Malware infections can appear out of nowhere. From file sharing and torrent sites to social networks and blogs, malware and adware are hiding everywhere on the internet, simply waiting to strike. Everywhere you go online, there is a risk that your Mac could become infected with adware.

MacVX first appeared around 2014, although it’s similar enough to other versions of this software that it’s still active and most likely dates back before 2014. Viruses can live for years, especially when they mutate and adapt to get around new security measures and systems that scan for them.

How to know that you’re infected?

One way you know you’ve been infected is when you start seeing a lot more pop-up adverts than normal online. Some of these could be coupons. Another sure sign of an infection is when keywords and phrases are underlined within articles online. Sometimes these link to genuine articles or they’re affiliate links. However, if your Mac or browsers have been behaving somewhat unusually, this could be a sign that you’ve been infected and those links actually go to the same black hat websites as the coupons and other adverts that keep appearing.

Clicking on any of these links is a bad idea. There is a good chance that they will lead to more infections and viruses.

What does MacVX do?

Apart from being a nuisance, MacVX never travels alone. Often, when it downloads itself, it comes bundled with other viruses and unwanted applications. One of the many ways it is known to get onto Macs is through the CNET installer, Softonic Installer, InstallRex installer, and many others. Or if you’ve stumbled across it when it isn’t included in another bundle of software and your Mac is infected with MacVX, it will open a backdoor into your Mac, causing other unwanted infections and viruses to appear.

Either way, this adware is not something you want to hang around on your Mac for long. Every time it serves an advert, it makes money, often for cybercriminals and the developers behind this. Clicking on any of those links or adverts generates more money for them. With this sort of infection present, you run the risk of other viruses appearing, doing even more damage, or passwords and other sensitive data being taken from your Mac.

How to remove MacVX?

There are two ways you can remove this unwanted adware.

Manually or using a malware removal tool, such as CleanMyMac X.

Smart Care

How to remove MacVX manually

Start with your browser extensions. It is worth checking more than once to make sure it hasn’t deposited the executable file extensions in multiple browsers.

#1: Uninstall MacVX from Safari

  1. Go to Safari > Settings.
  2. Click on Extensions.
  3. Pick the extension that you don’t recognize to delete.
  4. Click Uninstall.
  5. Confirm that you want to uninstall the extension.

#2: Remove MacVX from Chrome

  1. Open Chrome.
  2. Go to the Menu in your browser.
  3. Click on More Tools > Extensions.
  4. Pick the extension that you don’t recognize to delete.
  5. Click Remove.
  6. Confirm that you want to remove the extension.

#3: Delete MacVX from Firefox

  1. Open Firefox.
  2. Go to the Menu in your browser.
  3. Click Add-ons and themes.
  4. Select the extension you want to remove.
  5. Click Remove.
  6. Confirm that you want to delete it.

#4: Remove from your macOS systems

  1. Open the Finder.
  2. Click Go > Go to Folder and paste /Library/LaunchAgents.
  3. Press Return and check every folder within LaunchAgents.
  4. Move every file you find to Trash. And then, repeat the above process in the following folders: ~/Library/LaunchAgents. Do the same as in step 3.
  5. And the same again in this folder: ~/Library/Application Support
  6. Finally, delete any folders in Applications that indicate they’re the home of this software.

Always take great care while doing this. At the same time, keep an eye out for anything else that seems out of place. If MacVX is present, then chances are that other malicious software applications and programs are also there. Delete anything you are certain is part of the adware, but don’t remove anything your Mac needs to operate.

An alternative to the manual route is to use CleanMyMac X.

CleanMyMac X is a powerful Mac optimization tool capable of removing known viruses, malware, adware, spyware, and dozens of other cyber problems. It also cleans your Mac and dramatically improves performance, clearing out — on average — 62GB of junk files from every Mac.

Now, to get rid of MacVX and any unwanted problems it brings:

  1. Download CleanMyMac X (for free).
  2. Open the app.
  3. Use the Malware Removal tab.
  4. Click Scan — it will show you any unwanted applications.
  5. Click Remove, and they will vanish.
Malware scan in process

MacVX is a nasty and persistent piece of adware. As a minimum, it will reduce the quality of your browsing experience, firing adverts your way and generally causing a problem. At worse, it will open the door for other cyber infections, causing you to lose sensitive data, passwords, documents, and files. It is definitely worth removing as soon and as safely as possible.