Unlike the software developed for Windows system, most of the applications installed in Mac OS X generally can be removed with relative ease. Cisco VPN Client is a third party application that provides additional functionality to OS X system and enjoys a popularity among Mac users. However, instead of installing it by dragging its icon to the Application folder, uninstalling Cisco VPN Client may need you to do more than a simple drag-and-drop to the Trash.
Download Mac App RemoverWhen installed, Cisco VPN Client creates files in several locations. Generally, its additional files, such as preference files and application support files, still remains on the hard drive after you delete Cisco VPN Client from the Application folder, in case that the next time you decide to reinstall it, the settings of this program still be kept. But if you are trying to uninstall Cisco VPN Client in full and free up your disk space, removing all its components is highly necessary. Continue reading this article to learn about the proper methods for uninstalling Cisco VPN Client.
In the Norton menu, click Norton Uninstall Norton Security. In the window that appears, click Uninstall. Do one of the following based on your macOS version: If you have macOS 10.15.x (Catalina) or later version, type your Mac administrator account password, and then click OK to allow Norton to remove the system extension. A while ago I installed Cisco AnyConnect on my Mac, in order to VPN into work. Recently I noticed that a process acwebsecagent was logging multiple failures every minute to my system log; with a bit of investigation, it appears that the AnyConnect installer defaults also installs Cisco Web Security unless one chooses to uncheck it.
Most applications in Mac OS X are bundles that contain all, or at least most, of the files needed to run the application, that is to say, they are self-contained. Thus, different from the program uninstall method of using the control panel in Windows, Mac users can easily drag any unwanted application to the Trash and then the removal process is started. Despite that, you should also be aware that removing an unbundled application by moving it into the Trash leave behind some of its components on your Mac. To fully get rid of Cisco VPN Client from your Mac, you can manually follow these steps:
Before uninstalling Cisco VPN Client, you’d better quit this application and end all its processes. If Cisco VPN Client is frozen, you can press Cmd +Opt + Esc, select Cisco VPN Client in the pop-up windows and click Force Quit to quit this program (this shortcut for force quit works for the application that appears but not for its hidden processes).
Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder in Launchpad, and select All Processes on the drop-down menu at the top of the window. Select the process(es) associated with Cisco VPN Client in the list, click Quit Process icon in the left corner of the window, and click Quit in the pop-up dialog box (if that doesn’t work, then try Force Quit).
First of all, make sure to log into your Mac with an administrator account, or you will be asked for a password when you try to delete something.
Open the Applications folder in the Finder (if it doesn’t appear in the sidebar, go to the Menu Bar, open the “Go” menu, and select Applications in the list), search for Cisco VPN Client application by typing its name in the search field, and then drag it to the Trash (in the dock) to begin the uninstall process. Alternatively you can also click on the Cisco VPN Client icon/folder and move it to the Trash by pressing Cmd + Del or choosing the File and Move to Trash commands.
For the applications that are installed from the App Store, you can simply go to the Launchpad, search for the application, click and hold its icon with your mouse button (or hold down the Option key), then the icon will wiggle and show the “X” in its left upper corner. Click the “X” and click Delete in the confirmation dialog.
Download Mac App RemoverThough Cisco VPN Client has been deleted to the Trash, its lingering files, logs, caches and other miscellaneous contents may stay on the hard disk. For complete removal of Cisco VPN Client, you can manually detect and clean out all components associated with this application. You can search for the relevant names using Spotlight. Those preference files of Cisco VPN Client can be found in the Preferences folder within your user’s library folder (~/Library/Preferences) or the system-wide Library located at the root of the system volume (/Library/Preferences/), while the support files are located in '~/Library/Application Support/' or '/Library/Application Support/'.
Open the Finder, go to the Menu Bar, open the “Go” menu, select the entry:|Go to Folder... and then enter the path of the Application Support folder:~/Library
Search for any files or folders with the program’s name or developer’s name in the ~/Library/Preferences/, ~/Library/Application Support/ and ~/Library/Caches/ folders. Right click on those items and click Move to Trash to delete them.
Meanwhile, search for the following locations to delete associated items:
Besides, there may be some kernel extensions or hidden files that are not obvious to find. In that case, you can do a Google search about the components for Cisco VPN Client. Usually kernel extensions are located in in /System/Library/Extensions and end with the extension .kext, while hidden files are mostly located in your home folder. You can use Terminal (inside Applications/Utilities) to list the contents of the directory in question and delete the offending item.
If you are determined to delete Cisco VPN Client permanently, the last thing you need to do is emptying the Trash. To completely empty your trash can, you can right click on the Trash in the dock and choose Empty Trash, or simply choose Empty Trash under the Finder menu (Notice: you can not undo this act, so make sure that you haven’t mistakenly deleted anything before doing this act. If you change your mind, before emptying the Trash, you can right click on the items in the Trash and choose Put Back in the list). In case you cannot empty the Trash, reboot your Mac.
Download Mac App RemoverYou may not notice that, there are a few of Mac applications that come with dedicated uninstallation programs. Though the method mentioned above can solve the most app uninstall problems, you can still go for its installation disk or the application folder or package to check if the app has its own uninstaller first. If so, just run such an app and follow the prompts to uninstall properly. After that, search for related files to make sure if the app and its additional files are fully deleted from your Mac.
No doubt that uninstalling programs in Mac system has been much simpler than in Windows system. But it still may seem a little tedious and time-consuming for those OS X beginners to manually remove Cisco VPN Client and totally clean out all its remnants. Why not try an easier and faster way to thoroughly remove it?
If you intend to save your time and energy in uninstalling Cisco VPN Client, or you encounter some specific problems in deleting it to the Trash, or even you are not sure which files or folders belong to Cisco VPN Client, you can turn to a professional third-party uninstaller to resolve troubles. Here MacRemover is recommended for you to accomplish Cisco VPN Client uninstall within three simple steps. MacRemover is a lite but powerful uninstaller utility that helps you thoroughly remove unwanted, corrupted or incompatible apps from your Mac. Now let’s see how it works to complete Cisco VPN Client removal task.
The whole uninstall process may takes even less than one minute to finish, and then all items associated with Cisco VPN Client has been successfully removed from your Mac!
MacRemover has a friendly and simply interface and even the first-time users can easily operate any unwanted program uninstallation. With its unique Smart Analytic System, MacRemover is capable of quickly locating every associated components of Cisco VPN Client and safely deleting them within a few clicks. Thoroughly uninstalling Cisco VPN Client from your mac with MacRemover becomes incredibly straightforward and speedy, right? You don’t need to check the Library or manually remove its additional files. Actually, all you need to do is a select-and-delete move. As MacRemover comes in handy to all those who want to get rid of any unwanted programs without any hassle, you’re welcome to download it and enjoy the excellent user experience right now!
This article provides you two methods (both manually and automatically) to properly and quickly uninstall Cisco VPN Client, and either of them works for most of the apps on your Mac. If you confront any difficulty in uninstalling any unwanted application/software, don’t hesitate to apply this automatic tool and resolve your troubles.
Download Mac App Remover'Cisco WebEx virus' is a generic term used to describe unwanted and malicious software, distributed and disguised as content relating to Cisco Webex products. Cisco Webex is the name of a legitimate company developing web conferencing and videoconferencing software, notably Webex Meetings, Webex Teams, Training Center, Event Center, Support Center, Sales Center, MeetMeNow and so on. Recently, due to the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for such software has increased, and this has been noted and exploited by cyber criminals. Since Cisco WebEx is highly accessible - for example, it offers cross-platform products (i.e., capable of working on various operating systems) and certain free services/plans - it is a prime target for criminals seeking to exploit its popularity for malicious purposes. As observed by ESET research, adware developers/distributors have started promoting their products under the guise of Cisco WebEx applications.
The genuine Cisco WebEx is in no way connected to the rogue software misusing its name, and is not the only company to be affected in this manner. Cyber criminals use the names of legitimate companies/products in various ways to spread their illicit software. For example, by offering fake installers that will supposedly install the chosen product - and this tactic has been used for 'Cisco WebEx viruses'. During research, many fake 'Cisco WebEx' installation set-ups launched InstallCore installer, which is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). Afterwards, InstallCore installed a piece of unwanted or malicious software. As well as adware, it has been noted that the bogus installers were used to proliferate the Ave Maria Trojan. The specific software installed depends on the cyber criminals' mode of operation. In general, rogue software installers/updaters are used to distribute adware, browser hijackers and other PUAs, as well as Trojans, ransomware, cryptominers and other malware. These fake installation set-ups are commonly promoted on malicious websites, designed to resemble the official web pages, or those claiming to be trustworthy third party sites, however, the scam pages might also serve phishing purposes. They attempt to trick people into providing their personal information (e.g. names, addresses, telephone numbers, emails, banking account or credit card details, etc.) by claiming that this is necessary for data for registration, subscription, billing and so on. Other untrusted download sources, such as free file-hosting (freeware) websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule, etc.) and other third party download channels are also used to proliferate fake installers. In summary, downloading content from dubious sources can lead to various system infiltration and infections, result in serious privacy issues, financial loss and identity theft. Therefore, you are strongly advised to use only official download channels. If it is suspected that unwanted/malicious software has already infiltrated the system, use anti-virus software to eliminate it immediately.
Name | Cisco WebEx malware |
Threat Type | Trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware. |
Detection Names (fake installer injecting Ave Maria trojan) | Avast (AutoIt:Injector-JH [Trj]), BitDefender (Trojan.GenericKD.32682853), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of Win32/Packed.AutoIt.TT), Kaspersky (Trojan-Spy.Win32.AveMaria.cdx), Full List (VirusTotal). |
Malicious Process Name(s) | 185.12.29.38_yjqf_webex.exe (process name might vary). |
Payload | Ave Maria Trojan and other unwanted/malicious software. |
Symptoms | Trojans are designed to stealthily infiltrate the victim's computer and remain silent, and thus no particular symptoms are clearly visible on an infected machine. |
Distribution methods | Infected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, social engineering, software 'cracks'. |
Damage | Stolen passwords and banking information, identity theft, the victim's computer added to a botnet. |
Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Malwarebytes. |
Incorporating legitimate products, platforms, companies organizations and institutions is common practice in cyber crime. This is used in countless ways, from creating imitation websites to disguising dubious content as genuine products. These techniques are successful, as users are more likely to trust content with which they are familiar. Examples of other companies/products offering similar services to Cisco WebEx (and observed being similarly misused) include Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom.
'Cisco WebEx virus' was distributed using fake Cisco WebEx installers. These bogus installation set-ups are typically obtained from untrusted download channels such as unofficial and free file-hosting sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders. Other popular malware proliferation methods are via illegal activation tools ('cracks'), fake updates, Trojans and spam campaigns. Rather than activating the licensed products, 'cracking' tools can download/install malicious programs. Rogue updaters infect systems by exploiting weaknesses of outdated software and/or simply by installing malware, rather than the promised updates. Trojans are malicious programs with various functionalities, which include the capability to cause chain infections (i.e., download/install additional malware). Spam campaigns are used to send deceptive/scam emails on a large scale. These messages have infectious files attached to (or linked inside) them. Malicious files can be in various formats (e.g. archive and executable files, Microsoft Office and PDF documents, JavaScript, etc.). When the files are opened, the infection process is initiated.
Download your software from official and verified sources. Additionally, it should be activated and updated with tools/functions provided by legitimate developers. Avoid illegal activation ('cracking') tools and third party updaters, since they often proliferate malware. Dubious or irrelevant emails should not be opened, especially those with any attachments or links present in them, due to the risk of potential system infections. To ensure device integrity and, user safety, it is crucial to have a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite installed and kept up to date. Use these programs for regular system scans and removal of detected/potential threats. If you believe that your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Malwarebytes for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Screenshot of Ave Maria Trojan process in Windows Task Manager (distributed via fake Cisco WebEx installer):
Screenshot of the official and legitimate website of Cisco WebEx:
Instant automatic malware removal:Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Malwarebytes is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD MalwarebytesBy downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Malwarebytes. 14 days free trial available.
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Manual malware removal is a complicated task - usually it is best to allow antivirus or anti-malware programs to do this automatically. To remove this malware we recommend using Malwarebytes for Windows. If you wish to remove malware manually, the first step is to identify the name of the malware that you are trying to remove. Here is an example of a suspicious program running on a user's computer:
If you checked the list of programs running on your computer, for example, using task manager, and identified a program that looks suspicious, you should continue with these steps:
Download a program called Autoruns. This program shows auto-start applications, Registry, and file system locations:
Restart your computer into Safe Mode:
Windows XP and Windows 7 users: Start your computer in Safe Mode. Click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart, click OK. During your computer start process, press the F8 key on your keyboard multiple times until you see the Windows Advanced Option menu, and then select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Video showing how to start Windows 7 in 'Safe Mode with Networking':
Windows 8 users: Start Windows 8 is Safe Mode with Networking - Go to Windows 8 Start Screen, type Advanced, in the search results select Settings. Click Advanced startup options, in the opened 'General PC Settings' window, select Advanced startup. Click the 'Restart now' button. Your computer will now restart into the 'Advanced Startup options menu'. Click the 'Troubleshoot' button, and then click the 'Advanced options' button. In the advanced option screen, click 'Startup settings'. Click the 'Restart' button. Your PC will restart into the Startup Settings screen. Press F5 to boot in Safe Mode with Networking.
Video showing how to start Windows 8 in 'Safe Mode with Networking':
Windows 10 users: Click the Windows logo and select the Power icon. In the opened menu click 'Restart' while holding 'Shift' button on your keyboard. In the 'choose an option' window click on the 'Troubleshoot', next select 'Advanced options'. In the advanced options menu select 'Startup Settings' and click on the 'Restart' button. In the following window you should click the 'F5' button on your keyboard. This will restart your operating system in safe mode with networking.
Video showing how to start Windows 10 in 'Safe Mode with Networking':
Extract the downloaded archive and run the Autoruns.exe file.
In the Autoruns application, click 'Options' at the top and uncheck 'Hide Empty Locations' and 'Hide Windows Entries' options. After this procedure, click the 'Refresh' icon.
Check the list provided by the Autoruns application and locate the malware file that you want to eliminate.
You should write down its full path and name. Note that some malware hides process names under legitimate Windows process names. At this stage, it is very important to avoid removing system files. After you locate the suspicious program you wish to remove, right click your mouse over its name and choose 'Delete'.
After removing the malware through the Autoruns application (this ensures that the malware will not run automatically on the next system startup), you should search for the malware name on your computer. Be sure to enable hidden files and folders before proceeding. If you find the filename of the malware, be sure to remove it.
Reboot your computer in normal mode. Following these steps should remove any malware from your computer. Note that manual threat removal requires advanced computer skills. If you do not have these skills, leave malware removal to antivirus and anti-malware programs. These steps might not work with advanced malware infections. As always it is best to prevent infection than try to remove malware later. To keep your computer safe, install the latest operating system updates and use antivirus software.
To be sure your computer is free of malware infections, we recommend scanning it with Malwarebytes for Windows.