Search Marquis virus keeps redirecting Mac users
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Search Marquis virus (alternatively known as Searchmarquis.com redirect) is a persistent Mac browser hijacker. This application is known to be hard-to-remove for a regular PC user. The main goal of this potentially unwanted application (PUA) is promote Bing.com search engine on Mac Safari, with series of intermediate redirects through suspicious domains like Search Baron (searchbaron.com). This Mac threat can affect Safari, Chrome, and even Firefox browsers. Once installed, the virus will modify browser’s homepage, default search engine, new tab page, DNS server settings and even add fake configuration profile to System Preferences to make it even more difficult for the user to remove it.
The whole point of this browser hijacker’s setup is to force the victim to use suggested search engine and collect browsing-related data, therefore some users refer to this annoyance as Bing.com redirect virus.
How this Mac virus operates: easy explanation
Once installed, SearchMarquis.com will be set as default homepage, new tab page and default search domain in Safari, Chrome, Firefox browsers, making it nearly impossible to avoid. Any search queries entered into the said search tool will cause several redirects until a final landing page – Bing search results – will be presented. These intermediate redirects address ad networks, thus generating fake visits, and generating money for the developers of this hijacker. Some domains known to be added to the redirect loop are listed below. Keep in mind that some of them might be expired at the time you’re reading this article.
- api.lisumanagerine.club;
- searchnewworld.com;
- mybrowser-search.com;
- searchbaron.com;
- api.lisumanagerine.club;
- search.surfharvest.xyz;
- searchsnow.com and others.
After a set of redirects that are hardly noticeable for the user (they can be tracked with a special redirect-tracking plugin), the Search Marquis virus finally routes the victim to Bing search engine.
Remove using INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Mac (includes scanning for iOS devices). The one-of-a-kind security suite provides VirusBarrier X9 real-time protection against Mac and Windows-based malware, removes existing threats and scans for malware in popular e-mail clients. Includes NetBarrier X9, an intelligent firewall for home, work and public connections.
Mac says you’re low on memory? It can be a sign of another infection
Once infected with this persistent browser hijacker, your Mac might start displaying warnings saying “Your computer is low on memory,” even if your available RAM is way bigger than what’s required for currently running programs. It can be a sign of Mac Cleanup Pro presence, which is a fake cleaning utility that typically spreads along Search Marquis.
Therefore, as you can see, installing such a software bundle brings quite a headache for the user, as these programs will definitely make the whole web browsing experience a nightmare. Not only the user finds no way to escape the persistent browser redirect issue, the faux optimization tool will keep urging to purchase its full version to fix false-positive issue reports.
Geek’s Advice team warns that using the browser affected by Searchmarquis.com can put your privacy at risk since this PUP collects various information on its targets. Most commonly, it tracks users’ geolocation, IP addresses, and the general information that users put into the search bar.
Unfortunately, many people enter private details when performing a query and it is also stored on a remote network. The developers of the hijacker have access to the gathered data and might share it with third parties or use it for customized advertising purposes.
That said, we definitely recommend you to remove Search Marquis virus from your Mac using free instructions provided below, or use an automated and well-known Mac antivirus program, INTEGO.
| Name | Search Marquis virus (Searchmarquis.com) |
| Type | Mac adware, potentially unwanted program (PUP) |
| Similar PUPs | Online Reviews App, Weknow.ac, Any Search Virus, etc |
| Related domains | api.lisumanagerine.club; searchbaron.com; mybrowser-search.com |
| Symptoms | It takes over the most used browser on the computer and alters its settings; The affected parameters are new tab URL, homepage, and the primary search engine |
| Distribution | It enters the system via fake Adobe Flash update pop-up or travels in software bundles online |
| Damage | It can significantly affect system performance, cause privacy issues, and lead to malware distribution sources |
| Removal | The most convenient way to get rid of Search Marquis is getting INTEGO for Mac |
Tips to avoid installing Mac spyware/malware
To be on the safe side, we recommend downloading Mac applications from App Store or trusted vendor’s websites only. Potentially unwanted programs like Search Marquis are known to be distributed via Fake Flash Player ads online.
You can encounter these ads while browsing through suspicious websites, or be redirected to one unexpectedly. Since they look exceptionally similar to the original notifications that come from the application installed on the system, users might unintentionally click on the update button. These faux updates carry several additional applications alongside them. This technique is known as software bundling.
The easiest way to prevent installation of Mac adware and browser hijackers is to be careful during software installation procedure. Therefore, whenever you download a third-party program for your Mac, check what additional apps it suggests installing via Custom Installation (Expert) option.
In example below, you can see the Flash Player installer suggesting to install two additional programs: SearchItNow (a disguise for Searchmarquis.com) and Mac Cleanup Pro.
Remove Search Marquis virus easily
Searchmarquis.com removal is a complicated process due to ever-changing malware components. That is why we recommend eliminating the threat with robust malware removal tool for Mac. If you don’t have one or it is not capable to deal with the described threat, we suggest using INTEGO. It is highly flexible to deal with various cyber threats in real-time.
You might also choose to delete the threat manually. If so, continue to remove Searchmarquis.com from the browser using the free instructions provided below. Our experts have prepared instructions to help you reset browser settings. There are multiple guides designed to suit Google Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer and other browsers at the end of this article. Make sure that you follow all steps indicated.
Additionally, we suggest scheduling regular system scans with the antivirus system to make sure that your computer is protected at all times. Make sure that you install a professional tool as they offer real-time protection.
OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND
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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.
Search Marquis virus Removal Tutorial
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 Search Marquis virus from Mac
- Click on Finder.
- Go to Applications folder.
- Look for suspicious applications you can't remember installing. Right-click them and select Move to Trash.
- After moving all suspicious apps to Trash, right-click the Trash bin in Mac's Dock and select Empty Trash.
Remove using INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Mac (includes scanning for iOS devices). The one-of-a-kind security suite provides VirusBarrier X9 real-time protection against Mac and Windows-based malware, removes existing threats and scans for malware in popular e-mail clients. Includes NetBarrier X9, an intelligent firewall for home, work and public connections.
Remove Search Marquis virus from Safari
Uninstall suspicious Safari extensions
- Open Safari and click on Safari button in the top left corner. Select Preferences in the menu that appears on the screen.
- Now, go to Extensions tab. Look at the left to see all installed extensions, click on suspicious ones and hit that Uninstall button as shown in the picture. Confirm your choice by clicking Uninstall again. Repeat until you get rid of all unwanted extensions.
Change Safari Homepage and default search engine
- In Preferences, open the General tab. Here, check what URL is set as your homepage. Delete it and type in whatever URL you want to set as your Safari Start Page.
- Next, go to the Search tab. Here, choose what Search engine you want to set as default.
- Next, click on Manage websites... then Remove all... and then Done.
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:
- Open Safari and click on Safari button in the top-left corner of the screen to select Preferences;
- Go to Websites tab and navigate to Notifications on the left side toolbar.
Reset Safari
- Click on Safari > Clear History...
- Then choose to clear All history and hit Clear History button to confirm.
- Go to Safari > Preferences and then open Privacy tab.
- Click Manage Website Data... then Remove All. To finish, click Done.
- Finally, clear Safari cache. In Safari Menu, click Develop > Clear Cache.
Remove Search Marquis virus from Google Chrome
Remove suspicious Chrome extensions
- Open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into address bar and press Enter.
- Here, look for suspicious extensions, and Remove them.
- Don't forget to confirm by pressing Remove in the confirmation pop-up.
Change Start Page settings
- In Chrome address bar, type chrome://settings and press Enter.
- Scroll down to the On startup section. Check for suspicious extensions controlling these settings, and Disable them.
- Additionally, you can set browser to Open a specific page or set of pages via these settings. Simply choose this option, click Add a new page, enter your preferred URL (f.e. www.google.com) and press Add.
Change default search settings
- In Chrome URL bar, type chrome://settings/searchEngines and press Enter. Make sure you type searchEngines, not searchengines. Additionally, you can go to chrome://settings and find Manage search engines option.
- First, look at the list of search engines and find the one you want to set as default. Click the three dots next to it and select Make Default.
- Finally, look through the list and eliminate suspicious entries. Right-click the three dots and select Remove from the list.
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:
- In Google Chrome, press on Menu (upward arrow) in the top-right corner of the window.
- Select Settings.
- Go to Privacy and Security > Site Settings.
- Open Notifications.
- Here, go to the Allow list and identify suspicious URLs. You can either Block or Remove by pressing on the three vertical dots on the right side of the URL. However, we suggest the Block option, so the site won't ask you to enable the notifications if you ever visit it again.
Reset Google Chrome browser
- The final option is to reset Google Chrome. Type chrome://settings in the URL bar, press Enter and then scroll down until you see Advanced option. Click it and scroll to the bottom of the settings.
- Click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Click Restore settings to confirm.
Remove Search Marquis virus from Mozilla Firefox
Remove unwanted add-ons from Firefox
- Open Firefox and type about:addons in the URL bar. Press Enter.
- Now, click on Extensions (in the left section).
- Click Remove next to every suspicious browser add-on that you can't remember installing.
Change Firefox Homepage
- In Firefox address bar, type about:preferences and hit Enter.
- Look at the left and click the Home tab.
- Here, delete the suspicious URL and type or paste in the URL of a website you'd like to set as your homepage.
Alter preferences in Firefox
- Type about:config in Firefox address bar and hit Enter.
- Click I accept the risk! to continue.
- Here, type in the URL which has taken over your browser without your knowledge. Right-click each value that includes it and choose Reset.
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:
- In Mozilla Firefox, click on Menu (the three horizontal bars) on the top-right corner of the window, then choose Options.
- Click on Privacy and Security, then scroll down to Permissions section.
- Here, find Notifications and click Settings button next to it.
- Identify all unknown URLs and choose to Block them. Click Save Changes afterward.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
- In Firefox, type about:support in the address bar and press Enter.
- Click on Refresh Firefox...
- Click Refresh Firefox again to confirm.
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Scott Bolton is a senior content strategist in our Geek’s Advice team. He is exceptionally passionate about covering the latest information technology themes and inspire other team members to follow new innovations. Despite the fact that Scott is an old-timer among the Geeks, he still enjoys writing comprehensive articles about exciting cybersecurity news or quick tutorials.
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