How to Remove Search.bannabell.com from Mac

George Herman

IT Security Expert

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What is Search.bannabell.com

If you see that the website Search.bannabell.com has taken the place of your homepage or search engine, it means that your Mac has been infiltrated by a nasty browser hijacker threat. This malicious software is able to modify whatever web settings it sees fit, and can also monitor your online activity. Every time you open your browser you’ll be met with numerous intrusive advertisements, whose purpose is to generate revenue for their creators via the pay-per-click method. This pest may even install other shady apps, extensions and toolbars on your browser, without your authorization.

How it is distributed

The most common distribution methods include freeware, software bundles, fake update messages, infected ads and links, email attachments, torrent files, etc. Usually, the hijacker is able to invade through the installer of a program you’ve downloaded from the internet. If you pay close attention, and opt for a custom/advanced type of installation, you’ll be able to spot additional software included in the installer. We strongly suggest to uncheck the boxes next to such bonus content, since in most cases, they turn out to be malware in disguise.

How it operates

Browser hijackers are no joke. Do not underestimate the Search.bannabell.com parasite. Because of the heavy adverts it will generate on a daily basis, your browser will stop working properly, until it becomes completely unresponsive to your actions. What’s more, to make sure that you’ll click on the sponsored content it creates, the hijacker will obtain your private data like browsing history and search queries, to provide targeted adverts you’ll be more likely to click on. Unfortunately, that may not be the only personal information it can steal from you. Sensitive data like passwords, credit card numbers, bank accounts, IP addresses, and more, may fall into the hands of cyber criminals, who want to share it with other third-parties for profit. The only way to regain control over your browser and protect your online privacy, is by removing the Search.bannabell.com browser hijacker from your Mac!

Staying safe from Search.bannabell.com hijacker

Apart from having a reliable AV software installed on your Mac, there are other things you can do to ensure your device’s safety. We highly recommend you to:

• Pay close attention when you install third-party software, especially torrent files, so you don’t install shady additional applications that you don’t want. In most cases, that’s how malicious parasites are able to infect your computer;
• Read any Terms and Conditions you see, so you know exactly what you agree to. The last thing you want is to unknowingly give permission to a nasty virus to infiltrate your Mac;
• Follow links that lead to trustworthy sites only;
• It is best to visit only reliable and official websites. You never know what dangers might lurk behind an unfamiliar site;
• No matter how attractive an ad is, if you are not familiar with the website it redirects to, it might be best to steer clear of it and not click;
• Always check the sender’s email address before opening a message. If it states that it’s from an official company, compare the email with the one given in their official page. If there is no match, delete the message, since it most likely is fake and has malicious aims;
• Don’t open email attachments from unknown senders. More often than not, such files carry infections that can seriously damage your computer.

How to manually remove Search.bannabell.com browser hijacker from Mac

If you’ve had the misfortune of getting your Mac infected with the Search.bannabell.com hijacker, the instructions below can help you to remove it manually. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to Utilities. You can do that by using the ⇧+⌘+U key combination, or by going to Finder and choosing Utilities from the Go main menu at the top.

2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it.

3. A list will be displayed. Find any processes that seem suspicious to you and use the ‘Force Quit‘ option to quit them completely.

4. Open Finder. Click on the Go button from the main menu at the top, and choose Applications. An alternative way is to use the ⇧+⌘+A key combination.

5. Look for any suspicious applications, especially ones with a name similar to Search.bannabell.com. If any are found, right-click on them and select the ‘Move to Trash‘ option.

6. Remove any related left-over files by going to Finder‘s search bar and typing the name of the app you want to remove. Make sure to modify the two drop down menus above to ‘System Files‘ and ‘Are Included‘, so that any hidden files are visible for you to remove. Once you find the files you want to remove, simply drag them to Trash.

7. All that’s left for you to do is remove any related extensions to Search.bannabell.com from your Mac browsers.

For Mozilla Firefox extensions:

• Open the Firefox browser and from the ‘burger’ menu in the top right corner of the window select ‘Add-ons’.
• Select any suspicious extensions that may be related to the virus and click ‘Remove’.

For Google Chrome extensions:

• Open the Chrome browser and select Tools > Extensions from the menu (the three dots in the top right corner of the browser window).
• Locate any suspicious extensions that may be related to the virus and remove them.

For Safari extensions:

• Open the Safari browser. From the Safari menu choose Preferences. Select Extensions from the options at the top.
• Find any extensions you think are related to the virus, select them and click ‘Uninstall’. A new window will show up asking for confirmation. Click Uninstall again, for the extension to get deleted permanently from your browser.