Malware entities are everywhere. They could be on the websites that you have visited. They could be on your emails. Sometimes, they could already be on your PC without you knowing. So, how do you protect yourself from malware infection? Simple. You just have to get yourself familiar with all the malicious entities out there.
In this post, we will share with you one malicious adware that you may come across with as you surf the web. It is called CommonAdmin.
What is CommonAdmin?
CommonAdmin is a program that advertises itself as a handy tool that improves your search experience. While it may sound like a useful service, it actually isn’t because it can be quite intrusive, showing random advertisements, even if it’s against your will.
In most cases, the CommonAdmin adware shows ads as underlined words or advertising banners that pop up out of nowhere. But how do you know that the ads are being summoned by the CommonAdmin adware?
How to Detect CommonAdmin
More often than not, ads triggered by the CommonAdmin adware come with various texts under them. Examples of which are:
- Powered by CommonAdmin
- Brought to you by CommonAdmin
- Advertisements by CommonAdmin
- Ads powered by CommonAdmin
These texts may be shown in strange positions and may sometimes overlay the content on a web page. It will keep on showing annoying advertisements that trick you into clicking on them. These ads may contain content for online web games, adult sites, unnecessary programs, and even fake software updates.
Once your computer is infected by the CommonAdmin adware, you will notice the following:
- Your default web browser home page has mysteriously changed.
- Advertisements show in places you don’t expect.
- Web pages that you normally visit are not displaying properly.
- Pop up ads appear at random that recommend installing fake software updates.
- Websites redirect you to suspicious sites.
- Some unwanted programs are installed without your permission
How Did Your Device Get Infected?
The CommonAdmin adware may be installed unintentionally or not. They may come bundled with other software you have downloaded or through advertisements you never knew you have clicked.
This means you should always pay attention to whatever you install and click. If you download and install a program from a third-party website, be very careful. Make sure you opt for the custom installation option so you can check if something is not familiar.
Ways to Get Rid of CommonAdmin
The good news is that it is easy to remove the CommonAdmin adware. To remove it, simply try any of the methods below:
Method #1: Remove any malicious profiles on your Mac
Profiles are created by IT personnel to control the behavior of Macs on an organization’s network. They can even be configured to do various things. However, malware creators have learned about this feature and decided to take advantage of it. They hijack profile configurations to prevent users from removing malicious programs.
So, the first step to getting rid of the CommonAdmin adware is to check for any profiles that may have been compromised. Here’s how:
- Go to System Preferences.
- Search for profiles.
- If you don’t see any Profiles icon, this means there are no profiles installed. Otherwise, remove the suspicious profiles by clicking on the icon and hitting the Remove button.
Method #2: Remove the adware itself
Once you have removed any suspicious profiles, the next thing you should do is to remove any apps or files that may have been infected. To do this, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Apple Menu bar. Check if there is a CommonAdmin icon. If you see it, click Quit.
- Next, go to Finder and select Applications.
- Remove any suspicious apps by right-clicking on them, and then select Move to Trash.
- After removing all suspicious items, go to Trash and empty it.
Wrapping Up
At this point, your PC should be free of malicious entities like the CommonAdmin adware. To prevent future adware attacks, it is best to have a trusted anti-malware tool installed on your device.
If you are still having problems with the CommonAdmin adware, let us know in the comments. We will do our best to help.