How to uninstall OperationValue app/extension from Mac (Virus removal guide)

What is OperationValue

OperationValue is an adware application that targets Mac computers. Adware is a form of malicious software that’s designed to display constant popup windows and/or annoying advertising using intrusive and at times dangerous ways. Adware can also include other forms of malware such as trojans and backdoors. OperationValue can steal privacy information from your MAC and pass it on to third parties. It has also been the basis for hacking to gain access to the computer.

Even worse, OperationValue can gather confidential information, including:

• IP addresses;
• URLs visited;
• search queries/terms;
• clicks on links and ads;
• web browser version information.

To find out how to remove OperationValue adware, we recommend to read the tutorial added to this post below. The instructions was prepared by experienced security professionals who discovered a solution to get rid of the annoying adware out of the Apple Mac.

How does OperationValue get on your Apple Mac

The most common way to get adware is a freeware setup file. Most commonly, a user have a chance to disable all unwanted browser extensions, but some installers are designed to confuse the average users, in order to trick them into installing PUPs and adware. Anyway, easier to prevent adware software rather than clean up your MAC after one. So, keep your web browser updated (turn on automatic updates), double check freeware before you run it (do a google search, scan a downloaded file with VirusTotal), avoid suspicious and unknown web sites.

Threat Summary

Name	OperationValue, OperationValue 1.0 app
Type	adware software, potentially unwanted application (PUA), Mac virus, Mac malware
Detection Names	Program:MacOS/Vigram.A, Adware.MAC.Generic, MacOS.Agent-MT, Osx.Adware.Cimpli, ApplicUnwnt, Trojan-Downloader.OSX.Adload, OSX.Trojan.Gen and Adware/Adload!OSX
Distribution	Freeware installers, malicious popup ads, torrent downloads and fake updaters
Symptoms	When you go to a webpage, you are randomly redirected to another web-site that you do not intend to visit, advertising banners appear in places they shouldn’t be, there is an unwanted program in the ‘Applications’ section of the Finder, new add-ons suddenly installed on your internet browser, your browser startpage has changed and you are unable to change it back, low ping but slow Internet.
Removal	OperationValue removal guide

How to remove OperationValue

In many cases adware requires more than a simple uninstall with the help of the Finder in order to be fully deleted. For that reason, our team created several removal solutions that we have summarized in a detailed instructions. Therefore, if you have the OperationValue adware on your machine and are currently trying to have it deleted then feel free to follow the few simple steps below in order to resolve your problem. Some of the steps will require you to reboot your computer or close this web site. So, read this guide carefully, then bookmark this page or open it on your smartphone for later reference.

To remove OperationValue, complete the steps below:

1. Remove unwanted profiles on Mac device
2. Uninstall OperationValue associated software by using the Finder
3. Remove OperationValue related files and folders
4. Scan your Mac with MalwareBytes
5. Remove OperationValue from Safari, Chrome, Firefox
6. How to stay safe online

Remove unwanted profiles on Mac device

OperationValue can install a configuration profile on the Mac system to block changes made to the browser settings. Therefore, you need to open system preferences, find and delete the profile installed by the adware.

Click the System Preferences icon ( ) in the Dock, or choose Apple menu ( ) > System Preferences.

In System Preferences, click Profiles, then select a profile related to OperationValue.

Click the minus button ( – ) located at the bottom-left of the Profiles screen to remove the profile.
Note: if you do not see Profiles in the System Preferences, that means there are no profiles installed on your Mac, which is normal.

Uninstall OperationValue associated software by using the Finder

Go to the Finder and delete questionable software, all programs you do not remember installing. It’s important to pay the most attention to software you have recently installed. If you do not know what a program does, look for the answer on the Internet.

1. Open the Finder.
2. Click “Applications”.
3. It will show a list of all software installed on the machine.
4. Scroll through the all list, and remove suspicious and unknown software. Pay maximum attention to the program you installed last.
5. Drag the dubious application from the Applications folder to the Trash.
6. Empty Trash.

Remove OperationValue related files and folders

Now you need to try to find OperationValue related files and folders, and then delete them manually. You need to look for these files in certain directories. To quickly open them, we recommend using the “Go to Folder…” command.

OperationValue creates several files, these files must be found and removed. Below is a list of files associated with this unwanted program.

• /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.OperationValue.system.plist
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.OperationValue.service.plist
• /Library/Application Support/.(RANDOM)/System/com.OperationValue.system
• ~/Library/Application Support/.(RANDOM)/Services/com.OperationValue.service.app

Some files created by OperationValue are hidden from the user. To find and delete them, you need to enable “show hidden files”. To do this, use the shortcut CMD + SHIFT + . Press once to show hidden files and again to hide them. There is another way. Click Finder -> Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal. In Terminal, paste the following text: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES

Press Enter. Hold the ‘Option/alt’ key, then right click on the Finder icon in the dock and click Relaunch.

Click on the Finder icon. From the menu bar, select Go and click “Go to Folder…”. As a result, a small window opens that allows you to quickly open a specific directory.

Check for OperationValue generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents folder

In the “Go to Folder…” window, type the following text and press Go:
/Library/LaunchAgents

This will open the contents of the “/Library/LaunchAgents” folder. Look carefully at it and pay special attention to recently created files, as well as files that have a suspicious name. Move all suspicious files to the Trash. A few examples of files: macsearch.plist, com.google.defaultsearch.plist, , com.OperationValue.service.plist, com.machelper.plist, search.plist, com.net-preferences.plist and installapp.plist. Most often, adware, potentially unwanted programs and browser hijackers create several files with similar names.

Check for OperationValue generated files in the /Library/Application Support folder

In the “Go to Folder…” window, type the following text and press Go:
/Library/Application Support

This will open the contents of the “Application Support” folder. Look carefully at its contents, pay special attention to recently added/changed folders and files. Check the contents of suspicious folders, if there is a file with a name similar to com.OperationValue.system, then this folder must be deleted. Move all suspicious folders and files to the Trash.

Check for OperationValue generated files in the “~/Library/LaunchAgents” folder

In the “Go to Folder…” window, type the following text and press Go:
~/Library/LaunchAgents

Proceed in the same way as with the “/Library/LaunchAgents” and “/Library/Application Support” folders. Look for suspicious and recently added files. Move all suspicious files to the Trash.

Check for OperationValue generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons folder

In the “Go to Folder…” window, type the following text and press Go:
/Library/LaunchDaemons

Carefully browse the entire list of files and pay special attention to recently created files, as well as files that have a suspicious name. Move all suspicious files to the Trash. A few examples of files to be deleted: com.OperationValue.system.plist, com.machelper.system.plist, com.installapp.system.plist, com.search.system.plist and com.macsearch.system.plist. In most cases, browser hijackers, adware and potentially unwanted programs create several files with similar names.

Scan your Mac with MalwareBytes

If you carefully followed the previous steps, then you should be able to delete OperationValue. Of course, very often potentially unwanted programs, browser hijackers and adware hides on a Mac device, disguising itself as legitimate apps and files. Therefore, in some cases, it is difficult for an inexperienced user to decide whether a particular file is part of browser hijackers, PUPs and adware. Therefore, we recommend you to use MalwareBytes Free to scan the Mac device.

MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) can be downloaded from the following link.

When the downloading process is complete, close all applications and windows on your MAC OS. Open a directory in which you saved it. Run the saved file and follow the prompts.

Once installation is finished, you will see window as shown on the screen below.

Now click the “Scan” button to perform a system scan for the OperationValue . When a malicious software, adware or potentially unwanted programs are found, the count of the security threats will change accordingly. Wait until the the checking is finished.

When MalwareBytes Anti Malware has completed scanning, MalwareBytes Free will create a list of unwanted software and adware software. Next, you need to click “Quarantine” button.

The Malwarebytes will now begin to remove OperationValue adware.

Remove OperationValue from Safari, Chrome, Firefox

This step will show you how to remove malicious extensions. This can get rid of OperationValue adware software and fix some surfing issues, especially after adware infection.

Google Chrome	Mozilla Firefox
In the top right hand corner, click on ‘three vertical dots’, and this will open up the main menu on Chrome. Select ‘More tools’, then ‘Extensions’. Click ‘Remove’ to uninstall an extension. Click ‘Remove’ in the dialog box. You can also try to remove OperationValue by reset Google Chrome settings.	Click on ‘menu’ button and select ‘Add-ons’. Go to ‘Extensions’ tab. To uninstall an add-on, click on ‘Remove’ button next to it. If you are still experiencing problems with OperationValue adware removal, you need to reset Mozilla Firefox browser.
Safari
On the top menu select ‘Safari’, then ‘Preferences’. Select ‘Extensions’ tab. Select an extension you want to delete and click ‘Uninstall’ button next to it.

How to stay safe online

To put it simply, you need to use an ad-blocking utility (AdGuard, for example). It’ll block and protect you from harmful web-pages, unwanted advertisements and pop-ups. To be able to do that, the ad blocker application uses a list of filters. Each filter is a rule that describes a malicious web-site, an advertising content, a banner and others. The adblocker application automatically uses these filters, depending on the web-pages you are visiting.

Click the following link to download AdGuard.

Once the downloading process is finished, start the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” screen. Follow the prompts.

Each time, when you start your machine, AdGuard will start automatically and stop annoying popup ads, block malicious and misleading webpages.

Finish words

Now your computer should be clean of the OperationValue adware. We suggest that you keep AdGuard (to help you stop unwanted pop-ups and intrusive harmful websites) and MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (to periodically scan your MAC OS for new malicious software, browser hijackers and adware software). Make sure that you have all the Critical Updates recommended for Mac operating system. Without regular updates you WILL NOT be protected when new browser hijackers, malicious applications and adware software are released.

If you are still having problems while trying to remove OperationValue from your web-browser, then ask for help here.