This article will help you to remove 0fficial.info redirect efficiently. Follow the redirect removal instructions given at the end of the article.
0fficial.info appears in your browser in the form of an unexpected redirect. After it loads, it tries to scare you into following bogus instructions pretending to be the remedy for malware supposedly detected on your computer. This is yet another charade that tries to get to your sensitive information, get your authorization for access to your device and try to make you to purchase a rogue software. Read on and see what your computer system might have that pushes this redirect in your browser and what to do to counter it.
Threat Summary
| Name | 0fficial.info |
| Type | Redirect, PUP, Browser Hijacker |
| Short Description | Each browser application on your Mac could get affected. You will be redirected and see lots of advertisements. |
| Symptoms | Browser settings which are altered are the homepage and new tab. A rogue application’s ads will appear in your browser. |
| Removal Time | 5 minutes |
| Removal Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
Download
Malware Removal Tool
|
0fficial.info Redirect – Delivery Ways
0fficial.info might be delivered through different ways. One of those ways is through third-party installations. Those installer setups come from bundled applications and freeware that could be set to install additional content by default on your computer system. Usually, that could happen without any notification. You might have tried installing a media player or free software and got your browser settings modified by the hijacker. To avoid unwanted programs from affecting your computer is doable if you find Custom or Advanced settings. There you should be able to deselect what you don’t want.
Other distribution ways use advertisements, such as banners, pop-ups, pop-unders, and redirect links. Sponsored advertisements, including targeted content on suspicious websites could distribute the hijacker, too. These websites might also be partners or affiliates of the 0fficial.info website and services. These browsers could be affected: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari.
0fficial.info Redirect – In Detail
0fficial.info appears in your browser in the form of an unexpected redirect. After it loads, it tries to scare you into following bogus instructions pretending to be the remedy for malware supposedly detected on your computer system. The website is making redirects and landing Mac users on different pages when they are trying to use their browser. Your search results might also be tampered with. Various advertisements will show up after using your browsers. A technical support scam might be involved as well, trying to install some tool, that supposedly will remove malware from your MAC.
0fficial.info will show up in your browsers starting pages immediately after you have the related malicious redirect. That can happen via installing an unwanted software bundle. The bundle will most likely contain some “mac virus scanner” and 0fficial.info as a redirect.
All of these technical support scams are shown with pop-ups as alerts and are trying to scare you into calling the phone number given on the page. To make it sound more trustworthy, the scammers have put the Apple name as the supposed entity which has blocked the page or browser.
There could be plenty more phone numbers associated with this scam, depending on the URL addresses and landing pages involved. The criminals that are on the other end of the telephone line will try to trick you into believing that they are part of some sort of an official tech support team of Apple and say they are employees there. That is definitely a lie.
The pop-ups on the page state the following:
Your system is seriously damaged, found (4) viruses!
We discovered that Your Mac OS is damaged on 37,2% and contains (4) viruses.
If you will not delete viruses right now, then it can result in the damage of system files, data, appendixes and etc.
You need to do (step by step):
Step 1: Push the button Download and get free antivirus app.
Step 2: Download MacCleaner and recover Your system!
You can also see how it looks like from the following picture:
The 0fficial.info browser hijacker will redirect you if you use its services and interact with Web links, advertisements and other content from its search pages.
Mac systems have other, similar threats that are circling the Web:
Be aware that each search that you do on its pages will be sending information to servers connected to this 0fficial.info redirect. The pages displayed in an image further below can replace the homepage, new tab and default search of every browser that you have installed.
CleanupMyMac PUP may show a reasonably convincing, but fake variant of the normal OS X dialog message box which says that no suitable app is installed. Such programs usually have a valid, Apple-provided developer certificate, thus macOS will install them without prompting a warning or a notification of any sort.
Refrain from clicking on suspicious advertisements and links that can pop up. You should also be wary of what information you give out to search engines and websites. In case you do not like the idea of any information to be acquired about you by this browser hijacker redirect or its services, you should consider removing it.
Remove 0fficial.info Redirect
To remove 0fficial.info redirect manually from your computer or any unwanted software from your Mac device we recommend that you use a specific anti-malware for Mac machines. The main goal of such a program is to scan your machine and terminate the files with malicious behavior and also clean up any malicious code in your repositories. In addition, with a specific anti-malware program, your machine will remain with a better protection and stay healthy performance-wise in the future.
Tsetso Mihailov
Tsetso Mihailov is a tech-geek and loves everything that is tech-related, while observing the latest news surrounding technologies. He has worked in IT before, as a system administrator and a computer repair technician. Dealing with malware since his teens, he is determined to spread word about the latest threats revolving around computer security.
Follow Me:
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 0fficial.info files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as 0fficial.info, 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 0fficial.info 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 0fficial.info:
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 0fficial.info. 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 0fficial.info. 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 0fficial.info 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 0fficial.info. 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 0fficial.info – related extensions from Safari / Chrome / Firefox
0fficial.info-FAQ
What is 0fficial.info on your Mac?
The 0fficial.info 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 0fficial.info?
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 0fficial.info?
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 0fficial.info Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this 0fficial.info 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 0fficial.info?
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 0fficial.info threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by Mac malware, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.