The list of browser hijackers that can find their way onto your Mac and intrude on your web browsing is seemingly endless. Many of these browser hijackers are labeled as a virus but don’t behave like viruses at all. The so-called fuq.com virus is an example of one such browser hijacker.   

What you need to know about fuq.com virus

If you’re a victim of the fuq.com virus, it probably means you visited the free porn site and picked up the associated malware. But what is the virus? And is fuq.com safe?

For a start, this malware is not a virus. Instead, it’s browser hijacker malware. Viruses self-replicate and copy themselves from computer to computer. In contrast, a browser hijacker sits on one target computer and collects as much personal data as possible before it’s detected.

As the name implies, this type of malware jumps onto your browser and begins to take over. It can alter your security settings and change your homepage, new tab page, and default search engine. It will redirect you to its own search engine, as well as put a huge number of porn-related pop-up ads on your screen.

A browser hijacker may seem like nothing more than a mild irritant at first, but it can bring other dangers with it, such as more dangerous malware, burying itself in your login items menu and stealing your personal data. This can be anything from your account login credentials to your credit card details.

Let’s also not forget that a browser hijacker will seriously impair the performance of your browser and, ultimately, your MacBook itself. It will leech your CPU and memory, causing damage to your device. This damage can include the battery overheating or damage to the internal components.

This is why all browser hijackers should be removed without delay.

Is fuq.com safe to use?

Visiting fuq.com itself will not give you malware. It’s actually the numerous pop-up ads and notifications on the site that are the source of the problem. The site itself is more or less safe (ScamAdvisor actually gives it a perfect 100% score.) The real danger lurks in clicking those pop-up ads, which you should not do under any circumstances.

Remember that if something on a website is free, the owner is making money elsewhere. In the case of fuq.com, it’s your personal data and redirecting your browsing traffic to shady revenue-generating websites.

Can fuq.com install malware even if it's not a virus?

No, fuq.com cannot install malware directly. As we’ve indicated, the malware will come from the numerous ads and notifications that will instantly show when you land on the site.

If you merely look at the site without clicking anything, you should be fine. Just be sure to install an ad blocker. Consider installing a VPN, such as ClearVPN, which has a built-in ad blocker. It also has a browser extension for easier access and management.

How to avoid downloading fuq.com browser hijacker? 

Vigilance is the watchword. Be careful about the sites you visit and the files you choose to download. macOS has a built-in tool called Gatekeeper that restricts the applications that can be downloaded and installed on your Mac to either apps from the App Store only or those apps plus applications from trusted developers. 

If you want to download any other app, you need to manually override Gatekeeper in System Preferences when the app prompts you to do so. The easiest way to avoid fuq.com is not to override Gatekeeper, ever. And if you need to install apps that require authorization in System Preferences, make sure that you know what they are and that they aren’t hiding any nasty surprises in the form of malware. 

If you’re not sure whether or not you’ve already downloaded an app that may have bundled fuq.com or any other malware, take a look at your Applications folder. If you see anything in there you don’t recognize, uninstall it. 

Pro tip: Just dragging an app to Trash doesn’t get rid of it completely. There may be other files lying around on your startup drive. The easiest way to completely remove it is to use a dedicated uninstaller like this tool.

How to get rid of fuq.com virus on Mac

Here’re a few steps you should follow if you want to get rid of this nasty piece of malware.

Step 1: Kill the process and get rid of the app 

  1. Launch Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities.
  2. Locate the fuq.com process in the list of processes on the left side.
  3. Select it and press the Quit Process button (an ‘x’ in a circle) in the toolbar.
  4. Go to your Applications folder and look for any app that looks suspicious or you haven’t deliberately downloaded.
  5. Uninstall the app.

Step 2: Remove fuq.com from Safari 

  1. Launch Safari. Click on the Safari menu and choose Settings.
  2. Choose Extensions.
  3. Look for an extension called fuq.com or similar.
  4. Select it and click Uninstall. 
  5. Choose the General tab.
  6. Change the homepage URL to your preferred homepage.

Step 3: Remove fuq.com from Chrome 

  1. Launch Chrome and click on the three-dot menu icon.
  2. In the menu, click Extensions > Manage Extensions.
  3. Alternatively, type chrome://extensions in the address bar.
  4. Locate an extension called fuq.com or something similar and press Remove.
  5. Type chrome://settings in the address bar.
  6. Scroll down to “On startup.”
  7. If anything has been altered, change it back to your preferred settings.

Step 4: Remove fuq.com from Firefox 

  1. Click on the three horizontal lines on the right of the toolbar.
  2. Choose Add-ons and themes.
  3. Select Extensions and locate the fuq.com extension. 
  4. Click remove.
  5. Click on the three horizontal lines again.
  6. Choose Settings.
  7. In the window that opens, click on Home. 
  8. Set “Homepage and new windows” to your preferred homepage. 

Carrying out all the steps above will remove fuq.com from your Mac and set your browser’s homepage back to your chosen homepage. However, as you can see, it’s a lengthy process, especially if you use several different web browsers. There is an easier way, thankfully. 

How CleanMyMac can keep you safe from malware

Of course, the best defense against malware is a malware detection tool. There are lots of tools on the market, but the best option is CleanMyMac, powered by Moonlock Engine.

CleanMyMac was named Product of the Month by Product Hunt, and it’s easy to see why. Ostensibly a Mac optimization tool, it also has a ruthlessly efficient malware detection feature.

This means that if you’re infected by a browser hijacker malware from fuq.com, you don’t have to worry. CleanMyMac will remove the malware so quickly that you’ll be back to web browsing in no time.

Once you’ve signed up for a free trial and installed the software, here’s what to do to take care of your malware problem:

  1. Open CleanMyMac and click Protection in the left sidebar. This boots up the malware removal tool.
  2. Before you start your scan, you must set your scan settings. Click Configure Scan and select everything.
  3. Once you’ve selected everything, exit Configure Scan. You’re now ready to begin the fuq.com malware scanning process. Click the Scan button and send CleanMyMac on its way through your machine.
  4. When all of the fuq.com malware files have been found, CleanMyMac will give you a list of threats. Select all of them and click Remove.
  5. That’s it. It’s gone. But to be absolutely sure, click Cleanup to remove all the junk files that are hoarding space on your Mac. Some of them may be related to fuq.com, so removing them will guarantee that any remaining scraps are gone for good.

To remove login items, do the following:

  1. Click on the Optimization tool in the sidebar.
  2. Choose Login Items.
  3. Check the box next to the item you want to remove and press Remove.

The next step is to remove fuq.com from your Mac login items. This is done by selecting the Performance feature and running it.

Once the Performance process is complete, you’ll see a box with your login items in it. If you open the box, you’ll see a list of all the apps and processes that auto-start when your Mac does.

If you see anything suspicious, delete it immediately.

Fuq.com is a particularly objectionable browser hijacker because it redirects your browser to a porn website and also displays adverts for that site in your browser whenever you go on the web. It’s not a virus and won’t harm your computer. Nevertheless, few people would want it on their Mac. Fortunately, removing fuq.com is straightforward, albeit a fairly lengthy process, if you use multiple web browsers. The easiest way to uninstall apps, remove browser extensions, and get rid of login items and launch agents is to use a dedicated cleaner app. For example, you can try CleanMyMac and forget about this annoying issue forever.

Finally, as with all malware, the best strategy is to avoid it by being vigilant about the sites you visit on the web and the applications you download.