How to get rid of Ecp.yusercontent.com

What is Ecp.yusercontent.com?

This has the potential to get slightly confusing, as Ecp.yusercontent.com is not actually malware. Ecp.yusercontent.com is a legitimate Yahoo webpage that is used to serve images and other content in Yahoo Mail.

So, you may be wondering, what’s the big deal? Why should I be worried about this if it isn’t malware?

While the page itself isn’t malware, it can be misused and abused by scammers when trying to trap victims. Hackers and cybercriminals try to convince their victims that their phishing emails are above-board and safe. One way that they do so is by manipulating the legitimate Ecp.yusercontent.com Yahoo page to validate their images and links.

The phishing email is sent through Yahoo, and Yahoo detects the images and links. Ecp.yusercontent.com determines those images and links to be fine and gives the impression that the email is safe.

This is a fairly common scam that works more often than you might think. Other malware that closely resembles this include Any Search, Palikan, and Search Marquis. They can open up your computer for other malicious software to exploit later.

In a strange twist, some antivirus software platforms mistakenly flag Ecp.yusercontent.com as malware due to its misuse. This is what’s known as a “false positive,” since the page itself is authentic and run by Yahoo. In some cases, legitimate emails can be blocked.

How did I get Ecp.yusercontent.com on my Mac?

If you have Ecp.yusercontent.com on your Mac, I know what you’re thinking. “I thought Macs weren’t supposed to get viruses.” And while Apple works tirelessly on macOS to make that as true as possible, it’s not terribly accurate. Especially with how popular Macs have become in the last decade or two, it’s become more advantageous for hackers to target them too.

The two most common ways for a browser hijacker like Ecp.yusercontent.com to end up on your Mac are through a malicious email attachment or software bundling.

Often, all it takes is for an infected attachment to be sent to a Mac. Then, when a user tries to open the attachment, the infection spreads to their hard drive. That’s why you should never open an attachment from an email address you don’t know.

The other way browser hijackers get installed is by being bundled with other software. Usually, a free app. That’s why you should be very cautious about installing apps from developers you don’t know. And if you do have to install an app like that, make sure you do a custom install. That way, you can select or deselect any of the extras hidden in the installation process.

What does Ecp.yusercontent.com do to your browser?

Even though Ecp.yusercontent.com on a Mac is not malware, it can still be used as a front to wave through malicious links and content under the appearance of a Yahoo endorsement.

But once it validates that content and malware ends up on your computer, what then?

1. The malware may change your search engine and redirect you to a different search engine, where they will make money off you.
2. A large number of malware-infected pop-ups may appear on your screen, aggressively pushing you to buy fake software.
3. You can be redirected to malicious websites where more malware is waiting.
4. Your personal data could be stolen, such as your credit card details, autofill data, and other sensitive information on your device.
5. Your private browsing data could be taken, such as your search queries, IP address, location, and more, and sold to third-party brokers.
6. The malware could overtax your machine, causing the browser to slow down and eventually crash. In some cases, the battery may also overheat, damaging the internal workings.

Can Ecp.yusercontent.com steal your personal information?

Ecp.yusercontent.com itself will not steal your personal information, but the malware that sneaks in behind it could.

The malware in question could include remote access trojans, enabling the hacker to monitor your personal information being entered into websites, or keyloggers, which will record every piece of personal data you type.

Since a lot of personal information is stored in the browser’s autofill section, that will also be targeted.

How to remove Ecp.yusercontent.com manually

Since Ecp.yusercontent.com itself is not the problem, you should focus on the malware on your computer. However, there may be some files with Ecp.yusercontent.com references in them, called launch daemons and launch agents, which you should remove first.

Go to Finder and locate the following folders:

/Library/LaunchAgents

~/Library/LaunchAgents

/Library/LaunchDaemons

Inside those folders, look for anything that includes the name “yusercontent.” An example could be com.yuseragent.plist.com. Delete them all.

Delete any unknown apps in Applications

The next step is to go to the Applications folder and look for any suspicious-looking apps that you didn’t install. Look for ones with nonsensical names and/or blurry icons. Securely delete them and empty the trash bin.

Delete any unknown apps in Login Items

Malware likes to start up when your MacBook does. To stop this, go to System Settings > General > Login Items. If you see any unknown apps there, delete them.

Check the configuration profiles

In order to give itself the necessary user permissions on your Mac, malware usually sets up its own configuration profile. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Profiles. If you see any configuration profiles there that you didn’t create, delete them immediately.

Go through your browser settings

Finally, you must look at your browser settings and reverse everything the malware did. Here are the steps for Safari, Chrome, and Firefox.

Safari

1. Safari > Settings > Extensions. Remove any unknown ones.
2. Safari > Settings > General. Reset your homepage.
3. Safari > Settings > Search. Reset your default search settings.
4. Safari > Clear History… Delete all cache and temporary internet files.

Chrome

1. Settings > Extensions > Manage Extensions. Remove any unknown ones.
2. Settings > Appearance. Reset your homepage.
3. Settings > Search Engine. Reset your default search settings.
4. Settings > Privacy and Security. Delete all cache and temporary internet files.

Firefox

1. Settings > Addons & Themes. Remove any unknown ones.
2. Settings > Home. Reset your homepage.
3. Settings > Search. Reset your default search settings.
4. Settings > Privacy & Security. Delete all cache and temporary internet files.

Protect your Mac from other malware and adware

Removing malware can be a tricky business. Malware can get into every corner of your MacBook, making it difficult to know if you’ve managed to get it all. Therefore, doing it manually is rather hit-and-miss. Missing just 1 malware-infected file can cause the malware to come back again in the future.

The solution is to use a Mac app with the ability to search everywhere inside your Mac and get rid of Ecp.yusercontent.com. That app is CleanMyMac, powered by Moonlock Engine.

CleanMyMac is a Mac optimization tool, but it has a side hustle as a malware detection and removal tool. It’s lightweight, fast, and powerful, and everyone should have it on their Mac by default.

Sign up for 7 free days with CleanMyMac, open it up and do the following easy steps to remove Ecp.yusercontent.com:

1. Enable the scan settings by selecting the Protection feature on the left sidebar and clicking Configure Scan.
2. Tick the box next to all the scan settings. One of them is Deep Scan, which is highly recommended.
3. Exit Configure Scan and click the Scan button. CleanMyMac will start searching your Mac, looking for all malware threats.
4. When all infected files have been found, CleanMyMac will compile them in a neat list for you to review. Select all threats and click Remove.

We recommend that you also click the Cleanup feature to remove all junk files that might be clogging up your hard drive. Some of them could be linked to malware, and this will complete the Yusercontent.com removal process.

Hopefully, after you had a chance to read this article, you’re feeling up for the challenge of cleaning off your Mac. But remember, you don’t have to do it all alone either. CleanMyMac can help you quickly identify the files you don’t need anymore and just get rid of them.