This article has been created to help you remove the CastVPN adware from your computer and show how you can stop advertisements from CastVPN in the future as well.
A new unwanted program, known as CastVPN has been reported to act as a VPN program but also come with extra “features” that are unwanted. One of those features is to display various types of advertisements on the victim’s computer. The CastVPN program may also use information that is gathered from the user PC with the main purpose of getting users to download and install a lot of different tools that may also modify the settings of the web browser of the victim as well as change home page, start page and other details. If you want to remove CastVPN completely from your computer, we advise that you read this article thoroughly.
Threat Summary
| Name | CastVPN |
| Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, PUP |
| Short Description | A website with questionable search enigne that replaces browser homepage, new tab page and default search engine without your permission. |
| Symptoms | The homepage, new tab page and search enigne in preferred web browser are set to redirect to the main page of Search.searchm3p.com deceptive website. Browser slowdowns may occur due to increased number of online ads. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages |
| Detection Tool |
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Malware Removal Tool
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss CastVPN. |
CastVPN Adware – Distribution
For the CastVPN adware to be replicated on the computers of users, the program may be falsely advertised on their official web page as a service that will ensure a “Fast & secure web browsing with our community free VPN”. But what is interesting is that CastVPN is not available on their official site, where it is advertised as a helpful tool that aims to grant you access to streaming websites, anonymize you and access border-restricted sites.
This may leave only one method via which the CastVPN software is spread and this method is known as software bundling. Via this strategy the creators of CastVPN aim to slither the program onto the computers of users as a result of embedding it in the form of a free extra to the installers of other free programs widely available online. Such programs often are your favorite media player, torrent downloading software and any other program that you may have sought after.
CastVPN Software – Activity
Once the CastVPN software has been installed on your computer it may set scheduled tasks and heavily modify the Windows Registry Editor so that it starts processes automatically alongside Windows login. The bad news here is that once installed, the developers of CastVPN claim that the software may obtain different information from victim computer. According to their privacy policy, this information is:
- Sites you have visited.
- Home Page
- Searches you’ve made.
- IP and Network information.
- What browser is installed.
- Your OS type and version.
- Location, Language and regional information.
- Information you have entered on the sites you visit.
- Your online clicks and searches.
- Information you may have typed and unsecured (Personal Information).
According to their privacy policy, the CastVPN team has basically explained how they may collect any personal information:
The Personal Information we collect and retain include your IP address, your name and email address, identifying documents (driver license/ID/passport), office/home address, screen name, payment and billing information or other information we may ask from time to time as will be required for the on-boarding process and services provisioning.
Furthermore, in the privacy policy, the company also states that they may disclose this personal information under some specific circumstances and more importantly that they do not guarantee that these details are safe.
The main purpose of CastVPN however may seem to be to change the web page of your web browser with what appears to be it’s search engine, looking like the image below shows:
The main purpose of the program is to display different types of advertisements on the computers the software has been installed on. These ads may be of the following types:
- Pop-ups.
- Banners.
- Browser redirects.
- Highlighted text.
- Ad-supported search results.
The main idea behind CastVPN is to get users to open the advertisements that are displayed by it. These ads may be conducted with the main purpose of generating funds via pay-per-click schemes as well as other types of redirects. The bad news here is that since CastVPN cannot guarantee that the ads that may be shown may lead to safe sites, although they do state that they refrain from such websites, the program may be indirectly dangerous to your computer by redirecting you to malicious or scamming sites that may either steal your information via pretending to be legitimate or worse – infect your PC with malicious software.
How to Remove CastVPN Redirect
If you want to remove CastVPN from your computer, we recommend that you follow the removal instructions underneath this article. They have been created to help you fully remove CastVPN either manually or automatically. If manual removal does not seem to help you keep seeing ads on your computer, be advised that experts strongly advise to follow the automatic removal instructions underneath. They include the usage of an advanced anti-malware software capable of fully removing all CastVPN-related files and objects from your computer while in the same time ensuring that it stays protected against future intrusive software as well.
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.
Follow Me:
- Windows
- Mac OS X
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
- Internet Explorer
- Stop Push Pop-ups
How to Remove CastVPN from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for CastVPN with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall CastVPN and related software from Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 4: Clean Any registries, Created by CastVPN on Your PC.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by CastVPN there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.
Video Removal Guide for CastVPN (Windows).
Get rid of CastVPN from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall CastVPN and remove related files and objects
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 CastVPN. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
- 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 CastVPN 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: Scan for and remove CastVPN files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as CastVPN, 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.
Video Removal Guide for CastVPN (Mac)
Remove CastVPN from Google Chrome.
Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu
Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"
Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Erase CastVPN from Mozilla Firefox.
Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window:
Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.
Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Uninstall CastVPN from Microsoft Edge.
Step 1: Start Edge browser.
Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".
Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Remove CastVPN from Safari
Step 1: Start the Safari app.
Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.
Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".
Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.
Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.
Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the CastVPN will be removed.
Eliminate CastVPN from Internet Explorer.
Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'
Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.
Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.
Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.
Remove Push Notifications from Your Browsers
Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome
To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.
Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:
Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:
Step 4: Open “Notifications”:
Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:
Remove Push Notifications on Firefox
Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.
Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":
Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”
Stop Push Notifications on Opera
Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.
Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.
Step 3: Open Notifications:
Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):
Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari
Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.
Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".
CastVPN-FAQ
What Is CastVPN?
The CastVPN threat is adware or browser redirect virus.
It may slow your computer down significantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.
What Are the Symptoms of CastVPN?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and have poor performance in general.
Symptom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.
Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.
Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.
Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts recommend that you check your computer for viruses.
What Types of Unwanted Programs Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your Mac can be the following types:
- Rogue Antivirus programs.
- Adware.
- Browser hijackers.
- Clickers.
- Fake optimizers.
What to Do If I Have a "virus" like CastVPN?
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 email 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 activities 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 recommendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
How Does CastVPN Work?
Once installed, CastVPN can collect data about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. This data is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.
CastVPN can also download other malicious software onto your computer, such as viruses and spyware, which can be used to steal your personal information and show risky ads, that may redirect to virus sites or scams.
Is CastVPN Malware?
The truth is that PUPs (adware, browser hijackers) are not viruses, but may be just as dangerous since they may show you and redirect you to malware websites and scam pages.
Many security experts classify potentially unwanted programs as malware. This is because of the unwanted effects that PUPs can cause, such as displaying intrusive ads and collecting user data without the user’s knowledge or consent.
About the CastVPN Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this CastVPN how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.
How did we conduct the research on CastVPN?
Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the CastVPN threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.