLookup adware 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:
- 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 AresLookup adware 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:
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 2: Remove AresLookup adware – related extensions from Safari / Chrome / Firefox
Remove an extension from Safari and reset it.
Remove a toolbar from Google Chrome
Remove a toolbar from Mozilla Firefox
Step 3: Scan for and remove AresLookup adware files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as AresLookup adware, 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.
